Tasmania state election 2024 result: seat-by-seat breakdown
We break down how the results went seat-by-seat in the Tasmanian election. Here’s what happened in each electorate.
Politics
Don't miss out on the headlines from Politics. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Mercury reporters go into detail on each electorate.
Lyons: Tucker loses ground in fight to keep seat
Updated 2pm: Despite being hit with a 14 per cent swing against them in Lyons, the Liberals have won three seats in the vast electorate, with Guy Barnett, Jane Howlett, and Mark Shelton all poised to be part of the new parliament. Labor leader Rebecca White topped the poll, and her colleague Jen Butler will also be returned. The Greens’ Tabatha Badger will be elected and there is a fight on for the final seat between Labor and the Jacqui Lambie Network. Independent John Tucker failed to hold onto his seat,
Initial: The sprawling and diverse electorate of Lyons is set to elect three Liberals, while independent MP John Tucker looks likely to lose his seat after defecting from the government to sit on the crossbench.
The rural electorate covers more than 35,000 sqkm and encompasses towns including Sorell, New Norfolk, Coles Bay, Deloraine, and St Helens.
A field of 36 candidates are vying for seats in Lyons at this election the Liberals were in the box seat to secure three quotas at the close of counting on Saturday night.
Health Minister Guy Barnett and Speaker of the House of Assembly Mark Shelton are likely to hold onto their seats, while Jane Howlett, who resigned as a Liberal Prosser MLC to contest Lyons, should also secure a spot in parliament.
Labor is poised to pick up two quotas, with a chance of also winning a third seat, while the Greens and the Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) are each in a good position to secure the final two seats.
Labor leader Rebecca White is topping the poll in Lyons, with 7688 votes as at 9.16pm on Saturday, but she is likely to face questions over her future as leader of the party following the election, with Labor’s prospects of forming government appearing remote.
Jen Butler, an incumbent Labor MP, is the second leading vote-getter for Labor in Lyons with 1273 and is a strong chance of retaining her seat.
Meanwhile, Mr Tucker has acknowledged he is facing an uphill battle for re-election, having garnered 1130 votes. He was elected as a Liberal MP on a recount in 2019 following the resignation of Rene Hidding and was later elected in his own right in 2021.
However, together with Bass MP Lara Alexander, he sensationally quit the Liberal Party in May last year, opting instead to sit on the crossbench as an independent. The pair cited concerns about a lack of transparency around the proposed Macquarie Point stadium and the Marinus Link interconnector project.
“At the end of the day, I’ve got nothing to lose. At the end of the day, if I don’t get in, I’m going back farming,” he said on Saturday night.
“That’s the way it is and I accept the vote of the people.”
“I’ve gone out on my principles. I can hold my head high.”
The defection of Mr Tucker and Ms Alexander plunged the Rockliff government into minority but the pair signed a memorandum of understanding with the government guaranteeing confidence and supply.
However, their relationship with the Premier deteriorated until Mr Rockliff issued them an ultimatum, demanding they sign a new agreement that would have prevented them from supporting Labor and Green amendments and motions. When they refused to sign it, the Premier called an election.
“There was probably a conflict between myself and some of the senior Liberals. And that’s just the way it goes,” Mr Tucker said.
The JLN ran three candidates in Lyons, with small business owner Troy Pfitzner and Andrew Jenner currently leading the party’s ticket, with just 44 votes separating them.
Mr Pfitzner said the JLN was feeling “positive” about its performance in Lyons but “there’s certainly not enough [votes] in the bank for anyone to be confident at all”.
“It’s nice to see we’re polling. I think we’re doing well so far,” he said.
Mr Pfitzner said criticisms of the JLN’s lack of clear policies were “a bit of a laugh, really”.
“The policies that the major parties have been putting out, people have stopped listening. They don’t deliver on them,” he said.
“People know where we stand. We stand for the everyday person, we stand for commonsense, we stand for the little people. And that’s what we’ll do.”
