Parliamentary Terms and Sessions

Background

Before 1856 the Tasmanian Legislative Council was not a fully elected body and did not have set term limits. The 1854 Constitution Act which created the House of Assembly within the present bicameral Parliament set a maximum term of five years. Today the term for the House of Assembly is four years, and a Legislative Councillor's term is six years.

In 1972 Premier Reece (Australian Labor Party) claimed an electoral mandate to return to five-year terms, but the Council amended this to four years. The final compromise was for one five-year term, with all subsequent terms to be four years. A two-thirds majority is required to alter the section of the Constitution Act 1934 that sets the maximum four-year term of the House of Assembly.

Term: the length of time House of Assembly elections - since 1976 this has been a maximum of four years.

Session: the period beginning with the Governor's proclamation and ending with prorogation, which suspends parliamentary activity (by tradition sessions have been roughly twelve months).

Sitting: the (usually two) periods of parliamentary activity during the year.

Parliamentary Term

The term, or duration, of State Parliament is part of a constitutional process controlled by law and conventions (past practice). The State Governor issues a proclamation upon the advice of the State Premier and has the authority under section 12(2) of the Constitution Act 1934 to dissolve the House of Assembly for a general election. There is no power to dissolve the Legislative Council.

During the full term of a Parliament it may hold as many sessions or meetings as desired, but under section 11 of the Constitution Act 1934 no more than twelve months may pass between sessions.

By special proclamation, the Governor prorogues Parliament and dissolves the House of Assembly. At the same time the Governor sets dates for the issuing and return of writs, which are the written commands for the election of a new Parliament. After an election is held and a result is obtained, the Chief Electoral Officer returns the writs. The formal length of a Tasmanian Parliament runs from the return of these writs to its dissolution, not election day to election day. However it is often not possible for Parliament to meet immediately so the Constitution sets limits on the first meeting of the new Parliament: it must meet within 90 days or, if proclaimed by the Governor, a maximum of 120 days after an election.

Opening of Parliament

For centuries the monarch called into session the meetings which have come to be known as Parliament. Today the formal ceremonial opening of Parliament is performed before invited guests by the Governor, but only in the Legislative Council Chamber. This is because the monarch (and the Governor as the monarch's representative) is historically 'barred' from entering the lower House.

In Tasmania, on the date appointed by proclamation, a formal group consisting of the Governor, accompanied by the Usher of the Black Rod, the heads of the armed services in Tasmania, the Governor's aide-de-camp and the Official Secretary to the Governor enter the Legislative Council Chamber. The Governor then instructs the Usher of the Black Rod to summon Members of the House of Assembly to the Chamber and when they are seated he delivers the opening speech. This speech, which is traditionally prepared by the Premier and the Cabinet, outlines the Government's legislative program for the session.

After the speech the Governor departs and the members of the House of Assembly return to their own Chamber so that each House may commence the process of debating its response to the speech. This debate is known as the Address-in-Reply, which is transmitted to the Governor at the conclusion of the debate.

During 1999 the ALP Government announced that it would alter the traditional opening ceremony of the Tasmanian Parliament. The Governor would perform the formal opening of a new Parliament, but not open each session. This means that at the end of the Spring Sitting, usually in November or December, a date is set for the return of Parliament the following year, at which time the Parliament meets again and resumes business where it left off.

Swearing in of new Members

At the first session of Parliament following an election each newly elected MP must, according to section 30 of the Constitution Act 1934, take an oath or offer an affirmation to the State Governor, or a delegated person, which declares that they '... do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance' or that they do 'solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm allegiance' to the Crown.

The Promissory Oaths Act 1869 contains the correct wording of these oaths but it is possible to affirm, i.e. declare, rather than swear allegiance to the Crown. Members of the Legislative Council were first able to make an affirmation as long ago as 1910 and in the Assembly the first affirmations occurred in 1964.

New Members are also required to agree to a Code of Conduct which govern certain standards of speech and behaviour and which  form part of the Standing Orders of the House of Assembly. Members must also complete a disclosure of pecuniary and other interests.

Sittings

A Parliamentary session begins after a proclamation of the Governor and only ceases when another proclamation prorogues Parliament, which closes a session and ceases parliamentary processes, which must then be formally resumed in the next session. All the breaks in between these dates are  adjournments or parliamentary recesses and do not affect the program of business. As noted above, the dissolution of the House of Assembly marks the formal termination of a Parliament.

