Tas Libs' bid to get rid of Speaker Hickey

Angry Tasmanian Liberals are trawling through new Speaker Sue Hickey's past in a bid to find something that will force her to quit parliament.

Ms Hickey blindsided her own party when she voted with Labor and the Greens to make herself Speaker of Tasmania's lower house earlier this week.

She's promised confidence in the government, but also says she won't automatically pass its legislation.

AAP understands her stunning move has angry Liberal party members forensically going through her history as former Lord Mayor of Hobart in a bid to find any questionable decisions.

If they can find any, they hope to force her out of parliament.

Under Tasmania's Hare-Clark system, when an MP quits the votes used to elect them are recounted, usually meaning a candidate from the same party replaces them.

Tasmanian Liberal sources say forcing Ms Hickey out is the government's best hope of regaining its one-seat majority.

It's understood Ms Hickey believed she had been promised a ministry before the election, but was left out of Premier Will Hodgman's cabinet.

So Labor and Ms Hickey agreed to the deal to make her Speaker, with the Greens' support.

Ms Hickey's move left the government's choice for Speaker, veteran MP Rene Hidding, on the backbench after he gave his up ministries expecting to get the job.

The new Speaker has also hired Mervin Reed, a fierce public critic of Mr Hodgman, as one of her advisers.

Ms Hickey told reporters on Wednesday she would "mostly" vote with the government.

"This is a very serious role and I take it very seriously," Ms Hickey said.

"I am not going to abuse that power."

The Liberal government was returned to power in March with a slender one-seat majority of 13 House of Assembly seats to Labor's 10 and the Greens' two.