– Rob Inglis
Franklin: Surprisingly messy seat emerges
Updated 2pm: The electorate of Franklin has voted in former Liberal senator Eric Abetz and ex-minister Jacquie Petrusma, while Housing Minister Nic Street is tipped to be re-elected. Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff easily retained her seat and independent MP David O’Byrne also is set to return. Labor’s Dean Winter and Meg Brown will also be elected but Liberal backbencher Dean Young has lost his seat.
Initial: Liberal voters in Franklin have turned to warhorse Eric Abetz and familiar face Jacquie Petrusma rather than minister Nic Street and sitting member Dean Young.
But the big winner was Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff who topped the poll with a large personal vote which could drag another Green candidate over the line.
She said it was “too early to tell” whether two Greens would be elected in Franklin.
“It’s looking promising, but it’s much too early to tell,” Dr Woodruff said.
“We’re just feeling very excited and gratified.”
Former Labor leader turned independent David O’Byrne fell short of getting a quota but is likely to be elected.
On first preferences, Labor’s Dean Winter received 4635 votes and finished second behind Dr Woodruff with 6486 votes.
Mr Winter thanked Franklin voters for putting their faith in him and everyone who worked on his campaign including his wife and children “most of all”.
“I’ve put my all into it and I’m looking forward to represent them again,” he said.
Mercury election analyst Dr Kevin Bonham summed up the results in Franklin: “This seat is surprisingly messy.”
Mr Abetz, a lawyer and veteran Liberal senator for 28 years until he lost his seat in 2022, topped the poll for the Liberals with 3879 votes just ahead of Ms Petrusma.
A conservative Christian he said he stood for one reason – “to serve”.
“I did not stand to become Premier, I stood to serve the people of Franklin,” he said.
“When I was unceremoniously dumped by (former PM) Malcolm Turnbull I was happy to serve on the backbench.”
Ms Petrusma, who topped the poll at the 2021 election, was first elected in 2010 and was a former minister until she resigned in July 2022 to spend more time with her four children and four grandchildren
She finished with 3780 votes, 99 votes behind Mr Abetz.
Regarded as a hard worker before she quit politics, she was last year hired as a senior adviser to Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
The future of Mr Street, a party moderate, hangs in the balance but some say he will scrape in if the Liberals can pick up a third seat.
Mr Street received 2842 votes.
However, Mr Young’s short stint as an MP looks to be over for the time being.
He was elected on a recount to replace Ms Petrusma in 2022 and finished fourth with 2070 votes.
Dr Woodruff said she had received positive feedback door knocking in Franklin, “but you just never know how it’s going to eventuate on the day”.
“What we were hearing on the doors was really a strong sense of openness to voting Green from people who’ve never done it before, Liberal and Labor voters.
“They were sick of party politics and the politicking and people not focusing on the issues.
“There was overwhelming disgust at spending money on a stadium instead of health and housing.”
Dr Woodruff believed people viewed as “somebody who just takes things really seriously and is trying hard to get to get solutions”.
– Sue Bailey
Clark: Jubilant Greens on track for two seats in Clark
Update 2pm: With 83 per cent of the vote counted in Clark as at 1.48pm on Sunday, Liberals Simon Behrakis and Madeleine Ogilvie appeared to have retained their seats, as had Labor’s Ella Haddad and Josh Willie. Independent MP Kristie Johnston looks to have been re-elected, while Greens MP Vica Bayley has been elected in his own right after entering the parliament on a recount following the resignation of former leader Cassy O’Connor last year.
The final seat in Clark is still in play, and is likely either to go to the Greens or Labor.
Initial: There was a jubilant atmosphere at the Greens election night party in North Hobart with the party enjoying an increase in support and a possible second seat in Clark.
Clark, a diverse inner metropolitan division that takes in Hobart, Glenorchy and parts of Kingborough, has always been a stronghold for the Greens.
Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet is a chance of winning a seat in Clark alongside Vica Bayley.
“It’s looking good but we can’t be sure until we see all the votes come in,” Ms Burnet said.
Ms Burnet said the party had run a strong grassroots campaign in Clark.
“People are really struggling with the cost of living, health and housing policies that the greens have been talking about have really resonated,” she said.
Ms Burnet said many people concerned about the Macquarie Point stadium appreciated the Greens’ clear opposition to the project.
