The role of Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

is a title held by the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the Tasmanian House of Assembly

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...

. He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the government 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 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 in 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 Will Hodgman

Will Hodgman

William Edward Felix Hodgman , is an Australian politician, and is the leader of the opposition Liberal Party in Tasmania....

 of the Liberal Party of Australia

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...

. He has been in the role since 30 March 2006, having been elected unopposed after the resignation of Rene Hidding

Rene Hidding

Marinus Theodoor "Rene" Hidding is an Australian politician. He is currently a Liberal Party member for the Division of Lyons in the Tasmanian House of Assembly...

. Hidding had stepped down as leader after the party's loss in the 2006 state election.

List of Leaders of the Opposition in Tasmania

Opposition Leader	Party	Period in office
Thomas Gregson Thomas Gregson Thomas George Gregson was the second Premier of Tasmania, serving from 26 February 1857 until 25 April 1857.-Early life:...	–	November 1856 – February 1857
William Champ William Champ William Thomas Napier Champ was a soldier and politician who became the first Premier of Tasmania.-Early life:...	–	February 1857 – April 1857
Thomas Gregson	–	April 1857 – July 1862
Charles Meredith Charles Meredith (Tasmania) Charles Meredith was an Australian grazier and politician, Tasmanian colonial treasurer for several years in the mid-to-late 19th century.-Early life:...	–	July 1862 – January 1863
Thomas Chapman	–	February 1863 – 1864
Sir William Dobson William Lambert Dobson Sir William Lambert Dobson KCMG was a politician and Chief Justice of Tasmania, .-Early life:Dobson was born at Carr Hill, Gateshead, Durham, England, the elder son of John Dobson, a solicitor at Gateshead, and his first wife Mary Ann, née Atkinson...	–	June 1864 – November 1866
Charles Meredith	–	November 1866 – November 1872
William Giblin William Giblin William Robert Giblin was Premier of Tasmania from 5 March 1878 until 20 December 1878 and from 1879 until 1884.-Early life:...	–	November 1872 – August 1873
Frederick Innes Frederick Innes Frederick Maitland Innes was Premier of Tasmania from 4 November 1872 to 4 August 1873.The son of Francis Innes, army officer, and his wife Prudence, née Edgerleyan, Innes was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Innes was educated at Heriot's, Edinburgh, and Kelso Grammar School in Kelso...	–	August 1873 – March 1875
Thomas Reibey Thomas Reibey Thomas Reibey was an Australian politician and Premier of Tasmania from 20 July 1876 until 9 August 1877....	–	August 1875 – July 1876
William Giblin	–	July 1876 – June 1877
Philip Fysh Philip Fysh Sir Philip Oakley Fysh, KCMG was an Australian politician, Premier of Tasmania and a member of the first federal ministry....	–	July 1877 – August 1877
Thomas Reibey	–	September 1877 – December 1878
William Giblin	–	January 1879 – October 1879
none	–	October 1879 – October 1882
Alfred Dobson Alfred Dobson Alfred Thomas Carrick Dobson was an English international footballer, who played as a right back.-Career:Born in Basford, Dobson played for Notts County, and earned four caps for England between 1882 and 1884....	–	October 1882 – July 1885
Thomas Reibey	–	July 1885 – August 1886
Sir Edward Braddon Edward Braddon Sir Edward Nicholas Coventry Braddon, KCMG , Australian politician, was the Premier of Tasmania from 1894 to 1899, and was a Member of the First Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives...	–	August 1886 – March 1887
Nicholas Brown	–	July 1887 – July 1889
William Burgess	–	July 1889 – August 1891
Henry Dobson Henry Dobson Henry Dobson , was an Australian politician, who served as a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly and later of the Australian Senate...	–	September 1891 – August 1892
Stafford Bird	–	August 1892 – February 1894
Sir Edward Braddon	–	February 1894 – April 1984
Sir Elliott Lewis Elliott Lewis Sir Neil Elliott Lewis, KCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions. He was also a member of the first Australian federal ministry, led by Edmund Barton....	–	May 1894 – November 1897
