Labor Coasts To Easy Victory In Tasmania; Greens Surge; Liberals Decimated
July 20, 2002
Jul 20 - Jim Bacon's Labor government has coasted to an easy victory in the Tasmanian State election. There has been a swing to the ALP, with its primary vote topping 50% statewide. Initially, it appeared that the ALP would retain its current tally of 14 seats in the 25-seat House of Assembly, but as counting continued it became clear that this would increase to 15.
The Greens are the big winners, polling just under 20% of the primary vote statewide. They are likely to win 4 seats, an increase of 3. The Liberal Party has lost votes to both Labor and the Greens and is languishing around the 26% mark. It appears certain to lose 4 of its 10 seats. Early in the night, the Tasmanian Liberal Party's State President said he was hoping to win 7 seats.
Tasmania's lower house has 5 electorates which each return 5 members using the Hare-Clark system of proportional voting. In the normal course of events, the ALP and the Liberal Party could expect to win 2 seats each, with the fifth seat depending on preferences. At the close of counting it appeared that the ALP will win 3 seats in all 5 electorates. In the proportional voting system this is a landslide result.
In Denison, the Liberal Party leader, Bob Cheek, is clinging to a narrow lead over the former federal Liberal member, Michael Hodgman. Based on Hobart, Denison will return only one Liberal member. Conceding defeat, Cheek described his party's loss as a "debacle" and a "disaster". Cheek said he would consider his position as leader in the light of the defeat.
Claiming victory for a second 4-year term of majority Labor government, Jim Bacon said it was "a beautiful winter's day in Tasmania". Bacon said the result showed that there wasn't much wrong with the Labor Party in Tasmania. In a reference to the dominance of Labor governments in the 8 States and Territories, Bacon claimed it was possible to win government at the federal level and seemed to suggest that internal party reform was not the urgent issue it has been claimed to be.
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