“The stadium hasn’t been clearly articulated by Labor, what do they stand for when it comes to the stadium? The Greens clearly don’t want over $1bn spent on that. We need to fix the mess such as health and housing,” she said.
Mr Bayley celebrated his first election victory, having replaced Cassy O’Connor in mid-2023 on a recount.
“I’m humbled and thankful for not only to voters our supporters and volunteers who have done so much as part of this campaign,” he said.
Mr Bayley said he had “big shoes to fill” by following Ms O’Connor.
Meanwhile, Josh Willie was rewarded for quitting his Upper House seat of Elwick by winning a second seat for Labor, with Ella Haddad being re-elected.
Labor had a disastrous result in Clark in 2021, being reduced to one member.
However a swing towards Labor restored the party to two seats.
At 10.40pm last night, Ms Haddad topped the poll with 5049 first preference votes.
Three Liberals, Minister Madeleine Ogilvie, MP Simon Behrakis and Sandy Bay butcher Marcus Vermey were in the mix for two seats.
Mr Behrakis was ahead of Ms Ogilvie on first preference votes, with Mr Vermey in third for the Liberals.
Voters in Clark have shown an appetite for independents, electing Federal MP Andrew Wilkie at successive elections and delivering the state’s only House of Assembly independent in 2021, Kristie Johnston.
Ms Johnston was expected to be re-elected.
It was widely expected voters would choose a second independent in Sue Hickey, however it seemed Ms Hickey would miss out.
Voters who spoke with the Mercury in the lead up to the state election named a wide range of issues that would inform their vote, such as public education, candidates’ views on Gaza, housing, cost of living and public transport.
– Blair Richards
Bass: Three spots remain hotly contested
Updated 2pm: The Tasmanian Greens have made significant gains this election, with Bass candidate Cecily Rosol winning the Greens’ third seat in parliament.
Even with two extra seats in each electorate, Ms Rosol secured the fifth position with 3916 votes as of Sunday afternoon.
Ms Rosol said Greens policies on combating the cost-of-living crisis, healthcare, and housing affordability attracted votersdisenchanted by the major parties.
Jacqui Lambie Network’s Rebekah Pentland has also won a seat in Bass, with 2227 votes.
Ms Pentland echoed Ms Rosol’s sentiment, saying many Tasmanians were “disgruntled with Liberal leadership” and “looking for a change”.
With almost 82 per cent of Bass ballots counted, the Liberals are also likely to secure a third seat at parliament.
Backbencher Simon Wood is a possible contender, as is Liberal candidate Julie Sladden.
The remaining candidate yet to be elected will join re-elected candidates Michael Ferguson (Liberal), Michelle O’Byrne (Labor),and Janie Finlay (Labor), as well as newcomer and former sports presenter Rob Fairs (Liberal).
Initial: With polling split between the two major parties, independents, the Jacqui Lambie Network and the Greens, Labor’s Michelle O’Byrne said it was evident the people of Bass wanted a change.
“It’s very clear people have been very angry,” she said.
“Just talking to the community, people cannot afford to live, and that’s a really frightening thing. It is unmanageable economic stress.
“It speaks to why we have such an anger in the community, and it speaks to a dissatisfaction with the way that political parties have engaged with the community in the past.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to rebuild trust, regardless of what the election outcome is.”
Both Ms O’Byrne and Janie Finlay were re-elected, while fellow Labor candidates Geoff Lyons, William Gordon, Melissa Anderson, Adrian Hinds, and Roshan Dhingra did not secure a seat.
Ms O’Byrne said while it was too early to speculate on the overall results, she was proud of the work the party had put in.
“We have had hundreds of volunteers in our electorate and thousands across the state who have been turning up and doing the work,” she said.
“The Labor Party isn’t as cashed up, it doesn’t have the kind of financial resources that the Liberal Party does, we rely on the Labor fight.
“And I’ll tell you what, they have stood with us this time in a really powerful way.”
The Liberal Party saw two candidates win a seat in Bass, with Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson and former sports presenter Rob Fairs as crowd favourites.