Andrew Clark Andrew Inglis Clark Andrew Inglis Clark was an Australian barrister, politician, electoral reformer and jurist. He initially qualified engineer, however he re-trained as a barrister in order to effectively fight for social causes which deeply concerned him...	–	November 1897 – May 1898
Stafford Bird	–	June 1898 – October 1899
Sir Edward Braddon	–	October 1899 – March 1901
Sir Thomas Reibey	–	May 1901 – October 1901
William Propsting William Propsting William Bispham Propsting, CMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, who served as Premier of Tasmania from 9 April 1903 to 11 July 1904.-Early life:...	–	October 1901 – April 1903
Robert Patterson Robert Patterson (Australian politician) Robert Charles Patterson was an Australian politician. He was born in Melbourne. In 1900 he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as the Free Trade member for Hobart. He transferred to South Hobart in 1903 and left politics in 1904. He briefly led the Opposition from May 1903 to March...	–	May 1903 – March 1904
Sir John Evans John Evans (Australian politician) Sir John William Evans, CMG was an Australian politician, a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly and Premier of Tasmania from 11 July 1904 to 19 June 1909.-Early life and nautical career:...	–	March 1904 – July 1904
William Propsting	–	July 1904 – December 1905
Herbert Nicholls	–	May 1906 – January 1909
John Earle John Earle (Australian politician) John Earle was an Australian politician and the first Labor Premier of Tasmania.- Early life :Born into a farming family of Cornish descent in Bridgewater, Tasmania, Earle left home at 17 to work as a blacksmith's apprentice in a Hobart foundry...	Australian 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...	June 1909 – October 1909
Sir Neil Lewis	Anti-Socialist Party	October 1909
John Earle	Australian Labor Party	October 1909 – April 1914
Albert Solomon Albert Solomon Albert Edgar Solomon was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 14 June 1912 to 6 April 1914....	Liberal Party	April 1914 – October 1914
Norman Ewing Norman Ewing Norman Kirkwood Ewing , Australian politician, was a member of three parliaments: the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, the Australian Senate, and the Tasmanian House of Assembly...	Liberal Party	October 1914 – September 1915
Sir Walter Lee Walter Lee (Australian politician) Sir Walter Henry Lee KCMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions: from 15 April 1916 to 12 August 1922; from 14 August 1923 to 25 October 1923; and from 15 March 1934 to 22 June 1934.Lee was born in Longford in...	Liberal Party	September 1915 – April 1916
John Earle	Australian Labor Party	April 1916 – November 1916
Joseph Lyons Joseph Lyons Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...	Australian Labor Party	November 1916 – October 1923
Edward Hobbs (acting)	Country Party National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...	October 1923 – November 1923
James Newton	Nationalist Party of Australia Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...	November 1923 – October 1924
Edward Hobbs	Country Party	October 1924 – July 1925
Sir John McPhee John McPhee (Australian politician) Sir John Cameron McPhee, KCMG was an Australian politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He was Premier of Tasmania from 15 June 1928 to 15 March 1934.-Early life:...	Nationalist Party of Australia	July 1925 – June 1928
Joseph Lyons	Australian Labor Party	July 1928 – September 1929
Ben Watkins (acting)	Australian Labor Party	September 1929 – October 1929
Albert Ogilvie Albert Ogilvie Albert George Ogilvie was an Australian politician and Premier of Tasmania from 22 June 1934 until his death on 10 June 1939....	Australian Labor Party	October 1929 – June 1934
Sir Walter Lee	Nationalist Party of Australia	July 1934 – July 1936
Sir Henry Baker	Nationalist Party of Australia	July 1936 – February 1945
Neil Campbell	Nationalist/Liberal Party of Australia 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...	February 1945 – February 1950
Reginald Townley	Liberal Party of Australia	6 February 1950 – 26 June 1956
William Jackson	Liberal Party of Australia	26 June 1956 – March 1960
