Parliament of Tasmania

Last updated
Parliament of Tasmania
51st Parliament (dissolved)
Coat of arms of Tasmania.svg
Tasmanian Parliament logo black and white.png
Tasmanian Parliament logo
Type
Type
Houses Legislative Council
House of Assembly
Sovereign Governor of Tasmania [a]
History
Founded2 December 1856;168 years ago (2 December 1856)
Leadership
Barbara Baker
since 16 June 2021
Craig Farrell, Labor
since 21 May 2019
Michelle O'Byrne, Labor
since 14 May 2024
Jeremy Rockliff, Liberal
since 8 April 2022
Dean Winter, Labor
since 10 April 2024
Structure
Seats50 MPs
35 MHAs
15 MLCs
Tasmanian House of Assembly - Composition of Members (effective 18 June 2025).svg
House of Assembly political groups
(Prior to 2025 election)
Government (14)
  •   Liberal (14)

Confidence and supply (3)

Opposition (10)

Crossbench (8)

2025 Tasmanian Legislative Council - Composition of Members.svg
Legislative Council political groups
Government (3)

Opposition (3)

Crossbench (9)

Elections
Proportional representation via Hare-Clark system (STV)
Partial Preferential (IRV)
Last House of Assembly election
23 March 2024
Last Legislative Council election
24 May 2025 (periodic)
Next House of Assembly election
19 July 2025
Next Legislative Council election
2 May 2026
Meeting place
Parliament House Hobart Panorama.jpg
Parliament House, Hobart,
Tasmania, Australia
Website
parliament.tas.gov.au

The Parliament of Tasmania is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Tasmania. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of the governor of Tasmania (as representative of the King), the Legislative Council (the upper house), and the House of Assembly (the lower house). [1] Since 1841, the Legislative Council has met in Parliament House, Hobart, with the House of Assembly following suit from its establishment in 1856. The Parliament of Tasmania first met in 1856.

Contents

The powers of the Parliament are prescribed in the Constitution of Tasmania. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, Tasmania has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Constitution of Australia regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth. Under the Australian Constitution, Tasmania ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas.

The leader of the party or coalition with the confidence of the House of Assembly is invited by the governor to form the Government and become the premier of Tasmania.

Throughout its history, the Tasmanian Parliament frequently had members who previously served in Federal Parliament proportionally more so than the other state and territory parliaments.

The Government currently consists of a Liberal Lambie minority government, formed after the 2024 State Election. The Second Rockliff ministry consists of solely Liberal members.

History

The island of Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) was claimed and subsequently settled by the United Kingdom in 1803. Initially, it was administered by the governor of New South Wales, as part of that British Colony of New South Wales. In 1825, Van Diemen's Land became a separate British colony, administered separately from New South Wales, with a Legislative Council of six men appointed to advise the lieutenant governor of Van Diemen's Land who had sole governance of the colony. The Council initially held meetings in a room adjacent to the old Government House that was located near to the present site of Franklin Square, but by 1841 they relocated meetings to the 'Long Room' (now the Members' Lounge) in the Customs House. [5]

In 1850, the British Parliament enacted the Australian Colonies Government Act , which gave Van Diemen's Land the right to elect its first representative government. The size of the Legislative Council was increased from six to 24. Eight members were appointed by the Governor, and 16 were elected by property owners. The new Legislative Council met for the first time in 1852, and by 1854 they had passed the Tasmanian Constitution Act , giving Van Diemen's Land responsible self-government and a new bicameral parliament. Queen Victoria granted Royal assent in 1855 and Van Diemen's Land became a self-governing colony. In the following year, 1856, one of the new parliament's first acts was to change the name of the colony from Van Diemen's Land to Tasmania.

Houses of Parliament

House of Assembly

The Tasmanian House of Assembly is the lower house of the Tasmanian Parliament. There are 35 members, with seven members elected from the five divisions. [6] [7] The divisions are: Bass, Braddon, Clark, Franklin, and Lyons. The Tasmanian House of Assembly electoral divisions share the same names and boundaries as the Australian House of Representatives divisions for Tasmania.

Members are elected using the Hare-Clark voting system of multi-member proportional representation for a term of up to 4 years. [f]

Current distribution of seats

The current distribution of seats is:

PartySeats heldPercentageSeat distribution
Liberal 1440.0%                                  
Labor 1028.6%                                  
Greens 514.3%                                  
Independent 514.3%                                  
Lambie 12.8%                                  

Legislative Council

The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Tasmanian Parliament. It has 15 members, each elected from a single-member electoral division. The boundaries of the divisions are reviewed by tribunal every 9 years. [9]

Elections are conducted annually on a 6-year periodic cycle; 3 divisions will be up for election in May one year, then 2 divisions in May the following year and so on. As such, each member will normally serve a term of 6 years.

