In March 2018, he succeeded Angus Bethune as the longest-serving leader in the history of the Tasmanian Liberals. He resigned as the Premier of Tasmania, the Leader of the Tasmanian Liberals and Member of the Parliament of Tasmania on 20 January 2020.[2][3] In April 2020, Hodgman was appointed as the chair of Australian Business Growth Fund by federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.[4] Hodgman is from Hobart and was educated at the University of Tasmania.
Hodgman was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1994. He was an associate of the Hobart law firm Wallace Wilkinson & Webster, before practising as a solicitor for the Wiltshire County Council in the UK for 15 months.
In the UK, he acted as prosecutor and advocate for the Council in the County Courts and the High Court of Justice. He then returned to Wallace Wilkinson & Webster in 1998, and practised in criminal law and personal injuries until his election to Parliament.
Political career
Hodgman entered Parliament at the 2002 election in the electorate of Franklin and was elected to the role of deputy leader immediately afterwards.[5] He was elected alongside his father, who was elected in the neighbouring seat of Denison.
Hodgman was re-elected in the 2006 election receiving 21.98 per cent of first preferences, an increase compared to his previous vote of 12.37 per cent in the 2002 election. This is the third highest individual vote ever recorded in the seat of Franklin.[citation needed]
On 30 March 2006 he was unanimously elected as the leader of Tasmania's Liberal Party, replacing Rene Hidding following disappointing results at the 2006 election. Jeremy Rockliff is his deputy.[6]
At the 2018 election Hodgman personally received 27,184 first preference votes, the highest number ever for any candidate in a state election in Tasmania.[7]
Hodgman is Tasmania's seventh longest serving Premier, and the fourth-longest serving non-Labor Premier since Federation.[1] As well as serving as Premier, Hodgman has been Tasmania's Attorney General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Minister for Trade, Minister for Parks, Minister for Heritage, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries.[8]
Hodgman held a number of shadow portfolios in his parliamentary career, including Treasury and Finance, Energy, Major Projects and Community Development, Tourism, Economic Development and the Arts.[8]
2010 election
Hodgman contested the 2010 Tasmanian state election and the result was a hung parliament, with the Liberals and Labor on 10 seats each. The balance of power rested with the Tasmanian Greens, who won five seats. Before the election, the incumbent Premier David Bartlett stated that the party who won the most votes should form government. Since the Liberals won the popular vote by just over 6,700 votes, Bartlett and his caucus voted to give up power, and Bartlett advised the Governor of Tasmania, Peter Underwood, to invite Hodgman to form a government.[9]
However, Hodgman never approached the Greens before the writs were returned, and Bartlett did not promise a Hodgman minority government would have a minimum period of support. Faced with the prospect of a government being defeated at its first sitting, Underwood recommissioned Bartlett as premier and left it to the Assembly to determine whether Labor had enough support to govern.[10] Hodgman accused Bartlett of going back on a promise not to topple a Liberal minority government.[11]
2014 election
Before the 2014 Tasmanian state election, with polls suggesting the Liberals were positioned to win government, Hodgman had promised that he would only govern in majority. ABC News election analyst Antony Green suggested Hodgman's promise could have come back to haunt him if the Palmer United Party, which made a significant effort in the election, were to siphon off enough votes to deny the Liberals a majority.[10]
On election night, Hodgman led the Liberal Party to victory with a swing of over 9% against the incumbent Labor Party. The Liberals picked up an additional seat in every electorate except Denison, assuring that Hodgman would have a secure majority.[12] They ultimately went on to win 15 seats–a comprehensive victory under Tasmanian electoral practice of the time.[10]
Hodgman himself topped the poll in Franklin, tallying 23,589 first preference votes on 35 percent of the first preference vote; the total number of electors in Franklin is 74,189.[13] This result was achieved despite competing against both Giddings and Greens leader Nick McKim in this multi-member electorate. Hodgman was sworn in as the 45th Premier of Tasmania, alongside the members of his cabinet, on 31 March 2014, becoming only the fifth non-Labor premier in 80 years[14] and only the third to govern in majority.
2018 election
Hodgman dissolved the parliament and called the election for March 3. Repeating his vow of four years earlier, Hodgman categorically ruled out governing in coalition or minority, saying, "We will govern alone or not at all." However it was thought unlikely at the time that the Liberals would keep their majority due to the strong polling of the Greens and the Jacqui Lambie Network.[15]
During the campaign, Hodgman and the Liberals promised to keep poker machines in pubs and clubs.[16][17] He claimed 5000 jobs were at risk if machines were banned, although fact checkers called this claim overblown.[18] It was later disclosed that the gambling industry funded his campaign with over $400,000, although the true amount was speculated to be far higher.[19]
The day before the election it was revealed that the Liberals had privately indicated to farming stakeholders they might relax the state's gun laws. The move was criticised by some opponents.[20]
Ultimately, the Liberals suffered a swing of two seats, leaving them at 13 seats, just enough for a majority. It was only the second time in 87 years that the non-Labor forces in Tasmania had been reelected with an outright majority. Hodgman personally received 27,184 first preference votes, which is the highest number ever in a Tasmanian state election.[7]
On 14 January 2020, Hodgman announced his resignation as premier, and confirmed he would also resign from state parliament.[2] In his resignation speech, he cited the toll on his family; his 17 years in the legislature had been concurrent with the "entire lives" of his three children.[21] On 20 January, TreasurerPeter Gutwein was elected unopposed as Liberal leader, and was sworn in as premier later that day.[22]
Hodgman is one of the few Australian state politicians to have never spent a day on the backbench. He spent his entire tenure in the House of Assembly in a leadership position as deputy opposition leader (2002–2006), opposition leader (2006–2014) and premier (2014–2020).[citation needed]
Prior to his resignation there was speculation that Hodgman would stay on as premier to surpass Robin Gray as the state's longest serving Liberal Premier.[21]
Career after politics
On 15 April 2020, Hodgman was announced as the inaugural chair of the new Australian Business Growth Fund.[23]
Michael Darrel Joseph Ferguson is an Australian politician who is currently the Deputy Premier of Tasmania since April 2022. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the Division of Bass since the 2010 state election. Ferguson was appointed to cabinet after his party's victory in the 2014 state election and has served continuously as Minister in a range of portfolios including Finance, Health, Infrastructure, Transport, State Growth and Science and Technology.
