Jump to content

Leader of the Opposition (Tasmania)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Dean Winter
since 10 April 2024
Term lengthWhile leader of the largest political party not in government
Inaugural holderThomas Gregson
FormationNovember 1856
DeputyAnita Dow

The Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania is the title of the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the Tasmanian House of Assembly. They act as the public face of the opposition, leads the opposition on the floor of parliament. They thus act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government. They are also given certain additional rights under parliamentary standing orders, such as extended time limits for speeches. Should the opposition win an election, the Leader of the Opposition will usually be nominated to become the Premier of Tasmania.

The position of Leader of the Opposition was essentially informal throughout the nineteenth century, with formal recognition only being granted in the early twentieth century. As there was no party system until 1909, the loose ideological blocs in parliament tended to change regularly, and few people lasted in the position for more than one or two years at a time. The development of a party system gave the role greater significance, and it was subsequently given greater formal recognition, with an additional salary payment being accommodated for in 1927 and formal recognition in the parliamentary standing orders in 1937.

The current Leader of the Opposition is Dean Winter of the Labor Party. Winter was elected into the role on 10 April 2024 to replace former Labor Leader Rebecca White following the party's defeat at the 2024 Tasmanian State Election.[1]

List of leaders of the opposition in Tasmania

[edit]
No. Name Portrait Term of Office Party Constituency Elections Premier
1 Thomas Gregson 1 November 1856 26 February 1857 Independent Richmond 1856
William Champ
1856–1857
2 William Champ 26 February 1857 25 April 1857 Independent Launceston
Thomas Gregson
1857
(1) Thomas Gregson 25 April 1857 July 1862 Independent Richmond
William Weston
1857

Francis Smith
1857–1860

William Weston
1860–1861
1861
Thomas Chapman
1861–1863
3 Charles Meredith July 1862 20 January 1863 Independent Glamorgan 1862
4 Thomas Chapman February 1863 June 1864 Independent Campbell Town
James Whyte
1863–1866
5 William Dobson June 1864 24 November 1866 Independent Campbell Town 1866
(3) Charles Meredith 24 November 1866 4 November 1872 Independent Kingborough
West Devon

Sir Richard Dry
1866–1869
1871
James Wilson
1869–1872
6 William Giblin 4 November 1872 4 August 1873 Independent Central Hobart 1872
Frederick Innes
1872–1873
7 Frederick Innes 4 August 1873 March 1875 Independent North Launceston
Alfred Kennerley
1873–1876
8 Thomas Reibey August 1875 20 July 1876 Independent Westbury
(6) William Giblin 20 July 1876 June 1877 Independent Central Hobart
Thomas Reibey
1876–1877
9 Philip Fysh July 1877 9 August 1877 Independent East Hobart 1877
(8) Thomas Reibey September 1877 20 December 1878 Independent Westbury
Philip Fysh
1877–1878

William Giblin
1878
(6) William Giblin January 1879 30 October 1879 Independent Wellington
William Crowther
1878–1879
9 Alfred Dobson October 1882 July 1885 Independent Glenorchy 1882
William Giblin
1879–1884

Adye Douglas
1884–1886
(8) Thomas Reibey July 1885 August 1886 Independent Westbury 1886

James Agnew
1886–1887
10 Edward Braddon August 1886 29 March 1887 Independent West Devon
11 Nicholas Brown July 1887 July 1889 Independent Cumberland
Philip Fysh
1887–1892
12 William Burgess July 1889 August 1891 Independent West Hobart 1891
13 Henry Dobson September 1891 17 August 1892 Independent Brighton
14 Stafford Bird 17 August 1892 February 1894 Independent Franklin 1893
Henry Dobson
1892–1894
(10) Sir Edward Braddon February 1894 14 April 1894 Independent West Devon
15 Elliott Lewis May 1894 November 1897 Independent Richmond 1897
Sir Edward Braddon
1894–1899
16 Andrew Clark November 1897 May 1898 Independent Hobart
(14) Stafford Bird June 1898 12 October 1899 Independent Franklin
(10) Sir Edward Braddon 12 October 1899 29 March 1901 Free Trade West Devon 1900
Sir Elliott Lewis
1899–1903
(8) Thomas Reibey May 1901 October 1901 Protectionist Westbury
17 William Propsting October 1901 9 April 1903 Protectionist North Hobart 1903
18 Robert Patterson May 1903 March 1904 Anti-Socialist South Hobart
William Propsting
1903–1904
19 John Evans March 1904 12 July 1904 Anti-Socialist Kingborough
(17) William Propsting 12 July 1904 December 1905 Protectionist North Hobart
John Evans
1904–1909
20 Herbert Nicholls January 1906 January 1909 Protectionist Central Hobart 1906
21 John Earle April 1909 20 October 1909 Labor Waratah
Franklin
1909

