Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division)

Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division)
Abbreviation	LP[1]
Leader	Peter Gutwein
President	Rod Scurrah
Deputy Leader	Jeremy Rockliff
Senior Vice President	Peter McKay
Treasurer	Geoff Page
Young Liberal President	Clark Cooley
Women's Council President	Rochelle Piesse
Founded	13 February 1945; 76 years ago (1945-02-13)[2]
Headquarters	Suite 4C, Level 3, 33 Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000
Youth wing	Young Liberals
Women's wing	Liberal Women's Council
Ideology	Liberalism (Australian) Conservatism
Political position	Centre-right
National affiliation	Liberal Party of Australia
Colors	Blue
Slogan	Securing Tasmania’s Future
House of Reps (Tas. seats)	2 / 5
Senate (Tas. seats)	5 / 12
House of Assembly	13 / 25
Legislative Council	4 / 15
Website
tas.liberal.org.au
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections

The Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division), commonly known as the Tasmanian Liberals, is the state division of the Liberal Party of Australia in Tasmania.^[3] The party currently governs in Tasmania. The party is part of the federal Liberal Party of Australia which governs nationally in Coalition with the National Party of Australia.

History[]

In 1904, Elliott Lewis established the National League, which changed its name to the Progressive League in 1907. While Lewis became Premier of the state in 1909 under this banner, the League itself shortly disappeared.^[4][5] Its successor was the Tasmanian Liberal League, founded later that year in collaboration with the Tasmanian Farmers and Stockowners Association.^[6] In 1917, the League affiliated with the Australian Liberal Union.

Following the removal of Billy Hughes from the leadership of the Labor Party, the League merged again to become the Tasmanian National Federation. It shared government with the Labor Party from 1912 to 1923, and then from 1928 to 1934.^[7] Despite the establishment of the United Australia Party by Joseph Lyons, the party continued using the name National until 1941 when it changed its name to the 'United Australia and National Organisation'.^[8] In 1945 the party came under the umbrella of the new Liberal Party of Australia.

The Tasmanian Division of the party was formed at a meeting in Hobart on 13 February 1945. The first state candidates stood at the 1946 election, most of whom were ex-servicemen. The organisation recruited them by arguing that in the services they had been fighting for freedom, and it was now their duty 'to finish the job'. The party first formed a government in Tasmania 1969.^[9]

In 1982, Robin Gray was elected on a platform of commitment to building the Gordon-below-Franklin hydro-electric power scheme. Continual blockades from the Labor Federal Government lead to the Premier threatening to secede from the Commonwealth if any further intervention was taken.^[10] Despite the lack of success in the Tasmanian Dam Case, the Gray government won the 1986 state election and held onto power until 1989.^[11]

The party was elected at the 1992 state election with Ray Groom as leader, however at the subsequent 1996 election following a promise not to form minority government Groom resigned.^[12] Tony Rundle was quick to replace Groom as Liberal leader and reached an informal agreement with the Tasmanian Greens to secure support.

At the 2014 state election, Will Hodgman secured a majority of seats following a 16-year incumbent Labor government led by Lara Giddings. The party was re-elected at the 2018 state election. Hodgman retired from politics in January 2020 and was succeeded by Peter Gutwein as party leader and Premier. On 22 March 2021, lower house MP Sue Hickey announced that she would quit the Liberal Party and sit as an independent, slamming the state Liberals as "unable to accommodate strong women" after being told by Gutwein that she would not be endorsed for the next election. The Liberal government lost its majority and plunged into minority government.^[13]

Organisation[]

Each division of the Liberal Party is autonomous, with a unique organisational structure and their own constitutions.^[14]

Premiers[]

Six parliamentary Liberal leaders have served as Premier of Tasmania: Angus Bethune (1969–1972), Robin Gray (1982–1989), Ray Groom (1992–1996), Tony Rundle (1996–1998), Will Hodgman (2014–2020) and Peter Gutwein (2020–present).

Deputy Premiers[]

Six parliamentary Liberal deputy leaders have served as Deputy Premier of Tasmania: Max Bingham (1982–1984), Geoff Pearsall (1984–1988), Ray Groom (1988–1989), John Beswick (1992–1996), Sue Napier (1996–1998) and Jeremy Rockliff (2014–).

