1964 Tasmanian state election

1964 Tasmanian state election

← 1959 2 May 1964 1969 →

All 35 seats to the House of Assembly
  First party Second party
 
Leader Eric Reece Angus Bethune
Party Labor Liberal
Leader since 26 August 1958 19 March 1960
Leader's seat Braddon Wilmot
Last election 17 seats 16 seats
Seats won 19 seats 16 seats
Seat change Increase2 Steady0
Percentage 51.32% 38.49%
Swing Increase6.82 Decrease2.57

Results of the election

Premier before election

Eric Reece
Labor

Elected Premier

Eric Reece
Labor

The 1964 Tasmanian state election was held on 2 May 1964 in the Australian state of Tasmania to elect 35 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system[1] — seven members were elected from each of five electorates.

The Labor Party, in power since 1934, was seeking a tenth term in office, and Premier Eric Reece was contesting his second election in that role, this time against Leader of the Opposition Angus Bethune of the Liberal Party. Despite its longevity, the peculiarities of the Tasmanian Hare-Clark system meant it had served as a minority government with the support of independents since the 1946 election.

This is to date the last time that a sitting Premier, in Reece, has won back to back elections and was the first and only time that a Tasmanian Government won a tenth consecutive term in office.