Celebrating his 50th birthday on election night, Mr Ferguson said he was thankful for his colleagues support regardless of the election result.
“I’m surrounded by the people I love, my wonderful family … It is a special day for us,” he said.
“Working with our best colleagues, all seven of them are wonderful people.
“I want to continue to serve as deputy in a majority government, but we will accept the voters’ wishes tonight because we have to.”
While the final three spots remain hotly contested, the Greens’ Cecily Rosol and Jacqui Lambie Network’s Rebekah Pentlandare possible winners as the electorates final votes roll in.
– Stephanie Dalton
Braddon: Fight brewing in Braddon for final seats
Update 2pm: The Liberals are fighting to gain a fourth seat in Braddon, but it remains unclear which of the three Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) candidates will be elected.
With about 87 per cent of the votes in the Braddon electorate counted, the make-up of most of the seats more or less has been confirmed.
The Liberals will have at least three seats, Labor two, and the JLN one.
Incumbents Jeremy Rockliff, Felix Ellis and Roger Jaensch look to have retained their seats in Braddon.
Meanwhile, Anita Dow and Shane Broad will return to parliament for Labor.
The last seat in Braddon is still up for grabs.
Despite Liberal candidate and Burnie deputy mayor Giovanna Simpson looking like the odds-on favourite to win the seventh seat,there is a slight chance that either The Greens’ Darren Briggs or independent Craig Garland could snatch the seat off her.
The JLN will undoubtedly get a seat in Braddon, but 600 votes separate their candidates.
Miriam Beswick and James Redgrave are the two most likely to be elected, but there will be room in parliament for one JLN candidate.
Political analyst Kevin Bonham said that not having a lead candidate could result in leakage for JLN, which is where preferencesgo elsewhere once people start getting excluded.
Initial: A fight is brewing in Braddon for the final of the seven seats in the electorate.
Current results indicate that the Liberals will get four seats while Labor will get two.
However, as of 9pm on Saturday, only about 40 per cent of votes had been counted, so the make-up of those six seats could change.
For the Liberals, Premier Jeremy Rockliff has snagged a substantial personal vote, achieving more than two quotas on his own.
Felix Ellis also looks like a shoo-in to be re-elected despite being just short of a quota.
While it will come down to preferences, Roger Jaesch and Giovanna Simpson will likely be the two other Liberal Braddon candidates to be elected to parliament.
Anita Dow and Shane Broad should be re-elected for Labour, but the party’s chances of getting a third seat are slim.
However, the last seat in Braddon is still up for grabs.
The Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) is the favourite to get the seventh seat, although independent Craig Garland is an outside chance.
Miriam Beswick has the most votes of the Braddon JLN candidates, but any of them could get the seat.
Mr Ellis said he was “pleased and proud” with how the Liberals had performed in Braddon.
“It’s early days – we’ll see how the count goes – but we’re really confident of a strong result in Braddon,” he said.
“The Premier is an incredible leader for us, and he’s shown again tonight just how strong his support is here and we’ve been working hard to back him in.”
Mr Ellis said he was excited about the likelihood of the Liberals achieving four seats in his electorate.
“It’s clear we’ve had a really strong result in Braddon. You contrast that with the Labor Party.
“They have had very bad results over a number of years, and it looks likely they will continue to go backwards.
“We’ll just keep working hard, and the results will speak for themselves.”
Meanwhile, Ms Dow had not given up hope for Labor achieving three seats in Braddon.
“We’ve had some outstanding candidates as part of our team here in Braddon; they’ve worked really hard, and they’ve been out across every corner of the community speaking to people about Labor’s plan for a better future,” she said.
“I’m hopeful that we might get three, and I won’t rule anything out as we won’t know the final results for a while.”
– Simon McGuire
Mystery over ministers’ legal fees
The state government has shelled out more than $200,000 so far this year to cover legal costs run up by a minister or ministers — but won’t say who or what for.
Teen kept in cell with no mattress, but conditions improving: report
A teenage prisoner was kept in a cell without a mattress or any personal items under an unsanctioned “hostile management regime” at the Risdon Prison Complex, a report has found.