Common usage gives names to the different sittings during a parliamentary session:

Budget Sitting
February to July

Spring Sitting
August to December.

Special and Joint sittings

Special sittings

To call a special sitting of Parliament, the Governor, upon the advice of the Premier, must issue a special proclamation. A minimum of six days must elapse before the sitting.

Joint sittings

Under section 15 of the Commonwealth Constitution both Houses must meet together to fill a casual vacancy for the Senate caused by death or resignation of a sitting senator. The elected person will hold the place until the expiration of the term of the departed Senator.

Parliaments of Tasmania since 1856

Chronological list of Parliaments of Tasmania since the inauguration of responsible government, including sessions, dates of opening, and dates of closing and dissolution.

Parliament No.Session No.Date of OpeningDate of Closing or Dissolution
112 December 18565 June 1857
 213 October 185725 February 1858
 37 September 18585 November 1858
 49 December 185810 December 1858
 54 August 185923 September 1859
 618 July 18604 October 1860 (Dissolved 8 May 1861)
2115 August 18611 February 1862
 222 July 186220 October 1862 (Dissolved 21 October 1862)
3115 January 186325 March 1863
 216 June 186329 September 1863
 313 October 186317 October 1863
 429 June 186421 September 1864
 518 July 186529 September 1865
 631 July 186610 September 1866 (Dissolved 18 September 1866)
4120 November 186620 February 1867
 220 August 186711 October 1867
 328 July 186817 September 1868
 424 August 186922 October 1869
 523 August 187018 October 1870 (Dissolved 7 August 1871)
517 November 187121 December 1871
 225 June 187219 August 1872 (Dissolved 20 August 1872)
6122 October 187227 December 1872
 217 June 187331 October 1873
 321 July 187418 September 1874
 427 July 187530 September 1875
 526 October 18753 November 1875
 612 September 187620 November 1876
 718 January 187727 January 1877
 824 April 187717 May 1877 (Dissolved 19 May 1877)
7111 July 18779 August 1877
 224 September 187711 December 1877
 316 July 187819 June 1879
 49 September 187911 March 1880
 510 August 18801 November 1880
 619 July 18818 November 1881 (Dissolved 5 May 1882)
8111 July 18826 November 1882
 224 July 188329 October 1883
 314 December 188320 December 1883
 41 July 188424 November 1884
 521 July 18855 December 1885 (Dissolved 28 June 1886)
9124 August 18868 December 1886
 212 July 188720 December 1887
 329 May 18884 February 1889
 49 July 188911 December 1889
 51 July 189028 November 1890 (Dissolved 30 April 1891)
1017 July 189123 December 1891
 226 July 189221 December 1892
 318 July 189314 November 1893 (Dissolved 2 December 1893)
11127 February 18943 September 1894
 223 October 189426 October 1894
 325 June 189524 October 1895
 47 January 189610 January 1896
 57 July 189626 November 1896 (Dissolved 29 December 1896)
1219 March 189711 March 1897
 213 July 189724 December 1897
 33 May 189829 October 1898
 430 May 189922 December 1899 (Dissolved 26 January 1900)
13124 April 190011 January 1901
 228 May 19018 January 1902
 322 July 19021 November 1902
 412 November 190220 December 1902 (Dissolved 11 March 1903)
14121 May 190325 May 1903
 218 August 19038 January 1904
 315 March 190424 May 1904
 47 June 190411 November 1904
 511 July 190520 November 1905 (Dissolved 2 March 1906)
15129 May 190618 June 1906
 210 July 190630 November 1906
 39 July 19075 December 1907
 414 July 190814 December 1908 (Dissolved 26 March 1909)
16129 June 190913 January 1910
 212 July 191013 January 1911
 318 July 191123 January 1912 (Dissolved 4 April 1912)
1712 July 191219 December 1912 (Dissolved 27 December 1912)
18122 April 19136 January 1914
 225 March 191418 February 1915
 330 June 191520 January 1916 (Dissolved 9 February 1916)
19116 May 191618 May 1916
 21 August 191627 February 1917
 331 July 19175 May 1918
 430 July 191825 January 1919 (Dissolved 5 April 1919)
20122 July 19196 January 1920
 23 August 192011 January 1921
 327 July 192114 February 1922 (Dissolved 27 April 1922)
