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If only Will Hodgman's parents could have seen this.

Victorious Mr Hodgman and defeated opponent Lara Giddings united in wishing the father and mother of Tasmania's new premier had lived to see his election success.

Mr Hodgman's party swept to majority government in Saturday's poll, ending a Labor dynasty that began in 1998.

But it was another dynasty that was on many minds after Mr Hodgman lost his father Michael, a former Fraser government minister, last year after a long illness.

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"I am envious that unlike (Ms Giddings) my parents are not able to see tonight," Mr Hodgman said.

Ms Giddings had earlier made a point of sympathising with her opponent.

"Having had the support of my family and the pride of my parents in what I have achieved ... I say to Will I'm only sorry for you that your father Michael and your mother Marian cannot be here," she said.

But the night belonged to the Hodgmans and the premier elect claimed victory at his second attempt with his English wife Nicky by his side, punching the air as he reached the podium.

"Tasmanians have voted for a change in direction and that is what we intend to deliver," Mr Hodgman said.

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Liberals on track to take Tasmania

Under pressure from opposition parties, the Liberals have pledged to repay $10,000 billed to taxpayers for the alleged scrubbing of computer hard drives in former premier Dalton McGuintys office.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the move Tuesday in the wake of Ontario Provincial Police revelations about the payment, uncovered in an 18-month probe of deleted documents in the $1.1-billion gas plants scandal.

In light of this new information the premier has concluded the tax dollars should not have been expended for the work performed, Wynne spokesperson Zita Astravas said in a seven-paragraph statement.

With HST, the repayment will total $11,017.50.

Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats accused the government of holding back its announcement on the repayment decision made by the Liberal partys executive council on Monday for as long as possible.

Now theyre hoping nobody notices this when they release this the day before Christmas Eve, said NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson, who joined Conservative MPP John Yakabuski in charging the repayment proves the alleged wiping of hard drives was a political action.

They did everything they could to destroy the evidence and cover it up, Bisson said in a statement.

Police have said its not known what documents were deleted, but they are searching more computer hard drives in an attempt to find any.

Wynnes office was keen to distance her administration from the McGuinty era, which ended in February 2013 just days after Peter Faist, the computer expert spouse of former McGuinty deputy chief of staff Laura Miller, is alleged to have wiped hard drives in the premiers office.

We had no information until the release (of an OPP search warrant application) that any services invoiced by Mr. Faist in fact related to the matters under investigation, added the statement from Wynnes office.

Originally posted here:
Liberals to repay $10,000 paid to wipe computers

Published December 24, 2014

TIRANA, Albania Albania's main opposition Democrats have ended a four-month boycott of Parliament in a deal brokered by two European Parliament lawmakers.

The walkout by the center-right party, headed by Tirana Mayor Lulzim Basha, was triggered by a fistfight in Albania's Parliament in July when two governing Socialist lawmakers allegedly attacked a Democrat colleague.

The Democrats started their boycott on Sept. 1 to protest the incident and demand that all legislation of major significance require more than a simple majority of votes.

The impasse was overcome this week by European legislators Eduard Kukan of Slovakia and Knut Fleckenstein of Germany. Senior Democrat lawmaker Edi Paloka said Wednesday the agreement was accepted, but he provided few details.

The government, elected in June 2013, controls 84 seats in the 140-seat house.

See more here:
Albania's opposition Democrats end parliamentary boycott after mediation by European MPs

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