Two sons follow fathers' footsteps

IT was a generational changing of the guard in Tasmanian politics, with sons of two former premiers elected on a wave of popularity.

IT was a generational changing of the guard in Tasmanian politics, with sons of two former premiers elected on a wave of popularity while several Labor stalwarts lost their seats.

Scott Bacon, for Labor, and Matthew Groom, for the Liberals, both won seats in the electorate of Denison, while Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges lost his seat, and Heather Butler, parliamentary secretary to Premier David Bartlett, lost hers in Lyons.

Labor backbenchers Daniel Hulme and Ross Butler were voted out of the Franklin seat, and Workplace Relations Minister Lisa Singh lost in Denison.

Mr Groom yesterday celebrated his victory with his father, Ray, who was premier in the mid-1990s, and said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from voters in Hobart.

The 39-year-old, who worked in renewable energy before standing for parliament, said he believed his success was due to making it known to the voters he was not just his father's son.

"It's broader than just the name," he said. "I've been exposed to politics all my life, so that helped, but I went out of my way to present my own case."

Mr Groom said he decided to go into politics after being frustrated with how the state was run. "The key motivating factor for me was the observation of the decline of quality government in Tasmania."

His father said he was proud of Matthew, but having experienced the "stresses and strains" of public life, he had mixed emotions about his son's decision to go into politics.

He said he believed Matthew would make a very significant contribution to Tasmanian politics.

Celebrations were more low-key for Mr Bacon yesterday as he was still awaiting the results of the count and the overall implications for the Labor Party.

The 32-year-old son of admired former premier Jim Bacon, who died after battling cancer in 2004, acknowledged the role his father's legacy had on his strong polling.

"There is no getting away from the fact my father was very popular," he said. "But I campaigned full-time for six months and I think it really was the door-knocking and meeting as many people as I could that makes a difference in the Hare-Clark system."

Mr Bacon said he was looking forward to repaying the faith that the voters of Denison had shown in him when he starts work in the state parliament.

After the loss of his seat, Mr Sturges said he was disappointed about his personal result and Labor's showing generally in the polls. "But I am confident with the new talent in the party that the next election Labor will be back in majority in this state," he said.

The former unionist, who had to deal with the collapse of the freight and rail network while he was overseeing the infrastructure portfolio, was still deciding what to do in the next stage of his life.

"I've been working for 38 years and have never been unemployed, so it's a rather strange feeling," he said. "But I am a positive person. My life will go on. I'm going to have a bit of a break . . . and just see where things go."