10 May 1969 1972 → 26 August 1958 1969 19 seats 0 seats Start date May 10, 1969 | 19 March 1960 26 August 1958 16 seats 19 seats 17 seats 17 seats | |
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Winner Angus Bethune | ||
A general election for the Tasmanian House of Assembly was held on 10 May 1969. The incumbent Labor Party, which had been in power continuously since 1934, was led by Eric Reece, who had been premier of Tasmania since 1958. The opposition Liberal Party was led by Angus Bethune.
Contents
The election resulted in a hung parliament, with the Labor and Liberal parties on 17 seats each (out of 35). The balance of power was held by Kevin Lyons, a former Liberal who had quit the party in 1966 after a dispute over preselection and formed the Centre Party. Lyons approached Bethune with an offer for a coalition government with himself as Deputy Premier. Bethune agreed, allowing him to form government by one seat—thus consigning Labor to opposition for the first time in 35 years.
Results
1 The Centre Party was composed out of the former Country Party organisation in Tasmania, and was supported by federal Country MHRs.Aftermath
The Liberal-Centre coalition lasted for one term, with Lyons dissolving the partnership in 1972. The resulting instability triggered an election, which was easily won by Eric Reece and the Labor Party.