Two Tasmanian Liberal MPs have quit the party to sit as independents, pushing Australia's only remaining Liberal stronghold into minority governance.

Bass member Lara Alexander and Lyons member John Tucker resigned this morningas both party members and members of the parliamentary Liberal Party.

They have also left their parliamentary positions, including memberships of parliamentary committees.

Both politicians will continue to serve their electorates as independents on the crossbench.

They have both said they didnot plan to bring down the government, with Mr Tucker saying he hoped Mr Rockliff would remain as premier.

The pair spoke to the ABC before holding a press conference this morning.

Both have flagged concerns about future debt surrounding Hobart's $715 million Macquarie Point Stadium, with Ms Alexander also taking issue with the transparency of government decision making, and Mr Tucker airing grievances against Marinus Link.

The building of a stadium was a central condition by the AFL before the league agreed to awardTasmania the game's 19th team licence.

"I don't want to disrupt the government. We need to make sure that the right decisions are being taken, and the last thing the community needs is a big upheaval," Ms Alexander told the ABC.

The Tasmanian MPs took issue with the proposed AFL stadium, saying decisions were made by cabinet behind closed doors, and they could not support it based on the information they had.

"To have the capacity to influence government decisions, you have to see the issue first before it goes to cabinet, and in this instance, I have not had the opportunity to," Ms Alexander said.

She told a press conference there neededto be far more transparency around how the stadium became part of deal with the AFL for a new team licence.

"I have not been able to understand where did that [the stadium] come from," she said.

"For a lot of Tasmanians, and a lot of our constituents, the question is if we all started to support the [AFL] team and the further along the line it became a package with the stadium.

"A number of questions are unanswered questions that have created this big anxiety and split in our community and people deserve to get an answer to all these genuine questions."

Ms Alexander said her intention was not to derail the stadium, but to put it under greater scrutiny.

"Being an independent, I do feel that I am more free in actually presenting policies and positions and suggesting solutions to some of the critical issues," she said.

"For me, as an accountant, as an economist, as a person that has worked in a not-for-profit sector, it's really hard for me to understand this particular investment [astadium];I just can't get my head around it."

Mr Tucker said he was neither for nor against the stadium, but wanted greater transparency.

"I want to ensure that these are the right decisions for the Tasmanian taxpayer, so we're not going to create a nightmare for them going forward with the debt load," he told the ABC.

Later at the press conference, Mr Tucker said he did not think their move to the crossbench would kill the project.

"Myself and Lara do not believe that it [becoming independent] will derail the stadium," he said.

"We are interested to look at what the contractors say and what the business case says, if the business case stacks up and everything looks right.

"I do not have a problem supporting the stadium. I suppose you could say I'm sitting on the fence with this, I want to see what the books say."

Ms Alexander told the ABC she first raised her concerns with Premier Jeremy Rockliff late last year and asked for more information, but she "still had not seen anything of a significant nature".

While she then told Mr Rockliff she was upset, she did not tell him she was considering quitting.

Meanwhile, Mr Tucker reached out to the premier in December over the government's competency, saying there was a disconnect with the people of Lyons, but acted after he said nothing had changed.

He said he told the premier of his intention to quit in late March, and they had been in discussions since, but had not been able to resolve the issues.

Mr Tucker also has concerns over the Marinus Link deal.

"If we put cheap power at risk for the Tasmanian public, people would not forgive us," he said.

"I want to see what the business case is, that we're going to see benefit from this, the Tasmanian taxpayers, and that's that's the crux of this.

"I want to see what the deal has been done with the federal government on this."

Ms Alexander and Mr Tucker sent their resignation letters to Mr Rockliff this morning.

On Fridayafternoon, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he had received the two MPs' resignations, calling their actions "disappointing".

He said he would not resign as premier and would carry out the job "for all Tasmanians".

Asked if he would call an early election, he responded: "No."

"Today is a challenging day, but there are many, many things of which all Tasmanians need to be, and should be, proud of, of where we have come as a state over the course of the last 10 years under a Liberal government," he said.

"We will continue to invest in enablinginfrastructure, growing our economy, and supporting and investing in essential services that Tasmanians expect their government to invest in."

Mr Rockliff said he would work "across the parliament" to work in the best interest of Tasmanians.

Both Ms Alexander and Mr Tucker have called for better transparency from the government, but Mr Rockliff said he was "always open, transparent, consultative with our team".