Sir Elliott Lewis
1909
(15) Sir Elliott Lewis 20 October 1909 27 October 1909 Liberal League Denison
John Earle
1909
(21) John Earle 27 October 1909 6 April 1914 Labor Franklin 1912
Sir Elliott Lewis
1909–1912
1913
Albert Solomon
1912–1914
22 Albert Solomon 6 April 1914 5 October 1914 Liberal League Bass
John Earle
1914–1916
23 Norman Ewing 5 October 1914 23 September 1915 Liberal League Franklin
24 Sir Walter Lee 23 September 1915 15 April 1916 Liberal League Wilmot 1916
(21) John Earle 15 April 1916 2 November 1916 Labor Franklin
Sir Walter Lee
1916–1922
25 Joseph Lyons 2 November 1916 25 October 1923 Labor Wilmot 1919
1922

John Hayes
1922–1923

Sir Walter Lee
1923
26 Edward Hobbs 25 October 1923 November 1923 Country Darwin
Joseph Lyons
1923–1928
27 James Newton November 1923 October 1924 Nationalist Bass
(26) Edward Hobbs October 1924 29 July 1925 Country Darwin 1925
28 John McPhee 29 July 1925 15 June 1928 Nationalist Denison 1928
(25) Joseph Lyons 15 June 1928 13 September 1929 Labor Wilmot
John McPhee
1928–1934
29 Benjamin Watkins 13 September 1929 15 October 1929 Labor Franklin
30 Albert Ogilvie 15 October 1929 22 June 1934 Labor Franklin 1931
1934
Sir Walter Lee
1934
(24) Sir Walter Lee 22 July 1934 July 1936 Nationalist Wilmot
Albert Ogilvie
1934–1939
31 Henry Baker July 1936 22 February 1945 Nationalist Franklin 1937

Edmund Dwyer-Gray
1939
1941
Robert Cosgrove
1939–1947
32 Neil Campbell 22 February 1945 6 February 1950 Liberal Wilmot 1946

Edward Brooker
1947–1948
1948
Robert Cosgrove
1948–1958
33 Reginald Townley 6 February 1950 26 June 1956 Liberal Denison 1950
1955
34 Tim Jackson 26 June 1956 19 March 1960 Liberal Franklin 1956
1959
Eric Reece
1958–1969
35 Angus Bethune 19 March 1960 27 May 1969 Liberal Wilmot 1964
1969
36 Eric Reece 27 May 1969 4 May 1972 Labor Braddon 1972
Angus Bethune
1969–1972
37 Max Bingham 4 May 1972 7 August 1979 Liberal Denison
Eric Reece
1972–1975
1976
Bill Neilson
1975–1977
1979
Doug Lowe
1977–1981
38 Geoff Pearsall 7 August 1979 11 November 1981 Liberal Franklin
39 Robin Gray 11 November 1981 27 May 1982 Liberal Wilmot 1982
Harry Holgate
1981–1982
40 Ken Wriedt 27 May 1982 19 February 1986 Labor Franklin 1986
Robin Gray
1982–1989
41 Neil Batt 19 February 1986 14 December 1988 Labor Denison
42 Michael Field 14 December 1988 29 June 1989 Labor Braddon 1989
(39) Robin Gray 29 June 1989 17 December 1991 Liberal Lyons
Michael Field
1989–1992
43 Ray Groom 17 December 1991 17 February 1992 Liberal Denison 1992
(42) Michael Field 17 February 1992 14 April 1997 Labor Braddon 1996
Ray Groom
1992–1996

Tony Rundle
1996–1998
44 Jim Bacon 14 April 1997 14 September 1998 Labor Denison 1998
45 Tony Rundle 14 September 1998 2 July 1999 Liberal Braddon
Jim Bacon
1998–2004
46 Sue Napier 2 July 1999 20 August 2001 Liberal Bass
47 Bob Cheek 20 August 2001 6 August 2002 Liberal Denison 2002
48 Rene Hidding 6 August 2002 30 March 2006 Liberal Lyons
2006
Paul Lennon
2004–2008
49 Will Hodgman 30 March 2006 31 March 2014 Liberal Franklin
2010
David Bartlett
2008–2011
2014
Lara Giddings
2011–2014
50 Bryan Green 31 March 2014 17 March 2017 Labor Braddon
Will Hodgman
2014–2020
51 Rebecca White 17 March 2017 17 May 2021 Labor Lyons 2018
2021
Peter Gutwein
2020–2022
52 David O'Byrne 15 June 2021 7 July 2021 Labor Franklin
(51) Rebecca White 7 July 2021 10 April 2024 Labor Lyons
2024
Jeremy Rockliff
2022–
53 Dean Winter 10 April 2024 Incumbent Labor Franklin

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dean Winter elected as new leader of Tasmanian Labor Party". Pulse Tasmania. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
[edit]