2025 Tasmanian Election

LAST UPDATED: 9am, Monday 21 July 2025

Tasmanians have again delivered a Parliament without a majority.

This election result, much like 2024, underscores the importance of collaboration and the need to come up from our political trenches.

It is incumbent on our elected representatives to heed the key message voters have sent: that Tasmanians want a Parliament that is focussed on addressing the issues that matter to Tasmanians and our communities.

To make minority government work will require cooperation and maturity. TasCOSS is committed to supporting this endeavour and working with whoever forms the next government to deliver better outcomes for all Tasmanians.

For progressive results, head to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website.

Election Policy Tracker & Party/Candidate Responses
TasCOSS sought written endorsements or responses from all parties and candidates with regard to our 2025 Tasmanian Election Priorities (PDF, 3.48MB). 

To better inform members and supporters, we have summarised election commitments from the three major parties which relate directly to our six election priorities in the election policy tracker below. Click on the drop-down headings to find out more and for a full list of election commitments by the major parties, see the links at the bottom of the tracker.

1. Prioritising Community Services Industry Sustainability

RecommendationsLiberalsLaborGreens
Fast-track the implementation of five-year funding contracts, accompanied by a review process at least six months before the end date of a contract.Will implement longer-term funding agreements and an outcomes framework, work has begun and will be accelerated as a priority.

Commit to reviewing the community budget submission process to provide funding certainty earlier in the budget cycle.		The transition to five year funding arrangements will be prioritised in 2025/26.

Will ensure decisions about contracts are made at least six months before they are due to end.		Committed to five year funding contracts.
Consult with industry on the development of an indexation formula that reflects the true cost of doing business.Will review the level of indexation for community service organisations before the conclusion of current indexation commitments in 2027/28.No commitment, will be considered.Committed to ensuring that indexation reflects the true costs of community service organisations.
Deliver a Partnership Agreement with the Tasmanian Coalition of Community Service Peaks with appropriate resources for implementation.Committed to continuing partnership with the industry and considering recommendations from the Community Services Industry Plan (2021-31) Governance Review.

Will work with TasCOSS and the Tasmanian Coalition of Community Service Peaks to consider the recommendations from the Governance Review and establish a shared vision for government and the community services industry working together.		Will establish a Premier’s Community Services Partnership Agreement — Premier will meet quarterly with representatives from the industry, alongside the Minister for Community Services.

Community services industry to join Labor’s proposed Budget Repair Roundtable.		 No commitment.
Invest $200,000 in a Sustainability Program.$150,000 to develop sustainability solutions that reduce operational costs and risks for community services organisations, including exploring potential shared services models and streamlining multi-deed arrangements.$150,000 in 2025/26 to support sustainability, efficiency and governance activities through a Partnership Agreement.Support funding for the proposed Sustainability Program.
Invest $690,000 to expand FindHelpTAS.No commitment.No commitment.Support funding to expand FindHelpTAS.
TasCOSS CommentTasCOSS welcomes the support received in the form of election commitments to our industry sustainability asks, but note there is work to be done with the incoming government to ensure our industry is in a position of strength to meet the needs of Tasmanians.

The major parties support five year contracts, working in partnership and investing in a sustainability program, but only the Greens have committed to investing in the expansion and upgrade of the FindHelpTAS service directory. Labor’s proposed Budget Repair Roundtable is encouraging, giving our industry a voice in reshaping the budget narrative and an opportunity to explore how macroeconomic and social policy settings can improve productivity and boost living standards, particularly for those on low and inadequate incomes.

Our call for a funding model that ensures an indexation rate that covers the true cost of operating and providing essential services to Tasmanians in need has not been adequately addressed, meaning there is still more work to do to ensure the next state government’s approach to indexation is in keeping with community expectations and the level of need. For more information, visit the Tasmanian Coalition of Community Services Peaks’ ‘Prioritise all Tasmanians’ campaign webpage.

2. Improving the State of Tasmania’s Housing

RecommendationsLiberalsLaborGreens
Immediately review the Residential Tenancy Ac 1997.Review to be completed by June 2027. No commitment.Support amending the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 to provide better protection for renters.
Better regulate short-stay accommodation to limit the permitting of whole homes.No commitment. No commitment.Put an immediate stop to new whole-home short-stay rentals and phase out existing listings in residential areas.
Double the proportion of social housing in Tasmanian Housing Strategy, and commit to a social housing target of 10% of all housing stock.Support the current target for social housing in the Tasmanian Housing Strategy. No commitment.Invest an additional $100 million per year in public housing.
TasCOSS CommentTasCOSS welcomes commitments from the Greens in support of our election asks to improve the state of housing in Tasmania.

While Labor and Liberals have made a range of housing announcements, none of them specifically address immediately reviewing the Residential Tenancy Act 1997, better regulating short-stay accommodation or additional supply of social housing to better support and protect renters. For more information and analysis, take a look at the new Tasmania’s State of Housing Dashboard: Rental Affordability indicator, released in partnership with Anglicare Tasmania.

