HUON (IND vs ALP 2.55%)
This is my first guide for the Tasmanian Legislative Council for this year. An assessment of Legislative Council voting patterns has been updated and a guide to Rosevears has also finally appeared.
I expect to be doing live coverage of the Legislative Council elections on this site on election night, scheduled for Saturday May 2. However, updates to this page in the lead-up will probably be less frequent than normal.
The current numbers in the Council are three Liberal, three Labor, one Green and eight independents, with the independents ranging fairly evenly across the political spectrum. Labor gives up one vote on the floor and in the committee stages because it holds the Presidency. As the major parties frequently vote together, the Government has not had an especially difficult time of it in the upper chamber lately, most notably getting the hugely controversial Macquarie Point stadium through 9 votes to 5. But that is not to say the Liberals get everything their own way, for instance having their legislation to wind up greyhound racing referred to an inquiry.
This year sees just two Legislative Council contests, being the first defence for independent Dean Harriss in Huon and likewise for Liberal Jo Palmer in Rosevears.
