Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he is confident despite Labor majority

The Coalition has ‘completely lost touch with the mainstream’, Wilkie says, casting an eye over the future of the Oppositions. Tassie also sent Labor a strong message on salmon, he claims.

Voter Gabrielle Morgan with Independent candidate for Clark, Andrew Wilkie voting at a polling station in Glenorchy. Picture: Linda Higginson

Independent member for Clark Andrew Wilkie is confident he will still be able to hold influence in parliament, despite being surrounded by a sea of red in Tasmania.

Returning to the central Hobart electorate for the sixth time since he was elected in 2010, Mr Wilkie said as an independent he had access to “both sides of parliament”.

“I won’t have the extra influence of a minority government, but I think I can still continue to perform,” Mr Wilkie said.

“I’ll be leveraging off the really good personal relationship I have with the Prime Minister.

“This will be my sixth term and only one of my terms was a hung parliament, in all the other terms I think I was still effective.”

Mr Wilkie said his landslide victory in Clark showed voters were craving parliamentarians to “fight the good fight”.

Clark Independent Andrew Wilkie celebrates holding onto the Tasmanian seat at the 2025 federal election. Picture: Duncan Abey

“I have not been shy to go for these really big issues that the major parties have shied away from,” he said.

“I wasn’t doing any of that to win votes, I was doing it because it was the right thing to do and because the major parties couldn’t do it. And every time I did, I thought it had cost me a few votes, but yet my primary vote has gone up.”

Acknowledging the dismal result for the Coalition, Mr Wilkie said they had “completely lost touch with the mainstream” labelling their elected representatives “mediocre at best”.

“That’s why they were decimated last night, and that actually worries me, because a healthy democracy needs a strong alternative government, and we don’t have an alternative government at the moment, and the country’s all the poorer for it,” he said.

“I’m stumped to work out who is going to be the leader but I’ll tell you what, they need to go to the next generation.

“People like Angus Taylor or Sussan Ley, they’re not the answer.”

Mr Wilkie said despite the overall Labor swing in Tasmania, Peter George’s strong contest in Franklin was a “thumping endorsement” of the community’s concern for the environment.

“The fact that Peter got something well over 20% … if that’s not a wake up call to the state government to force the salmon industry to clean up their act, then I don’t know what is,” he said.

Independent member for Clark Andrew Wilkie and independent candidate for Franklin Peter George. Picture: Elise Kaine

While Franklin has all but been called for Labor incumbent Julie Collins, independent candidate Peter George has not yet conceded defeat.

“The mathematics doesn’t look as though it’s going our way, but you never know. It’s a former prime minister who said miracles do happen,” Mr George said.

“I think we fired a shot across the borders of both parties. I think if Labor doesn’t understand that this was an insurrection against the taking over of our waters by the international salmon industry, then they’re severely mistaken.”

Game of Thrones actor Essie Davis was among those pounding the pavement in Hobart supporting the anti-salmon campaigner on Election Day.

Wearing a black puffer jacket, colourful scarf and a cap branded with her new series coming to Disney Plus called Alien, Davis shared a number of reels to her Instagram page endorsing Mr George.

Essie Davis shares a few videos endorsing Franklin independent Peter George.

“I’m Essie Davis. You might know me from Game of Thrones or Babadook or other fun things I’m in to watch,” the award-winning actor began.

“Here I am outside Clarence High School where I went to school, and some of you might be coming here to vote. I want our young people to have a better education and I want our teachers to want to teach.

“I want our teachers to be fully supported, and I would loooove to have a free university, but you know what? It’s not happening. That’s why I am voting for Peter George, Independent candidate for Franklin.”

She also filmed another video beside the waterfront.

“Now I love this place and I would love it to be immaculate but unfortunately the big parties are selling it out to big corporations who don’t pay tax in Australia, so why are we letting them do that? Let’s keep our waterways clean, let’s keep our native species alive, let’s vote for change,” Davis said.

Originally published as Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says he is confident despite Labor majority