Parliament of Tasmania

Last updated
Parliament of Tasmania
51st Parliament
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 [lower-alpha 1]
History
Founded2 December 1856;167 years ago (2 December 1856)
Leadership
Barbara Baker
since 16 June 2021
Craig Farrell, Labor
since 21 May 2019
TBD
Jeremy Rockliff, Liberal
since 8 April 2022
Dean Winter, Labor
since 10 April 2024
Structure
Seats50 MPs
35 MHAs
15 MLCs
2024.04.10 Tasmanian House of Assembly - Composition of Members.svg
House of Assembly political groups
Government (14)
   Liberal (14)

Confidence and supply (5)

  Independent (2) [lower-alpha 2] Opposition (10)

   Labor (10)

Crossbench (6)

   Greens (5)
   Independent (1)
2024 Tas LegCo Seating Arrangement.svg
Legislative Council political groups
Government (4)
  Liberal (4)

Opposition (3)

  Labor (3)

Crossbench (8)

  Greens (1)
  Independent (7) [lower-alpha 3]
Elections
Hare-Clark
Partial Preferential
Last general election
23 March 2024
Next general election
TBD
Meeting place
Parliament House Hobart Panorama.jpg
Parliament House, Hobart,
Tasmania, Australia
Website
www.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, both Houses have met in Parliament House, Hobart. The Parliament of Tasmania first met in 1856.

Contents

The powers of the Parliament are prescribed in the Constitution of Tasmania, as amended from time to time. 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. In practice, however, the independence of the Australian states has been greatly eroded by the increasing financial domination of the Commonwealth.[ citation needed ]

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. [4]

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. [5] [6] The divisions are: Bass, Braddon, Denison, 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. [lower-alpha 4]

Current distribution of seats

The current distribution of seats is:

PartySeats heldPercentageSeat distribution
Liberal 1440.0%                                  
Labor 1028.6%                                  
Greens 514.3%                                  
Lambie 38.6%                                  
Independent 38.6%                                  

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. [8]

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%               

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. MHAs: Kristie Johnston and David O'Byrne
  3. Current independent MLCs: Rosemary Armitage (Launceston), Ruth Forrest (Murchison), Mike Gaffney (Mersey), Dean Harriss (Huon), Tania Rattray (McIntyre), Bec Thomas (Elwick), Meg Webb (Nelson). [3]
  4. Since 1976; prior to 1976, the maximum term of the Assembly was five years. [7]

Related Research Articles

Electoral systems of the Australian states and territories are broadly similar to the electoral system used in federal elections in Australia.

The history of Tasmania begins at the end of the Last Glacial Period when it is believed that the island was joined to the Australian mainland. Little is known of the human history of the island until the British colonisation of Tasmania in the 19th century.

The parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian House of Assembly</span> Lower house of the Parliament of Tasmania

The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian Legislative Council</span> Upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania

The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two chambers of the Parliament, the other being the House of Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart. Members of the Legislative Council are often referred to as MLCs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian Government</span> State government of Tasmania, Australia

The Tasmanian Government or the Government of Tasmania is the executive branch of the Australian state of Tasmania. The leader of the party or coalition with the confidence of the House of Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of Tasmania, is invited by the governor of Tasmania to form the executive. The governor appoints the premier of Tasmania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Lyne</span> Australian politician (1844–1913)

Sir William John Lyne KCMG was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1899 to 1901, and later as a federal cabinet minister under Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin. He is best known as the subject of the so called "Hopetoun Blunder", unexpectedly being asked to serve as the first Prime Minister of Australia but proving unable to form a government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Young</span> English colonial administrator (1803–1870)

Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Denison</span> British colonial administrator (1804–1871)

Sir William Thomas Denison was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1847 to 1855, Governor of New South Wales from 1855 to 1861, and Governor of Madras from 1861 to 1866.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Constitutions Act 1850</span> Act establishing the Colony of Victoria

