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1989 Tasmanian state election
State election in Australia
State election in Australia
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| election_name | 1989 Tasmanian state election |
| country | Tasmania |
| type | parliamentary |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_election | 1986 Tasmanian state election |
| previous_year | 1986 |
| next_election | 1992 Tasmanian state election |
| next_year | 1992 |
| seats_for_election | All 35 seats to the House of Assembly |
| majority_seats | 18 |
| election_date | 13 May 1989 |
| image1 | |
| leader1 | Robin Gray |
| leader_since1 | 10 November 1981 |
| party1 | Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division) |
| leaders_seat1 | Lyons |
| last_election1 | 19 seats |
| seats1 | **17** |
| seat_change1 | 2 |
| popular_vote1 | **128,143** |
| percentage1 | **46.92%** |
| swing1 | 7.28 |
| image2 | |
| leader2 | Michael Field |
| leader_since2 | 14 December 1988 |
| party2 | Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) |
| leaders_seat2 | Braddon |
| last_election2 | 14 seats |
| seats2 | 13 |
| seat_change2 | 1 |
| popular_vote2 | 94,809 |
| percentage2 | 34.71% |
| swing2 | 0.43 |
| image3 | |
| leader3 | Bob Brown |
| leader_since3 | 1983 |
| party3 | Green independents |
| leaders_seat3 | Denison |
| last_election3 | 2 seats |
| seats3 | 5 |
| seat_change3 | 3 |
| popular_vote3 | 46,797 |
| percentage3 | 17.13% |
| swing3 | 11.58 |
| map_image | 1989 Tasmanian state election.svg |
| map_size | 350px |
| map_caption | Results of the election |
| title | Premier |
| posttitle | Resulting Premier |
| before_election | Robin Gray |
| before_party | Liberal Party of Australia (Tasmanian Division) |
| after_election | Michael Field |
| after_party | Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) |
The 1989 Tasmanian state election was held on 13 May 1989 in the Australian state of Tasmania to elect 35 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system — seven members were elected from each of five electorates. The quota required for election was 12.5% in each division.
The incumbent Liberal government headed by Robin Gray hoped to secure a third term in office. The Labor Party was headed by Michael Field. The independents, who each ran under the name "The Independents" and were commonly referred to as "Green independents", were informally headed by Bob Brown. The Australian Democrats contested all electorates except Braddon. Green independent candidates were run in all electorates where they previously only fielded candidates in the south.
Prior to the election the Liberals held 19 of the 35 seats in parliament. The Labor Party held 14 and there were two Green independents.
This was the last election that a Premier, in Gray, had fought a second consecutive election until 2025.
Results
Distribution of votes
Primary vote by division
| Bass | Braddon | Denison | Franklin | Lyons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Party | 37.4% | 29.9% | 36.9% | 38.3% | |
| Liberal Party | 47.3% | 57.5% | 38.4% | 40.1% | |
| Independent Greens | 14.1% | 11.5% | 23.5% | 19.7% | |
| Other | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.8% |
Distribution of seats
| Electorate | Seats won | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | Liberal}} | ||
| Braddon | |||
| Denison | |||
| Franklin | |||
| Lyons |
| Ind. Green |
|---|
Aftermath
After the election the Liberals had lost its majority by one seat and the Green Independents gained the balance of power.
The Labor Party had suffered a minor swing against them, losing one seat in Lyons to the Greens.
The Green Independents succeeded in electing one member to every electorate. This election victory would help form the official party today known as the Tasmanian Greens. Bob Brown topped the poll in Denison and was first member elected. Their primary vote of 17.1% was a record for Green movements and the highest until the 2002 Tasmanian election.
The Liberals, determined to stay in government, tried to call a second election. Gray started a petition which attracted many signatures. Edmund Rouse attempted to bribe newly elected Labor member Jim Cox with $110,000 if he would cross the floor to support Gray instead of Field. Cox refused and reported the bribe to police. Rouse served 18 months in jail and allegations surfaced that the Liberal party was involved. A later inquiry concluded there was no evidence Gray was connected to the bribe.
Labor Party leader Michael Field formed a loose alliance with the Green Independents which became known as the Labor–Green Accord. After the alliance was formed, the Green Independents joined with Labor to vote down the Liberals' nominee for Speaker and to amend the Address-In-Reply to include a statement of no-confidence in Gray and his government. Unusually, Governor Phillip Bennett sought individual assurances from each of the independents of their support for Field, despite the passing of the statement of no confidence.
Having been defeated on the floor of the legislature, Gray resigned and Michael Field became Premier.
References
References
- [http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/tpl/Backg/HAElections.htm House of Assembly Elections], [[Parliament of Tasmania]].
- Hansard, 28 May 1989
- Alex Castles. (September 1990). "Post‑Election Constitutional Usage in the Shadow of Mount Wellington: Tasmania's Constitutional Crisis, 1989". Adelaide Law Review.
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