21125 June 19226 April 1923
 226 June 19239 April 1924
 329 July 192423 February 1925 (Dissolved 20 April 1925)
22128 July 192530 April 1926
 227 July 192618 February 1927
 324 May 192721 June 1927
 427 July 192720 January 1928 (Dissolved 12 April 1928)
23117 July 19282 August 1928
 222 August 192811 February 1929
 326 June 192920 January 1930
 416 July 193026 January 1931 (Dissolved 25 March 1931)
2418 July 193122 January 1932
 22 March 19324 April 1932
 325 May 193217 March 1933
 423 June 193329 June 1933
 527 September 193321 December 1933 (Dissolved 30 April 1934)
25118 July 193428 August 1934
 225 September 193425 February 1935
 324 July 19356 February 1936
 428 July 193614 January 1937 (Dissolved 14 January 1937)
26123 March 193714 July 1937
 228 September 19374 February 1938
 320 July 193825 November 1938
 430 November 19387 March 1939
 525 July 193915 September 1939
 624 October 193916 February 1940
 714 May 194011 September 1940
 88 October 194017 April 1941
 920 May 194112 November 1941 (Dissolved 14 November 1941)
27110 February 194212 February 1943
 230 March 194327 July 1944
 327 September 19444 September 1945
 425 September 194522 July 1946
 54 September 194625 October 1946 (Dissolved 29 October 1946)
28126 February 19475 February 1948
 218 February 194826 July 1948 (Dissolved 26 July 1948)
2918 September 19488 March 1949
 215 March 19492 February 1950 (Dissolved 23 March 1950)
3017 June 195026 February 1951
 220 March 195118 February 1952
 325 March 195220 February 1953
 43 March 19532 February 1954
 522 February 195414 January 1955 (Dissolved 14 January 1955)
31113 April 195529 February 1956
 214 March 195620 September 1956 (Dissolved 20 September 1956)
32129 October 195627 November 1956
 24 December 195618 March 1958
 313 May 195824 February 1959 (Dissolved 9 April 1959)
3312 June 195922 March 1960
 227 April 196014 April 1961
 320 June 196115 March 1962
 420 March 196219 February 1963
 56 March 19639 March 1964 (Dissolved 2 April 1964)
34125 June 196413 April 1965
 228 April 196522 March 1966
 318 May 196610 March 1967
 424 May 196711 March 1968
 530 April 196818 March 1969 (Dissolved 11 April 1969)
35117 June 196924 February 1970
 211 March 197017 February 1971
 33 March 197115 February 1972
 48 March 197215 March 1972 (Dissolved 15 March 1972)
3617 June 19725 March 1973
 221 March 19731 March 1974
 320 March 197414 March 1975
 42 April 197510 March 1976
 530 March 197617 November 1976 (Dissolved 17 November 1976)
37114 February 197718 July 1978
 215 August 197814 December 1978
 313 March 197921 June 1979 (Dissolved 2 July 1979)
38111 September 197913 February 1980
 25 March 19807 July 1981
 325 August 198114 December 1981
 426 March 198226 March 1982 (Dissolved 27 March 1982)
39115 June 19828 March 1983
 26 April 198321 February 1984
 321 March 198414 February 1985
 46 March 19857 January 1986 (Dissolved 7 January 1986)
40112 March 19862 February 1987
 24 March 198714 March 1988
 330 March 198818 April 1989 (Dissolved 18 April 1989)
41128 June 198928 February 1990
 23 April 199028 February 1991
 33 April 19912 January 1992 (Dissolved 2 January 1992)
42114 April 19925 February 1993
 22 March 199322 March 1994
 312 April 19941 March 1995
 428 March 199524 January 1996 (Expired 25 January 1996)
43123 April 199628 February 1997
 211 March 199717 March 1998
 324 March 199829 July 1998 (Dissolved 29 July 1998)
4416 October 199821 March 2000
 230 March 20001 February 2002
 312 March 200221 June 2002 (Dissolved 21 June 2002)
45124 September 20025 March 2004
 27 April 200417 February 2006 (Dissolved 17 February 2006)
46130 May 200622 February 2008
 24 March 200812 February 2010 (Dissolved 12 February 2010)
4714 May 201012 February 2014 (Dissolved 12 February 2014)
4816 May 201428 January 2018 (Dissolved 28 January 2018)
4911 May 201826 February 2019
 219 March 201926 March 2021 (Dissolved 26 March 2021)
50122 June 20215 April 2022
 23 May 20221 August 2022
 316 August 202214 February 2024 (Dissolved 14 February 2024)
51114 May 202411 June 2025 (Dissolved 11 June 2025)