Jeremy Rockliff

Rockliff joined the Young Liberal Movement in 1991, and the Liberal Party in 1992. He became MP for Braddon in the House of Assembly in 2002. He was immediately promoted to the front bench, serving as opposition whip from 2002 until March 2006. When Will Hodgman, who had also been first elected in 2002, was elected leader of The Tasmanian Liberal Party in March 2006, he named Rockliff as his deputy, and hence Deputy Leader of the Opposition.[4]

Rockliff became Deputy Premier of Tasmania in March 2014, following the Liberal Party winning government at the 2014 state election. He was also Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for Primary Industries and Water.[5] When Hodgman resigned as party leader and Premier in January 2020, Rockcliff did not stand in the subsequent Liberal Party leadership contest, which was won by Peter Gutwein unopposed on 20 January 2020.[6] As such, Rockcliff remained as deputy party leader and Deputy Premier.

Along with being Deputy Premier, Rockliff was also Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Trade, Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Minister for Disability Services and Community Development, and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.[7]

At a party-room meeting on the morning 8 April 2022, Rockliff was elected unopposed as the new leader of the Tasmanian Liberal Party, after Peter Gutwein had announced his resignation earlier that week. That afternoon he was sworn in by the Governor as the 47th Premier of Tasmania.[8][9]

As Premier, Rockcliff has continued the state government's negotiations with the Australian Football League in an attempt to gain a 19th team licence for Tasmania. Rockcliff has championed a proposed $715 million[10] multi-use stadium to be built in Hobart's Macquarie Point as a part of this bid. For his steadfast support of a stadium he has faced criticism from the Tasmanian Labor Party and The Tasmanian Greens as well as some in the federal Liberal Party.[11] On 12 May 2023, Lara Alexander, alongside fellow Tasmanian Liberal John Tucker state MP, would leave the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, in part due to concerns related to the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium project. This leaves the Liberal party in minority government and requiring seven seats to reach a majority in the next state election.[12]

On 28 September 2023, attorney general Elise Archer resigned from cabinet after being asked to do so by Rockcliff. In doing so she additionally resigned from the Liberal party, leaving the government with ten seats in the lower house. Rockcliff has stated that if Archer does not resign from parliament by 9 October he will request an early state election.