Tasmania January to June 2020

Overview

Having ended 2019 looking more stable than at any time since the 2018 Tasmanian election, the Liberal government was again shaken by the sudden resignation of Premier Will Hodgman in January. Treasurer Peter Gutwein won a two-way contest with State Growth Minister Michael Ferguson for the premiership and had little time to settle into the job. As with all other jurisdictions, Tasmanian politics were upended by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic during the half-year to the end of June. However, fresh leadership of the governing Liberal Party in January combined with the emerging health crisis in March helped tighten the government’s authority and popularity.