Premier of Tasmania
What position did Will Hodgman take from Mar 2014 to Mar 2018?
Will Hodgman William Edward Felix Hodgman ( born 20 April 1969 ) is an Australian diplomat and former politician who has been the High Commissioner of Australia to Singapore since February 2021 . He was the 45th Premier of Tasmania and a member for the Division of Franklin in the Tasmanian House of Assembly from the 2002 state election until his resignation in January 2020 . He became premier following the 2014 state election , having been Leader of the Opposition since 2006 . He was re-elected to a second term in government following victory in the 2018 state election . In March 2018 , he succeeded Angus Bethune as the longest-serving leader in the history of the Tasmanian Liberals . He resigned as the Premier of Tasmania , the Leader of the Tasmanian Liberals and Member of the Parliament of Tasmania on 20 January 2020 . In April 2020 , Hodgman was appointed as the chair of Australian Business Growth Fund by federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg . Hodgman is from Hobart and was educated at the University of Tasmania . Hodgmans father , uncle and grandfather also served in the Parliament of Tasmania . Early life and education . Hodgman was born in April 1969 , the son of former Liberal parliamentarian Michael Hodgman . His uncle , Peter , was also a Member of the Tasmanian Parliament , and his paternal grandfather , Bill Hodgman , was a member of both Houses of the Tasmanian Parliament , ending his career as President of the Legislative Council . He was educated at The Hutchins School and the University of Tasmania , where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws in 1993 , and a Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice in 1994 . He is married to Nicola , and the couple have two sons , William and James , and a daughter , Lily . Legal career . Hodgman was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1994 . He was an associate of the Hobart law firm Wallace Wilkinson & Webster , before practising as a solicitor for the Wiltshire County Council in the United Kingdom for 15 months . In the United Kingdom he acted as prosecutor and advocate for the Council in the County Courts and the High Court of Justice . He then returned to Wallace Wilkinson & Webster in 1998 , and practised in criminal law and personal injuries until his election to Parliament . Political career . Hodgman entered Parliament at the 2002 election in the electorate of Franklin and was elected to the role of deputy leader immediately afterwards . He was elected alongside his father , who was elected in the neighbouring seat of Denison . Hodgman was re-elected in the 2006 election receiving 21.98 per cent of first preferences , an increase compared to his previous vote of 12.37 per cent in the 2002 election . This is the third highest individual vote ever recorded in the seat of Franklin . On 30 March 2006 he was unanimously elected as the leader of Tasmanias Liberal Party , replacing Rene Hidding following disappointing results at the 2006 election . Jeremy Rockliff is his deputy . At the 2018 election Hodgman personally received 27,184 first preference votes , the highest number ever for any candidate in a state election in Tasmania . Hodgman is Tasmanias seventh longest serving Premier . As well as serving as Premier , Hodgman has been Tasmanias Attorney General , Minister for Justice , Minister for Tourism , Hospitality and Events , Minister for Trade , Minister for Parks , Minister for Heritage , Minister for Aboriginal Affairs , Minister for the Arts , Minister for Sport and Recreation , Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries . Hodgman has held a number of shadow portfolios in his parliamentary career , including Treasury and Finance , Energy , Major Projects and Community Development , Tourism , Economic Development and the Arts . 2010 election . Hodgman contested the 2010 Tasmanian state election and the result was a hung parliament , with the Liberals and Labor on 10 seats each . The balance of power rested with the Tasmanian Greens , who won five seats . Before the election , the incumbent Premier David Bartlett stated that the party who won the most votes should form government . Since the Liberals won the popular vote by just over 6,700 votes , Bartlett and his caucus voted to give up power , and Bartlett advised the Governor of Tasmania , Peter Underwood , to invite Hodgman to form a government . However , Hodgman never approached the Greens before the writs were returned , and Bartlett did not promise a Hodgman minority government would have a minimum period of support . Faced with the prospect of a government being defeated at its first sitting , Underwood recommissioned Bartlett as premier and left it to the Assembly to determine whether Labor had enough support to govern . Hodgman accused Bartlett of going back on a promise not to topple a Liberal minority government . 2014 election . Before the 2014 Tasmanian state election , with polls suggesting the Liberals were positioned to win government , Hodgman had promised that he would only govern in majority . ABC News election analyst Antony Green suggested Hodgmans promise could have come back to haunt him if the Palmer United Party , which made a significant effort in the election , were to siphon off enough votes to deny the Liberals a majority . On election night , Hodgman led the Liberal Party to victory with a swing of over 9% against the incumbent Labor Party . The Liberals picked up an additional seat in every electorate except Denison , assuring that Hodgman would have a secure majority . They ultimately went on to win 15 seats–a comprehensive victory under current Tasmanian electoral practice . Hodgman himself topped the poll in Franklin , tallying 23,589 first preference votes on 35 percent of the first preference vote ; the total number of electors in Franklin is 74,189 . This result was achieved despite competing against both Giddings and Greens leader Nick McKim in this multi-member electorate . Hodgman was sworn in as the 45th Premier of Tasmania , alongside the members of his cabinet , on 31 March 2014 , becoming only the fifth non-Labor premier in 80 years and only the third to govern in majority . 2018 election . Hodgman dissolved the parliament and called the election for March 3 . Repeating his vow of four years earlier , Hodgman categorically ruled out governing in coalition or minority , saying , We will govern alone or not at all . However it was thought unlikely at the time that the Liberals would keep their majority due to the strong polling of the Greens and the Jacqui Lambie Network . During the campaign , Hodgman and the Liberals promised to keep poker machines in pubs and clubs . He claimed 5000 jobs were at risk if machines were banned , although fact checkers called this claim overblown . It was later disclosed that the gambling industry funded his campaign with over $400,000 , although the true amount was speculated to be far higher . The day before the election it was revealed that the Liberals had privately indicated to farming stakeholders they might relax the states gun laws . The move was criticised by some opponents . Ultimately , the Liberals suffered a swing of two seats , leaving them at 13 seats , just enough for a majority . It was only the second time in 87 years that the non-Labor forces in Tasmania had been reelected with an outright majority . Hodgman personally received 27,184 first preference votes , which is the highest number ever in a Tasmanian state election . Hodgman is one of the few Australian state politicians to have never spent a day on the backbench . He has spent his entire tenure in the House of Assembly in a leadership position as deputy opposition leader ( 2002–2006 ) , opposition leader ( 2006–2014 ) and premier ( 2014–present ) . On 14 January 2020 , Hodgman announced his resignation as premier , and confirmed he would also resign from state parliament . In his resignation speech , he cited the toll on his family ; his 17 years in the legislature had been concurrent with the entire lives of his three children . On 20 January , Treasurer Peter Gutwein was elected unopposed as Liberal leader , and was sworn in as premier later that day . Prior to his resignation there was speculation that Hodgman would stay on as premier to surpass Robin Gray as the states longest serving Liberal Premier . Career after politics . On 15 April 2020 , Hodgman was announced as the inaugural chair of the new Australian Business Growth Fund . In November 2020 , Hodgman was appointed the next Australian High Commissioner to Singapore . He officially took up the position on 9 February 2021 when he presented his credentials to the President of Singapore Halimah Yacob . External links . - Will Hodgmans maiden speech to parliament