List of parliamentary leaders[]

• Neil Campbell (1945–1950)
• Rex Townley (1950–1956)
• Tim Jackson (1956–1960)
• Angus Bethune (1960–1972)
• Max Bingham (1972–1979)
• Geoff Pearsall (1979–1981)
• Robin Gray (1981–1991)
• Ray Groom (1991–1996)
• Tony Rundle (1996–1999)
• Sue Napier (1999–2001)
• Bob Cheek (2001–2002)
• Rene Hidding (2002–2006)
• Will Hodgman (2006–2020)
• Peter Gutwein (2020–present)

State election results[]

Election	Seats won	±	Total votes	%	Position	Leader
1946	12 / 30		44,158	34.25%	Opposition	Neil Campbell
1948	12 / 30	0	54,010	37.84%	Opposition	Neil Campbell
1950	14 / 30	2	69,429	47.57%	Opposition	Rex Townley
1955	15 / 30	1	70,959	45.35%	Opposition	Rex Townley
1956	15 / 30	0	69,477	43.61%	Opposition	Tim Jackson
1959	16 / 35	1	66,005	41.05%	Opposition	Tim Jackson
1964	16 / 35	0	67,971	38.49%	Opposition	Angus Bethune
1969	17 / 35	1	83,261	43.98%	Minority Government	Angus Bethune
1972	14 / 35	3	76,073	38.37%	Opposition	Angus Bethune
1976	17 / 35	3	104,613	44.5%	Opposition	Max Bingham
1979	15 / 35	2	98,845	41.3%	Opposition	Max Bingham
1982	18 / 35	3	121,346	48.5%	Majority Government	Robin Gray
1986	18 / 35	0	138,836	54.2%	Majority Government	Robin Gray
1989	17 / 35	1	128,143	46.9%	Opposition	Robin Gray
1992	19 / 35	2	154,337	54.1%	Majority Government	Ray Groom
1996	16 / 35	3	121,391	41.2%	Minority Government	Ray Groom
1998	10 / 25	6	112,146	38.1%	Opposition	Tony Rundle
2002	7 / 25	3	81,185	27.4%	Opposition	Bob Cheek
2006	7 / 25	0	98,511	31.8%	Opposition	Rene Hidding
2010	10 / 25	3	124,933	39.0%	Opposition	Will Hodgman
2014	15 / 25	5	167,051	51.2%	Majority Government	Will Hodgman
2018	13 / 25	2	168,303	50.3%	Majority Government	Will Hodgman
2021	13 / 25	0	166,315	48.7%	Majority Government	Peter Gutwein

Federal election results[]

Election	Seats won	±	Total votes	%	Position	Leader
1946	12 / 30		44,158	34.25%	Opposition	Neil Campbell
1948	12 / 30	0	54,010	37.84%	Opposition	Neil Campbell
1950	14 / 30	2	69,429	47.57%	Opposition	Rex Townley
1955	15 / 30	1	70,959	45.35%	Opposition	Rex Townley
1956	15 / 30	0	69,477	43.61%	Opposition	Tim Jackson
1959	16 / 35	1	66,005	41.05%	Opposition	Tim Jackson
1964	16 / 35	0	67,971	38.49%	Opposition	Angus Bethune
1969	17 / 35	1	83,261	43.98%	Minority Government	Angus Bethune
1972	14 / 35	3	76,073	38.37%	Opposition	Angus Bethune
1976	17 / 35	3	104,613	44.5%	Opposition	Max Bingham
1979	15 / 35	2	98,845	41.3%	Opposition	Max Bingham
1982	18 / 35	3	121,346	48.5%	Majority Government	Robin Gray
1986	18 / 35	0	138,836	54.2%	Majority Government	Robin Gray
1989	17 / 35	1	128,143	46.9%	Opposition	Robin Gray
1992	19 / 35	2	154,337	54.1%	Majority Government	Ray Groom
1996	16 / 35	3	121,391	41.2%	Minority Government	Ray Groom
1998	10 / 25	6	112,146	38.1%	Opposition	Tony Rundle
2002	7 / 25	3	81,185	27.4%	Opposition	Bob Cheek
2006	7 / 25	0	98,511	31.8%	Opposition	Rene Hidding
2010	10 / 25	3	124,933	39.0%	Opposition	Will Hodgman
2014	15 / 25	5	167,051	51.2%	Majority Government	Will Hodgman
2018	13 / 25	2	168,303	50.3%	Majority Government	Will Hodgman

References[]

Further reading[]

• Lucadou-Wells R (1994) 50 year history of the Liberal Party (Tasmanian Division), Hobart, Tasmania.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liberal Party of Australia.

• Tasmanian Liberals Official website
• Liberal Party of Australia Federal party official site
• Liberal Party of Australia ephemera digitised and held by the National Library of Australia