1976 Tasmanian state election

The 1976 Tasmanian state election was held on 11 December 1976 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.

1976 Tasmanian state election

← 1972 11 December 1976 1979 →
All 35 seats to the House of Assembly
First party Second party   Leader Bill Neilson Max Bingham Party Labor Liberal Leader since 31 March 1975 4 May 1972 Leader's seat Franklin Denison Last election 21 seats 14 seats Seats won 18 17 Seat change 3 3 Popular vote 123,386 104,613 Percentage 52.48% 44.49% Swing 2.45 6.12
Results of the election
Premier before election Bill Neilson Labor Elected Premier Bill Neilson Labor

The incumbent Labor Party, led by Bill Neilson, won a second term against the opposition Liberal Party, led by Max Bingham.

Background

Labor had won the 1972 election, by a landslide margin of 7 seats, with Labor leader Eric Reece elected as Premier of Tasmania for the second time. Reece retired from Parliament on 31 March 1975, after the ALP introduced a mandatory retirement age of 65. Liberal Party leader Angus Bethune retired three months later, and was replaced by Max Bingham.

Results

See also: Results of the Tasmanian state election, 1976

Labor won the election, although their majority was reduced to one seat.

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Labor	123,386	52.45	-2.45	18	3
	Liberal	104,613	44.47	+6.12	17	3
	United Tasmania Group	5,183	2.20	-1.70	0
	Independents	1,424	0.61	-2.19	0
	Workers' Party	524	0.22	New	0	New
	Socialist Workers' Party	123	0.05	New	0	New
Total		235,253	100.00	–	35	–
Valid votes		235,253	96.20
Invalid/blank votes		9,294	3.80	+0.14
Total votes		244,547	100.00	–
Registered voters/turnout		258,550	94.58	-0.37

Popular vote Labor   52.48% Liberal   44.49% United Tasmania Group   2.20% Workers Party   0.22% Independents   0.61%

Seats Labor   51.43% Liberal   48.57%

Distribution of votes

Primary vote by division

	Bass	Braddon	Denison	Franklin	Wilmot
Labor Party	48.7%	53.9%	46.8%	59.4%	53.1%
Liberal Party	49.2%	45.9%	46.8%	35.9%	45.0%
Other	2.1%	0.3%	6.5%	4.7%	1.9%

Distribution of seats

Electorate Seats won Bass               Braddon               Denison               Franklin               Wilmot

Labor   Liberal

See also

• Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, 1976–1979
• Candidates of the 1976 Tasmanian state election