‘‘Lara Giddings will be an outstanding Premier and will have my full support. ‘‘Regards David.’’ There has been speculation about Mr Bartlett’s future for several months since a big fall in his popularity following his deal with the Greens to form government. Last year’s Tasmanian election delivered a hung parliament, with Mr Bartlett forming a minority government with the Greens three weeks later. The deal enabled the Greens to hold a government ministry for the first time.

In a press conference this afternoon Mr Bartlett said he was proud of his achievement as Tasmanian premier over the past two years, but his family has to come first. Announcing his resignation as Labor premier, Mr Bartlett said he was leaving the position for family reasons. He would remain as an MP for the rest of his term, but would not contest the next election. He said he could not continue in the role and be the father he wanted to be. ‘‘I have made a very personal decision and it is based on my personal relationship with my two children ... and the personal relationship I want to have with them,’’ he told reporters on Sunday.

‘‘I am proud of the contribution I have made,’’ he said. But his family had to come first. He’d started thinking about his priorities when his son Hudson came home with homework, in particular a weekly journal he had to write. ‘‘I started thinking heavily about this when (my son) Hudson brought his school work home this year. ‘‘There were far too many entries that started with: ‘Daddy went to work this weekend.’

‘‘I think he’s coming to that stage in his life when he needs his dad.‘‘ Hudson hates going out with me in public because I talk to everyone else except him.’’ He endorsed his deputy Lara Giddings as his successor. Mr Bartlett has been premier for more than two years, taking over the role following the resignation of Paul Lennon. He won the seat of Denison in 2004 after the then Labor premier Jim Bacon retired because of ill health.