1983 Tasmanian State Election (Never a majority)

The Tasmanian state election, 1986 was held on 8 February 1986 in the Australian state of Tasmania/Lutruwita to elect 35 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system — seven members were elected from each of five electorates. Those electorates being Bass, Braddon, Denison, Franklin and Lyons. The quota required for election was 12.5% in each division. The incumbent Labor government headed by Ken Wriedt hoped to secure a second term in office and increase their share of Parliament to a majority. The Liberal party was headed by Robin Gray. The No Dam Coalition made up of the Democrates, Lowe Labour & the Independent Greens was headed by Norm Sanders before the election and Doug Lowe after the election.

The proposed Franklin Dam and the Tasmanian Dam Case were major issues around the time of the election with the Tasmanian Dam case being sited as the reason for the motion of no covidence by the Crossbench.

Results
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1982

 * 16 May 1982: The 1982 election results are released showing that the Labour government had lost their majority and that the Liberal party had the largest number of seats. Negotiations began between the Liberal Party and the Democrats. Labor met with the Bob Brown and Doug Lowes Group of independents to try and form a stable opposition that would be able to take power if the Democrats had a disagreement with the Liberals.
 * 30 May 1982: The Democrats walk out of coalition negotiations with the liberals and begin Coalition talks with Labor and the four Independents (1 Independent Green, 3 Independent Labor).
 * 8 June 1982: During the final coalition meeting with Labor, the Democrats, Independent Labor and Bob Brown a stipulation is set by all 9 non labor members present that Harry Holgate must step down as leader of tasmanian branch of Labor and as Premier. Holgate is shocked by this but calls for the labor party members to meet. This member's meeting results in a 9-3 vote that Holgate step down as leader. Later that day all four Political groupings announce that they will form a government together.
 * 9 June 1982 Harry Holgate officially announces that he will be stepping down as leader of the Labor party of his own will. He also announces that Ken Wriedt will become the Leader of the state labor party. Ken Wriedt shortly after announces the details of the Coalition agreement, Including that Norm Sanders will become Deputy Premier. This announcement also includes that the coalition will have 5 labor ministers,3 Democratic Ministers, and 2 Independent Ministers (Bob Brown and Doug Lowe).
 * 13 June 1982: During the first session of parliament the Democrats, Labor, Independent Labor and Bob Brown Vote Glen Davis (labor) back in as speaker of the house.
 * 21 June 1982: With the backing of the liberal party and the Labor party legislation was passed allowing the building of the Franklin dam. Discussions with the federal government result in Robin Gray threatening to make Tasmania leave the commonwealth if the federal government intervened.
 * 14 August 1982 Bob Brown announces that he had registered the Green Party as an official party.
 * 4 November 1982: Bob Brown announces that protesters will start a blockade on the 14th of December at Warners Landing to try and stall the building of the Franklin Dam.
 * 8 December 1982: Bob Brown is arrested at Warners Landing and taken to Hobart.
 * 15 December 1982: Bob Brown is convicted of trespassing and damaging public property. He is sentenced to 19 days in prison. Around 200 protesters gather outside of the Hobart courthouse to protest Brown's conviction.

1983

 * 4 January 1983: Bob Brown is released from prison.
 * 4 February 1983: Federal Parliament is Dissolved into a Double Dissolution election.
 * 2 March 1983: On 2 March the Wilderness Society backed the publication of what were then rare full-page colour advertisements in The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne's The Age newspapers of what would soon become an iconic photograph: Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River by Peter Dombrovskis. It was accompanied by the caption "Could you vote for a party that will destroy this?".
 * 5 March 1983: The 1983 Federal Election Happens with Bob Hawke winning in a landslide (No changes from our timeline)
 * 17 March 1983: Doug Lowe announces that himself, Mary Willey, and Dale Eagling will officially form Lowe Labor as a branch of the Australian Labor party, separate from Tasmanian Labor. This came after negotiations with Priminister Bob Hawk for the three to rejoin labor, a separate branch of labor that opposed the dam was decided as the best option.
 * 1 July 1983: The High Court of Australia decided in a 4:3 Decision that the sections of the World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983 (or World Heritage Act) which applied to the Tasmanian Wilderness world heritage area were invalid and the federal government could not legislate in a state responsibility even if it was to uphold an international treaty. The reaction from the Federal government and the Tasmanian Crossbench was utter bewilderment.
 * 3 July 1983: A motion of no confidence was passed on the Labor government by the Liberals, Democrats, Lowe Labor and Bob Brown. A state election is called for the 10th of September and the house of Assembly is dissolved.
 * 4 July 1983: Lowe Labor, Democrats, and the Greens announced they would campaign together as a coalition. With all 3 partys agreeing to preference deals in which each party agreed to a rotation of preferences determined by electoral division.
 * 10 July 1983: Election day happens with all thirty-five sitting parliament members voting in the election.

Aftermath
All three partys within the No Dams Coalition agree to form a minority government together. As the largest group in the chamber they are asked by the Governor to from government. As the head of the largest party within the No Dams coalition Doug lowe becomes Premier, with Norm Sanders staying on in the position of Deputy Premier. Lowe labor and Tasmanian Labor had a confidence and supply agreement in place meaning that as long as the coaliton didnt break apart, their would be no motions of no covidence within the next term. For the second time in a row the Liberals acquired the most votes but due to the No Dams coalitions rise they were left out of parliament.