1998 Tasmanian state election

1998 Tasmanian state election

← 1996 29 August 1998 2002 →

All 25 seats to the House of Assembly
13 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
ALP
LIB
Leader Jim Bacon Tony Rundle Christine Milne
Party Labor Liberal Greens
Leader since 14 April 1997 18 March 1996 1993
Leader's seat Denison Braddon Lyons (lost seat)
Last election 14 seats 16 seats 4 seats
Seats won 14 10 1
Seat change Steady Decrease 6 Decrease 3
Popular vote 131,981 112,146 30,008
Percentage 44.79% 38.06% 10.18%
Swing Increase 4.32 Decrease 3.14 Decrease 0.96

Results of the election

Premier before election

Tony Rundle
Liberal

Elected Premier

Jim Bacon
Labor

The 1998 Tasmanian state election was held on Saturday, 29 August 1998 in the Australian state of Tasmania to elect 25 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The number of members was reduced from 35 to 25. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system[1]—five members were elected from each of five electorates. The quota required for election increased from 12.5% to 16.7%.

This election saw the end of two years of a Liberal minority government headed by Premier Tony Rundle, supported by the Tasmanian Greens. The Labor Party won government in its own right for the first time since 1979, with Jim Bacon as premier.

Labor retained all their seats despite the reduction in numbers. The Liberals lost six seats. The Greens' representation was reduced from four members to one—Peg Putt in Denison.