Division of Bass

The Division of Bass is an Australian electoral division in Tasmania.

This article is about the federal electorate. For the Tasmanian state electorate, see Division of Bass (state). For the Victorian state electorate, see Electoral district of Bass.

Bass
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Bass in Tasmania, as of the 2019 federal election
Created1903
MPBridget Archer
PartyLiberal
NamesakeGeorge Bass
Electors79,433 (2022)
Area7,975 km2 (3,079.2 sq mi)
DemographicProvincial
State electorate(s)Bass

It includes most of the city of Launceston and its surrounds. It has traditionally been a marginal seat and has had more members than any other federal electorate.

Geography

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned.[1]

History
George Bass, the division's namesake

The division was one of the five established when the former Division of Tasmania was redistributed on 2 October 1903 and is named for the explorer George Bass. It has always been based on the city of Launceston and surrounding rural areas, and its boundaries have changed very little in the century since its creation. For most of its history it has been a marginal seat, changing hands between the Australian Labor Party and the conservative parties—since 1949 the Liberal Party. Its most notable member has been Lance Barnard, who was Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. His resignation in 1975 was followed by Labor's heavy defeat in the Bass by-election, which is seen as the beginning of the end of the Whitlam government.

The Liberals won the seat at the 2019 election.

Bass has had the most different members of any federal electorate at seventeen.

Bass is currently the Coalition's 5th most marginal electorate, held by a 1.43% margin on the two-party-preferred vote.

Members
Image Member Party Term Notes
  David Storrer
(1854–1935)		 Protectionist 16 December 1903 –
26 May 1909		 Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Launceston. Lost seat
  Independent 26 May 1909 –
13 April 1910
  Jens Jensen
(1865–1936)		 Labor 13 April 1910 –
14 November 1916		 Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Wilmot. Served as minister under Fisher and Hughes. Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 1922
  National Labor 14 November 1916 –
17 February 1917
  Nationalist 17 February 1917 –
1919
  Independent 1919 –
13 December 1919
  Syd Jackson
(1889–1941)		 Nationalist 13 December 1919 –
12 October 1929		 Lost seat
  Allan Guy
(1890–1979)		 Labor 12 October 1929 –
March 1931		 Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass. Served as minister under Lyons. Lost seat. Later elected to the Division of Wilmot in 1940
  Independent March 1931 –
7 May 1931
  United Australia 7 May 1931 –
15 September 1934
  Claude Barnard
(1890–1957)		 Labor 15 September 1934 –
10 December 1949		 Served as minister under Chifley. Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 1950. Son was Lance Barnard
  Bruce Kekwick
(1910–1982)		 Liberal 10 December 1949 –
29 May 1954		 Lost seat
  Lance Barnard
(1919–1997)		 Labor 29 May 1954 –
2 June 1975		 Served as minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Whitlam. Resigned to become Australian Ambassador to Sweden, Norway and Finland. Father was Claude Barnard
  Kevin Newman
(1933–1999)		 Liberal 28 June 1975 –
26 October 1984		 Served as minister under Fraser. Retired
  Warwick Smith
(1954–)		 Liberal 1 December 1984 –
13 March 1993		 Lost seat
  Silvia Smith
(1939–2020)		 Labor 13 March 1993 –
2 March 1996		 Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council in 1997
  Warwick Smith
(1954–)		 Liberal 2 March 1996 –
3 October 1998		 Served as minister under Howard. Lost seat
  Michelle O'Byrne
(1968–)		 Labor 3 October 1998 –
9 October 2004		 Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 2006
  Michael Ferguson
(1974–)		 Liberal 9 October 2004 –
24 November 2007		 Lost seat. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Bass in 2010
  Jodie Campbell
(1972–)		 Labor 24 November 2007 –
19 July 2010		 Retired
  Geoff Lyons
(1953–)		 Labor 21 August 2010 –
7 September 2013		 Lost seat
  Andrew Nikolic
(1961–)		 Liberal 7 September 2013 –
2 July 2016		 Lost seat
  Ross Hart
(1960–)		 Labor 2 July 2016 –
18 May 2019		 Lost seat
  Bridget Archer
(1975–)		 Liberal 18 May 2019 –
present		 Incumbent

Election results
Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Bass
This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2022 Australian federal election in Tasmania § Bass.[edit]
2022 Australian federal election: Bass[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Bridget Archer 27,257 39.73 −2.60
Labor Ross Hart 19,630 28.61 −6.13
Greens Cecily Rosol 7,614 11.10 +0.62
Lambie Bob Salt 4,587 6.69 +6.69
Independent George Razay 3,450 5.03 +5.03
One Nation Melanie Davy 3,230 4.71 +4.71
United Australia Kyle Squibb 1,140 1.66 −3.20
Animal Justice Alison Baker 969 1.41 −1.02
Liberal Democrats Stephen Humble 732 1.07 +1.07
Total formal votes 68,609 94.07 −1.43
Informal votes 4,324 5.93 +1.43
Turnout 72,933 91.95 −2.09
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Bridget Archer 35,288 51.43 +1.02
Labor Ross Hart 33,321 48.57 −1.02
Liberal hold Swing+1.02

References
  1. Muller, Damon (14 November 2017). "The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  2. Bass, TAS, 2022 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.

41.130°S 147.616°E / -41.130; 147.616

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