Current distribution of seats

The current distribution of seats (updated post 2024 Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic election is:

PartySeats heldPercentageSeat distribution
Independents 746.7%               
Liberal Party 426.7%               
Labor Party 320.0%               
Greens 16.7%               

Longest-serving members

Members of the Tasmanian upper and lower houses with over 30 years of service.

NamePartyChamberStart of tenureEnd of tenurePeriod of service
Michael Polley   Labor House of Assembly22 April 197215 March 201441 years, 327 days
Sir John Evans   Commonwealth Liberal House of Assembly20 January 189720 February 193740 years, 31 days
William Dodery  IndependentHouse of Assembly4 June 186130 June 187039 years, 94 days
Legislative Council7 March 18777 May 1907
Neil Campbell   Liberal League House of Assembly10 June 192219 February 195537 years, 236 days
Legislative Council14 May 195525 April 1960
Sir Walter Lee   Liberal League House of Assembly30 April 190923 November 194637 years, 207 days
William Moore  IndependentHouse of Assembly14 September 18711 August 187737 years, 198 days
Legislative Council13 September 18774 May 1909
Dr Edward Crowther   Free Trade House of Assembly26 November 187830 April 191233 years, 156 days
Sir Robert Cosgrove   Labor House of Assembly31 May 191910 June 192233 years, 70 days
30 June 19259 May 1931
9 June 193425 August 1958
Frederick Grubb  IndependentLegislative Council6 March 18791 November 188031 years, 325 days
12 February 18811 May 1911
John Madden   Labor House of Assembly20 June 193613 October 195631 years, 255 days
23 December 195710 May 1969
Bill Neilson   Labor House of Assembly23 November 19461 December 197731 years, 8 days
John Dwyer VC   Labor House of Assembly9 May 193117 January 196230 years, 253 days
Sir Alexander Lillico  IndependentLegislative Council6 May 19248 May 195430 years, 2 days

See also

Notes

  1. Unlike most of the other states, the governor of Tasmania is explicitly listed as a constituent part of Parliament, instead of merely acting in the King’s name. [1] [2]
  2. Four independents signed a confidence and supply agreement with the Government after the 2024 election. Kristie Johnston subsequently revoked her support in June 2025. David O'Byrne, Miriam Beswick, and Rebekah Pentland continue to support the government. The other MHA is Craig Garland.
  3. Nick Duigan, MLC for Windermere, Kerry Vincent, MLC for Prosser, Jo Palmer, MLC for Rosevears
  4. Craig Farrell, MLC for Derwent, Luke Edmunds, MLC for Pembroke, Sarah Lovell, MLC for Rumney
  5. Current independent MLCs: Rosemary Armitage (Launceston), Ruth Forrest (Murchison), Mike Gaffney (Mersey), Dean Harriss (Huon), Casey Hiscutt (Montgomery), Tania Rattray (McIntyre), Bec Thomas (Elwick), Meg Webb (Nelson). [3]
  6. Since 1976; prior to 1976, the maximum term of the Assembly was five years. [8]

References

Specific references

  1. 1 2 Constitution Act 1934 (Tas) s 10. "The Governor and the Legislative Council and House of Assembly shall together constitute the Parliament of Tasmania."
  2. Carney, Gerard (2006). The Constitutional Systems of the Australian States and Territories. Cambridge University Press. pp. 78–79. ISBN   9780521863056.
  3. "Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council (as of 6 June 2019)" (PDF). Parliament of Tasmania. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  4. "Legislative Council elections 2025". Tasmanian Electoral Commission . 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  5. "Tasmanian Parliament". Parliament.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  6. "Expansion of House of Assembly Act 2022". legislation.tas.gov.au.
  7. Matt Maloney (17 November 2022). "Tasmania's House of Assembly to have 35 members in 2025 - if not sooner". The Examiner.
  8. Constitution Act 1972 (Tas) s.79
  9. "Tasmanian Legislative Council". Tasmanian Electoral Commission. 2006-09-08. Archived from the original on 2006-03-01.

General references

42°53′07″S147°19′49″E / 42.88528°S 147.33028°E / -42.88528; 147.33028