A week into the election campaign, the Tasmanian Liberal Party is already a man down Posted Yesterday at 8:27pm WedWednesday 31 updated 5 AprApril 2021 at 6:24am Last Friday, Liberal leader Peter Gutwein and his deputy Jeremy Rockliff announced the state would go to an early election. ( Share Print text only Cancel Tasmanian Liberal leader Peter Gutwein smiled last year when asked whether he was grooming any potential Liberal candidates for the next state election. "You'd be surprised at the number of people who have been in touch with me," he said, fresh from snagging popular newsreader Jo Palmer for the Upper House seat of Rosevears.