Marinus Theodoor "Rene" Hidding is an Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party member for the Division of Lyons in the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1996 until his resignation in 2019. From 2002 until 2006 he was also leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania.
An election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 18 March 2006, the same day as the South Australian elections. The Labor Party led by Premier Paul Lennon, won a third successive majority government term in office, despite predictions the election would result in a minority government. Although there was a small swing against Labor, they finished with 14 seats, and there were no changes in the party composition of the assembly. The Liberal Party led by Rene Hidding gained a small swing and finished with seven seats. The Tasmanian Greens led by Peg Putt suffered a small swing and finished with four seats; meaning no change in seat representation since the last election. Had the Greens lost one of their four seats, they would have lost their status as a major party and would lose financial resources, offices and support staff.
William Michael Hodgman AM QC was an Australian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as Minister for the Capital Territory in the Fraser government from 1980 to 1983. He was active in both state and federal politics, serving in the Tasmanian Legislative Council (1966–1974), Australian House of Representatives (1975–1987), and Tasmanian House of Assembly. His son Will Hodgman was Premier of Tasmania for 6 years, until his resignation in January 2020.
David John Bartlett is an Australian former politician in the state of Tasmania, serving as the 43rd Premier of Tasmania from May 2008 until January 2011. He was a Labor Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Denison from 2004 to 2011 when he retired.
Peter George Underwood, was an Australian jurist and the Governor of Tasmania from 2008 until his death in 2014. He was the Chief Justice of Tasmania from 2004 to 2008, having been a judge of the Supreme Court of Tasmania from 1984.
Jeremy Page Rockliff is an Australian politician. He has served as premier of Tasmania since 2022, as state leader of the Liberal Party. He previously served as deputy premier from 2014 to 2022.
Larissa Tahireh "Lara" Giddings is an Australian former politician who was the 44th Premier of Tasmania from 24 January 2011 until 31 March 2014, the first woman to hold the position. Born in Goroka, Papua New Guinea, she was a Labor Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Franklin from 2002 to 2018, and was the party's leader during her period as premier, replaced by Bryan Green after her government's defeat at the 2014 state election. Giddings came from the Labor Left faction. As of 2024, she remains the most recent premier of Tasmania from the Labor Party.
Kenneth Shaw Wriedt was an Australian politician and leader of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party.
Cassandra Stanwell O'Connor is an Australian politician, who was a Tasmanian Greens member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 2008 to 2023, representing the electorate of Denison which was renamed to Clark in September 2018. Since the 2024 Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic election, she has represented the electorate of Hobart.
Peter Carl Gutwein is a former Australian politician who was the 46th premier of Tasmania from 2020 to 2022. He was a Liberal Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 2002 to 2022, representing the electorate of Bass. He succeeded Will Hodgman as leader of the Liberal Party and Tasmanian Premier on 20 January 2020.
The 2010 Tasmanian state election was held on 20 March 2010 to elect members to the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The 12-year incumbent Labor government, led by Premier of Tasmania David Bartlett, won a fourth consecutive term against the Liberal opposition, led by Will Hodgman, after Labor formed a minority government with the support of the Greens.
Rebecca Peta White is an Australian politician. She has served as the 51st Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania and Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party in Tasmania from July 2021 until April 2024, having previously served in that role from March 2017 until May 2021. She has been a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Lyons since the 2010 state election. Previously, White served as Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services, and Opposition Spokesperson for Children.
The 2014 Tasmanian state election was held on 15 March 2014 to elect all 25 members to the House of Assembly. The 16-year incumbent Labor government, led by the Premier of Tasmania Lara Giddings, sought to win a fifth consecutive term in government, but was defeated by the Liberal opposition, led by Opposition Leader Will Hodgman, in a landslide victory. Also contesting the election was the Greens led by Nick McKim. The Palmer United Party made a significant effort in the election.
The 2018 Tasmanian state election was held on 3 March 2018 to elect all 25 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly.
Madeleine Ruth Ogilvie is an Australian lawyer and politician. She is a Liberal Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly representing the Division of Clark and is a minister in the Second Rockliff ministry
Nicholas Adam Street is an Australian politician. He was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in a countback conducted on 1 March 2016, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Paul Harriss, and served until his defeat at the 2018 state election. He was then re-elected on 6 February 2020, filling a vacancy caused by the resignation of Will Hodgman.
The Tasmanian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division) and more simply as the Tasmanian Liberals, is the state division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Tasmania. The party currently governs in Tasmania as the only Liberal government in Australia above the local level. The party is part of the federal Liberal Party of Australia, currently in opposition.
The 2021 Tasmanian state election was held on 1 May 2021 to elect all 25 members to the Tasmanian House of Assembly.
The Tasmanian Labor Party, officially known as the Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) and commonly referred to simply as Tasmanian Labor, is the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party. It has been one of the most successful state Labor parties in Australia in terms of electoral success.
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