Asked if he expected more members of his party to quit, Mr Rockliff said he had spoken to other Liberal MPs and they were committed to the government's plan.

He said people might not always agree with what the government did, but that decisions would always be made "for the right reasons".

Despite leading a minority government, Mr Rockliff said it would not impact on his team's plan for the state.

The premier said he was confidence the Liberal Party could win the next election currently set for 2025.

Updates are available. Tap to refresh.

By Daniel Miller

That's it from Lara Alexander and John Tucker the two new independents.

They've created a tricky situation for Australia's last remaining Liberal premier.

While both of the MPs have said they don't want to bring down the government, Jeremy Rockliff can no longer pass legislation through the lower house without support from outside his party.

How the premier reacts (we've had no word yet) is yet to be seen.

The stadium, which is nowhere near starting construction, is being pushed through under "major projects" legislation that does not require the majority of MPs in parliament to pass it.

But with this political threat to Mr Rockliff and a plea to be more transparent about the cost of the project and how decisions were reached, the premier will be hounded by the stadium issue even more.

We are seeking comments from Labor and the Greens, but for now, revisit this story to see updates throughout the day.

Thanks for joining us!

By Daniel Miller

Great news. Thank goodness. Many residents of tas regardless of their politics are shocked and angry that the stadium 'deal' has happened.

- Melissa

Do you have majority support in your electorate to abandon the Liberal Party to act as an independent. If so, how was this achieved?

- Mimi Martin

At a time when we have huge Pandemic debt to pay back building a sports stadium seems ludicrous

- Max Herron

Good on them for making a statement!

- Mat

The Liberals are in chaos which proves that Liberals were not 100% behind their Premier instead, they were in support of the majority of Tasmanians who did not want to be dictated by the AFL in providing a new Stadium and spending all that money when the Tasmanian community have far more pressing issues!!

- John Gray

Well done guys for standing up for what you believe in. There more pressing issues in Tasmania than Football. We need to address Health, education and homelessness.

- Rob and Laurie Kingston

Once again we are a state divided. Shut the doors and pack up the shop Closed for Business!

- Nick

Maybe they should quit politics and allow their by elections be a referendum on the stadium.

- Paul

By Daniel Miller

Ms Alexander stressed that the decision to quit the Liberal Party was "hard" and not made lightly.

She hopes the Tasmanian electorate will understand that when it judges her and Mr Tucker.

By Daniel Miller

Ms Alexander says she and Mr Tucker "do not want to kill football in the state". They just want the Tasmanian people to know how decisions were made around the stadium.

Mr Tucker says he wants to ensure "the AFL dream does not become a nightmare for the taxpayer".

By Daniel Miller

Lara Alexander, the former CEO ofSt Vincent's de Pauls in Tasmania before she joined parliament on a recount, questions the government's priorities.

"I think the critical thing is for the Liberal Party to get back to the bread and budget issues because this is not what the Liberal Party was elected [for] in Tasmania.

"I think [it should go] back to the bread and budget issues, and be transparent and honest with the community.

That is all the community is asking. It is really basic."

By Daniel Miller

Mr Tucker, with Ms Alexander's agreement, says the two new independents don't plan to bring the government down in parliament.

Mr Tucker says he hopes Jeremy Rockliff stays as premier.

By Daniel Miller

John Tucker aired issues directly with the premier months ago, so this is something that has been a long time coming for him.

Would he ever return to the party though if Mr Rockliff can convince him?

"I do not see a future going back to the party but I believe that you never say never, politics is a long day.

So what the future holds I do not know, but usually when you become an independent - myself and Lara are well aware of this, there is no going back."

Ms Alexander says she has no plans to return to the Liberal Party.

By Daniel Miller

"I have to be truthful to what I believe in," she said.

She said Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff "probably was not surprised" when he received her resignation this morning.

By Daniel Miller

She says there need to be more transparency for MPs as well as the Tasmanian public about how the stadium became part of Tasmania's pitch to the AFL to get a team licence:

I can echo what John has said. For me it is important and I've been trying to understand and, I guess, that for a lot of Tasmanians, and a lot of our constituents, the question is is that if we all started to support the [AFL] team and the further along the line it became a package with the stadium.

I have not been able to understand where did that come from, where is the piece of information.

A number of questions are unanswered and questions that have created this big anxiety and split in our community and people deserve to get an answer to all these genuine questions.

By Daniel Miller

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Tasmania's Liberal government thrown into minority as MPs defect over $715 million AFL stadium in Hobart - ABC News