Tasmanian state election, 1979
Encyclopedia
Elections for the Tasmanian House of Assembly
were held on 18 July 1979. The incumbent Labor Party
, led by Doug Lowe
, won a third term in office against the opposition Liberal Party
, led by Max Bingham.
, leader of the Labor Party and Premier of Tasmania, had retired on 1 December 1977 and been replaced by Doug Lowe
.
The United Tasmania Group
, which had contested the two previous elections, did not field any candidates for the 1979 election. Instead a new party, the Australian Democrats
, founded by Don Chipp
in 1977, emerged as the most significant minor party.
Doug Lowe
received the highest personal vote ever in the House of Assembly: 24,971 or 51.2% of the vote in the seat of Franklin
.
|}
.
The election of three Labor MPs for Denison (Julian Amos
, John Devine
and John Green
) was ruled invalid, due to the enforcement of a previously ignored rule limiting campaign expenditure to $1,500. A by-election was arranged for Denison in February 1980. The placement of the Labor candidates on the ballot paper, which placed Deputy Premier Neil Batt fourth, was believed to have led to the introduction of the Robson Rotation
method of randomising ballot ordering.
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
were held on 18 July 1979. The incumbent Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, led by Doug Lowe
Doug Lowe (Australian politician)
Douglas Ackley "Doug" Lowe AM was the 35th Premier of Tasmania, from 1 December 1977 to 11 November 1981. His time as Premier coincided with controversy over a proposal to build a dam on Tasmania's Gordon River, which would have flooded parts of the Franklin River...
, won a third term in office against the opposition Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, led by Max Bingham.
Background
Bill NeilsonBill Neilson
William Arthur "Bill" Neilson AC was Premier of Tasmania from 1975 to 1977.Born in Hobart, Tasmania, and educated at Ogilvie High School, Neilson became a postman. He married Jill Benjamin, daughter of Phyllis Benjamin, in Melbourne in 1948...
, leader of the Labor Party and Premier of Tasmania, had retired on 1 December 1977 and been replaced by Doug Lowe
Doug Lowe (Australian politician)
Douglas Ackley "Doug" Lowe AM was the 35th Premier of Tasmania, from 1 December 1977 to 11 November 1981. His time as Premier coincided with controversy over a proposal to build a dam on Tasmania's Gordon River, which would have flooded parts of the Franklin River...
.
The United Tasmania Group
United Tasmania Group
The United Tasmania Group is generally acknowledged as the world's first Green party. The party was formed on 23 March 1972, during a meeting of the Lake Pedder Action Group at the Hobart town hall in order to field political candidates in the April 1972 state election. They received 3.9% of the...
, which had contested the two previous elections, did not field any candidates for the 1979 election. Instead a new party, the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
, founded by Don Chipp
Don Chipp
Donald Leslie Chipp, AO was an Australian politician, and the inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats.-Early life:...
in 1977, emerged as the most significant minor party.
Results
The Labor Party won the election, increasing its majority in the House of Assembly from one seat to five.Doug Lowe
Doug Lowe (Australian politician)
Douglas Ackley "Doug" Lowe AM was the 35th Premier of Tasmania, from 1 December 1977 to 11 November 1981. His time as Premier coincided with controversy over a proposal to build a dam on Tasmania's Gordon River, which would have flooded parts of the Franklin River...
received the highest personal vote ever in the House of Assembly: 24,971 or 51.2% of the vote in the seat of Franklin
Division of Franklin (state)
The Electoral Division of Franklin is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The division is named after Sir John Franklin, the arctic explorer who was Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land 1837-43...
.
|}
Distribution of Seats
EWLINE
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aftermath
Max Bingham resigned as opposition leader after losing his second election, and was replaced by Geoff PearsallGeoff Pearsall
Geoffrey Alan Pearsall was an Australian politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he served as a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1969 until 1988 and as Leader of the Opposition...
.
The election of three Labor MPs for Denison (Julian Amos
Julian Amos
Dr Julian Amos was an Australian Labor Party politician in the Australian state of Tasmania during 1976-1986 and 1992-1996. He was a Government Minister with portfolios of Primary Industry, Energy and Forests during 1979-1982. He was first elected to the Hobart based seat of Denison in 1976. He...
, John Devine
John Devine (Australian rules footballer)
John Devine is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the VFL during the 1960s, and Tasmanian Football League side North Hobart between 1967 & 1973....
and John Green
John Green (Australian politician)
John Edward Green is a former Australian politician.Green was born in Hobart and holds a Bachelor of Law. On 17 August 1974 he was elected in a recount to the Tasmanian House of Assembly to fill the vacancy in the seat of Denison caused by the resignation of Labor MP Kevin Corby. He held the seat...
) was ruled invalid, due to the enforcement of a previously ignored rule limiting campaign expenditure to $1,500. A by-election was arranged for Denison in February 1980. The placement of the Labor candidates on the ballot paper, which placed Deputy Premier Neil Batt fourth, was believed to have led to the introduction of the Robson Rotation
Robson Rotation
Robson Rotation is the method of printing multiple ballots for single transferable vote elections, with each having the candidates listed in a different order....
method of randomising ballot ordering.