# Division of Bass

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

## History

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

| 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 |
| David Storrer (1854–1935) | Independent | 26 May 1909 – 13 April 1910 | Previously held the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Launceston. Lost seat |
| 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 |
| Jens Jensen (1865–1936) | National Labor | 14 November 1916 – 17 February 1917 | 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 |
| Jens Jensen (1865–1936) | Nationalist | 17 February 1917 – 1919 | 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 |
| Jens Jensen (1865–1936) | Independent | 1919 – 13 December 1919 | 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 |
| 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 |
| Allan Guy (1890–1979) | Independent | March 1931 – 7 May 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 |
| Allan Guy (1890–1979) | United Australia | 7 May 1931 – 15 September 1934 | 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 |
| 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

2022 Australian federal election: Bass :
| Party | 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 | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 68,609 | 94.07 | −1.43 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 4,324 | 5.93 | +1.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Liberal hold | Swing | +1.02 | |