It was the detonation of a political bomb that few saw coming — two Tasmanian Liberal MPs quitting the government to sit as independents.
But when John Tucker and Lara Alexander made the announcement, it was one of the first times they had fronted the media during their relatively short time in politics.
From the government backbenches, they have avoided much of the limelight and scrutiny of the ministers sitting in front of them.
But now, the unlikely duo hold the future of the state's government, and key policies, in their hands.
Who are they?
It probably comes as no surprise that Mr Tucker, who is rarely seen outside without a wide-brimmed hat, comes from a farming family.
The 48-year-old grew up on a sheep farm on the east coast near St Helens and completed a Diploma in Farm Management in New Zealand.
Before entering state politics, he served as a local councillor on the Break O'Day Council.
His fellow-defector Mrs Alexander was born in Romania.
In her first speech to parliament, she highlighted the emotional toll of living through the violent civil unrest in the country in the 1980s.
She moved to Australia in the 1990s, working for several not-for-profits in Western Australia, before moving to Tasmania in 2010.
Prior to the 55-year-old's election to parliament, she was the chief executive of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Tasmania.
How did they get into parliament?
Both Mr Tucker and Mrs Alexander were first elected on countbacks.
Mr Tucker unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the Senate at the 2016 federal election, also missing out on a seat in the sprawling state electorate of Lyons in 2018.
But the resignation of Liberal Rene Hidding in 2019 saw him enter parliament, before going on to be re-elected in his own-right in 2021.
His campaigns were backed by then-Senator Eric Abetz, who Mr Tucker described as playing a "huge role" in getting him into parliament.
Mrs Alexander ran for the Liberals in the northern electorate of Bass in 2021, receiving only 511 first preference votes — second last in a field of 19 candidates.
Tensions between Mrs Alexander and the Liberal Party simmered to the surface during the election, sensationally complaining through her campaign manager she was not able to speak to the media.
Less than a year later, she came out as the winner of the recount triggered by the resignation of Education Minister Sarah Courtney.
At the time, then-Premier Peter Gutwein said she would be "a fantastic addition to the Liberal team", with Mrs Alexander noting she had a "really good relationship with the Liberal Party".
What are their views?
Both defectors have flagged concerns about future debt surrounding Hobart's $715 million Macquarie Point Stadium, taking issue with the transparency of government decision-making surrounding the project.
Along with the stadium, they've also expressed uneasiness over the business case for the Marinus Link deal.
Mrs Alexander said she would also focus on "community issues" as an independent.
"I think the critical thing for the Liberal Party is to get back to the bread and butter issues," Mrs Alexander said.
Both were on the right of the party, making it hardly surprising Mrs Alexander was at odds with the moderate premier's support on the Voice to Parliament flagging she would campaign against it, at this stage, due to a lack of transparency.
Mr Tucker said he has some "serious concerns" around the performance of Racing Minister Madeleine Ogilvie, who has been under fire in recent weeks.
But their own time in parliament hasn't been without controversy.
Mrs Alexander made headlines after hosting an event at Parliament House in opposition to a proposed ban of conversion practices.
Mr Tucker also came under fire for sponsoring a petition to State Parliament containing vaccine-related misinformation.
Tasmania's Supreme Court blocked the MP from clearing a huge tract of land on his farm after a seven-year court battle waged by environmentalists.
How will they vote?
The government will need at least two votes from the crossbench to maintain control of the house.
They have both said they did not plan to bring down the government, committing to not instigate a vote of no confidence.
But they've left the door open to supporting one in the future.
"If the Premier doesn't meet our terms … then we would have to reconsider our position," Mr Tucker said.
They said they didn't forecast legislative deadlocks and both MPs believed the new parliamentary make up would strengthen democracy.
But as Mr Tucker said at the press conference announcing their bombshell move: "One day in politics is a long day."
And if one day is a long time, there's another two years before the next state election is due.
Only time will tell if the government, which has long boasted its "strong" majority status, will survive without Mr Tucker and Mrs Alexander in their ranks.