The Australian Constitutions Act 1850, or the Australian Colonies Government Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was enacted to formally establish the Colony of Victoria by separating the District of Port Phillip from the Colony of New South Wales. The Act provided an initial constitution for Victoria, which included a bicameral parliament and a Lieutenant-Governor as its vice-regal representative. It also altered the constitution of the Colony of New South Wales, and provided for similar constitutions to be set up in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Franklin (state)</span> Tasmanian state electoral division

The electoral division of Franklin is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, located in southern Tasmania and includes Bruny Island, Kingston and the eastern shore of the Derwent River. Franklin is named after Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer who was Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (1837–43). The division shares its name and boundaries with the federal division of Franklin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Champ</span> British Army officer and first Premier of Tasmania

William Thomas Napier Champ was a soldier and politician who served as the first Premier of Tasmania from 1856 to 1857. He was born in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament House, Hobart</span> Building in Tasmania, Australia

Parliament House, Hobart, located on Salamanca Place in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the meeting place of the Parliament of Tasmania. The building was originally designed as a customs house but changed use in 1841 when Tasmania achieved self-government. The building served both purposes from 1841 to 1904, when the customs offices were relocated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">States and territories of Australia</span> First-level administrative subdivisions of Australia

The states and territories are the second level of government of Australia. The states are administrative divisions that are self-governing polities that are partly sovereign, having ceded some sovereign rights to the federal government. They have their own constitutions, legislatures, executive governments, judiciaries and law enforcement agencies that administer and deliver public policies and programs. Territories can be autonomous and administer local policies and programs much like the states in practice, but are still legally subordinate to the federal government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery</span> Art and history museum in Hobart, Australia

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is a museum located in Hobart, Tasmania. The museum was established in 1846, by the Royal Society of Tasmania, the oldest Royal Society outside England. The TMAG receives 400,000 visitors annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colony of Tasmania</span> British colony (1856–1901)

The Colony of Tasmania was a British colony that existed on the island of Tasmania from 1856 until 1901, when it federated together with the five other Australian colonies to form the Commonwealth of Australia. The possibility of the colony was established when the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Australian Constitutions Act in 1850, granting the right of legislative power to each of the six Australian colonies. The Legislative Council of Van Diemen's Land drafted a new constitution which they passed in 1854, and it was given royal assent by Queen Victoria in 1855. Later in that year the Privy Council approved the colony changing its name from "Van Diemen's Land" to "Tasmania", and in 1856, the newly elected bicameral parliament of Tasmania sat for the first time, establishing Tasmania as a self-governing colony of the British Empire. Tasmania was often referred to as one of the "most British" colonies of the Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Curr</span> Australian politician

Edward Curr was an Australian settler and politician. Curr was born in Sheffield, England. He travelled to Hobart Town, arriving in February 1820. In 1823 he returned to England. In 1824 he was appointed manager of the newly formed Van Diemen's Land Company which had arranged to buy 250,000 acres of land in the north-west of the colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Tasmania</span> Australian state constitution

The Constitution of Tasmania, also known as the Tasmanian Constitution, sets out the rules, customs and laws that provide for the structure of the Government of the Australian State of Tasmania. Like all state constitutions it consists of both unwritten and written elements which include:

The 1856 Tasmanian colonial elections took place from 8 to 22 September 1856 and 6 to 17 October 1856. The elections were the first to be held under the Electoral Act 1856, which established responsible government in Tasmania and created a bicameral parliament consisting of the 30-member Tasmanian House of Assembly and the 15-member Tasmanian Legislative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Clark (state)</span> State electoral division of Tasmania, Australia

The electoral division of Clark is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, it is located in Hobart on the western shore of the River Derwent and includes the suburbs below Mount Wellington. Clark is named after Andrew Inglis Clark, a Tasmanian jurist who was the principal author of the Australian Constitution. The electorate shares its name and boundaries with the federal division of Clark.

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. "Tasmanian Parliament". Parliament.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  5. "Expansion of House of Assembly Act 2022". legislation.tas.gov.au.
  6. Matt Maloney (17 November 2022). "Tasmania's House of Assembly to have 35 members in 2025 - if not sooner". The Examiner.
  7. Constitution Act 1972 (Tas) s.79
  8. "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