Sir Angus Bethune	Liberal Party of Australia	19 March 1960 – 27 May 1969
Eric Reece Eric Reece Eric Elliott Reece, AC was Premier of Tasmania on two occasions: from 26 August 1958 to 26 May 1969, and from 3 May 1972 to 31 March 1975.-Biography:...	Australian Labor Party	27 May 1969 – 4 May 1972
Max Bingham	Liberal Party of Australia	4 May 1972 – 7 August 1979
Geoff Pearsall Geoff 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...	Liberal Party of Australia	7 August 1979 – 11 November 1981
Robin Gray Robin Gray (Australian politician) Robin Trevor Gray is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Tasmania from 1982 to 1989. A Liberal, he was elected Liberal state leader in 1981 and in 1982 defeated the Labor government of Harry Holgate on a policy of "state development," particularly the building of the Franklin Dam, a...	Liberal Party of Australia	11 November 1981 – 27 May 1982
Ken Wriedt Ken Wriedt Kenneth Shaw "Ken" Wriedt was an Australian politician and minister in the Whitlam government.Wriedt was born in Melbourne, of Danish ancestry. His early life included time spent as a seaman...	Australian Labor Party	27 May 1982 – 19 February 1986
Neil Batt	Australian Labor Party	19 February 1986 – 14 December 1988
Michael Field Michael Field (Australian politician) Michael Walter Field, AC was Tasmanian Labor leader from 1988 until his retirement in 1996, and was the Premier of Tasmania between 1989 and 1992...	Australian Labor Party	14 December 1988 – 29 June 1989
Robin Gray Robin Gray (Australian politician) Robin Trevor Gray is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Tasmania from 1982 to 1989. A Liberal, he was elected Liberal state leader in 1981 and in 1982 defeated the Labor government of Harry Holgate on a policy of "state development," particularly the building of the Franklin Dam, a...	Liberal Party of Australia	29 June 1989 – 17 December 1991
Ray Groom Ray Groom Raymond John "Ray" Groom, AO is a lawyer and former Australian sportsman and politician, representing the Liberal Party in the Federal Parliament 1975–84 and the Tasmanian Parliament 1986–2001. He was a Federal and state minister for a total of 13 years...	Liberal Party of Australia	17 December 1991 – 17 February 1992
Michael Field	Australian Labor Party	17 February 1992 – 14 April 1997
Jim Bacon Jim Bacon James Alexander Bacon, AC was Premier of Tasmania from 1998 to 2004.-Early life:Bacon was born in Melbourne; his father Frank, a doctor, died when Jim was twelve, leaving him to be raised by his mother Joan. He was educated at Scotch College and later at Monash University, but he did not graduate....	Australian Labor Party	14 April 1997 – 14 September 1998
Tony Rundle Tony Rundle Anthony Maxwell Rundle AO was the Premier of the Australian State of Tasmania from 18 March 1996 to 14 September 1998. He succeeded Ray Groom and was succeeded himself by Jim Bacon. He is a Liberal who held the seat of Braddon between 1986 and 2002. A former journalist, he is married to...	Liberal Party of Australia	14 September 1998 – 2 July 1999
Sue Napier Sue Napier Sue Napier was an Australian politician. She was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the Division of Bass...	Liberal Party of Australia	2 July 1999 – 20 August 2001
Bob Cheek Bob Cheek Robert Reginald 'Bob' Cheek was leader of the Opposition Tasmanian Liberal Party from 20 August 2001 until he lost his seat in the July 2002 election. It was the first time that a major party leader lost their seat in a Tasmanian election since 1903.Cheek was first elected to Tasmanian parliament...	Liberal Party of Australia	20 August 2001 – 6 August 2002
Rene Hidding Rene Hidding Marinus Theodoor "Rene" Hidding is an Australian politician. He is currently a Liberal Party member for the Division of Lyons in the Tasmanian House of Assembly...	Liberal Party of Australia	6 August 2002 – 30 March 2006
Will Hodgman Will Hodgman William Edward Felix Hodgman , is an Australian politician, and is the leader of the opposition Liberal Party in Tasmania....	Liberal Party of Australia	30 March 2006 – present

External links

• Leaders of the Opposition (Parliament of Tasmania
  Parliament of Tasmania
  The Parliament of Tasmania consists of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Monarch represented by the Governor of Tasmania....
  
  )