Liberals win majority government in Tasmania election

The Tasmanian Liberals have secured a second term in parliament following a state election, clinging onto majority power after a strong comeback from Labor.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman with is family at the Tally Room In Hobart after winning a econd term in office.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman with is family at the Tally Room In Hobart after winning a econd term in office. Source: AAP

The Tasmanian Liberals have retained majority government in a state election which has seen Labor recover and the Greens pushed to the brink of political oblivion.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman won at least 13 of the 25 state lower house seats on Saturday, a loss of two, but still enough for the Liberals to govern in their own right.

However, the win was marred by the death of one of their own.

Mr Hodgman paid tribute to childhood friend and former cabinet colleague Vanessa Goodwin, who died on Saturday, while thanking Tasmanians for giving his government a second term.

"Tasmanians are giving us the honour and the responsibility of delivering for the next four years under a majority government," he told supporters in Hobart.

Labor Leader Rebecca White praised her party's "extraordinary" comeback following a drubbing in 2014.

The opposition went into the election with just seven seats but could emerge with 10 or 11.

"Who would have thought that, today, we would have been pushing a Liberal government to the point where they were nearly defeated?" Ms White said.

The Liberals pitched their campaign on their strong economic record, while Labor promised to fix the state's "broken" health system if elected.

However, the future of pokies in the state emerged as a key issue, with Labor promising to pull them from pubs and clubs by 2023, and the Liberals pledging to let the machines stay put for at least 20 years beyond that.

Labor and the Greens both complained of being vastly outspent by the Liberals and their backers in the powerful gaming lobby.

The Greens could be left with just one seat, down from three going into the poll and five spots in 2010, following a campaign devoid of a central environmental issue or big name candidates.

Greens Leader Cassy O'Connor slammed the Liberals for taking "dirty" donations from the gaming lobby.

"You will be celebrating tonight, but this stain of being bought by the gambling industry, it will live with you forever," she warned the Liberals.

Firebrand former senator Jacqui Lambie bombed out in the campaign, not winning a single seat, after fielding a raft of candidates but deciding not to run herself.

The final distribution of lower house seats could take days to be cemented while preferences are carved up.


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Published 3 March 2018 9:32pm
Updated 4 March 2018 6:10am


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