3. Bringing Down Energy Costs

RecommendationsLiberalsLaborGreens
Extend energy rebate of $300 per year to low income households.No commitment. No commitment.No commitment.
Significant investment in home energy efficiency upgrades and minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals. No commitment. No commitment.Rollout rooftop solar to all public and social housing.

Expand support for other households to install solar and batteries, double-glazing and insulation.

Provide energy efficiency upgrade grants to community groups.

Introduce minimum standards for new appliances in rental properties, including heat pumps, ovens, fridges and washing machines.
TasCOSS CommentWhile households are paying on average around $500 per year more for their electricity bills than three years ago, there have been no announcements by the major parties to support households with energy bill relief.

The Greens have made commitments to improve household energy efficiency and install solar that will significantly reduce power bills over the long-term, and to introduce minimum energy standards for rentals. For more coverage, read our The Mercury Newspaper Talking Point.

4. Transforming Child and Youth Safety

RecommendationsLiberalsLaborGreens
Advance Change for Children Strategy through evidence-based reforms and resourcing community-led programs.Continue to focus efforts on diverting young people from the youth justice system and stopping them from offending in the first place.

Make breach of bail an offence for youths, including a bail test that puts community safety at the forefront.

Continue design work on a $3 million assisted bail program, including transition from the detention system and accommodation options.		Implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry.

Close Ashley Youth Detention Centre as soon as possible.

Establish a standalone Youth Court to deal with youth criminal offending and child safety matters to reduce backlogs, reduce reoffending and reduce crime.		Immediately increase investment in evidence-based diversion and rehabilitation programs to keep children and young people out of detention.

Deliver evidence-based, trauma-informed and fit-for-purpose supported accommodation for bail.

Raise of the age of criminal responsibility to 14.

Immediately recruit 50 new child safety officers.

Develop a strategy to increase the use and effectiveness of police diversion programs for youth offenders.

Ensure the new youth justice facility designed to ensure children and young people’s human rights are protected.

End the practice of processing children and young people through police watchhouses and other adult facilities
Embed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into the Youth Justice Act.Update the Youth Justice Act with a view to adding diversion options, sentencing provisions, aggravating factors in sentencing and options for the practical application of doli incapax. No commitment.Support embedding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into the Youth Justice Act 1997.
TasCOSS CommentTasCOSS continues to call on all parties to prioritise child safety above politics and commit to a future where Tasmanian children and young people are safe, supported and empowered to thrive.

Despite broad political support for the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations, certain announcements have undermined the core mission of safeguarding children and restoring public trust by prioritising political gain over genuine reform.

We expect the incoming government to maintain a mature, evidence-informed approach to youth justice and issues impacting Tasmanian children and families, who are most in need of support to reduce instances of contact with the youth justice system. For more information, read the election joint statement on the Commission of Inquiry.

5. Closing the Digital Divide

RecommendationsLiberalsLaborGreens
Invest $500,000 per year into digital skills and literacy programs.No commitment. No commitment.Support digital literacy initiatives
Support Tas ICT industry to build scam, cyber security and AI awareness for community services organisations. No commitment. No commitment.Recognise in the current climate, scam, cyber security, AI awareness and education are crucial, particularly for vulnerable communities.
TasCOSS CommentDespite the substantial digital divide between those who have ready access to devices and the internet, and those who cannot access or navigate the online world, there has been no response from Labor or Liberals to our call for investment in digital literacy and skills programs.

The Greens’ support for digital literacy and recognition of scam, cyber security and AI awareness is welcome. For more information, read the election joint statement on digital inclusion.

6. Keeping Tasmanians Healthy

RecommendationLiberalsLaborGreens
Implement 20 year preventive health strategy, resourced at the level of 5% of health spending.Development of a 20 Year Preventative Health Strategy commenced.No commitment.Working towards 5% of health spending being spent on preventative health is a laudable goal.
TasCOSS CommentWhile all major parties have made a range of significant commitments to health, preventative health and wellbeing initiatives, none have directly addressed our ask for both a 20 year strategy with resourcing of 5% of the health budget. 

All party and candidate responses received are available in full below. NB: Neither the Liberal or Labor parties chose to formerly respond to TasCOSS’s election platform, however we conducted our own analysis of their publicly available policy platforms. 

The Tasmanian Coalition of Community Service Peaks welcome the election promises of the three major political parties.

The coalition of 16 community services originations are buoyed by the support the campaign has received in the form of election commitments, but note there is more work to do. Read the letters of support from the Liberals, Labor and the Greens.

We have said that working in partnership is the key and will continue to advocate for this critical commitment.

The coalition called on an incoming state government to build a strong partnership with the state’s community services industry to ensure no Tasmanian missed out on essential supports. The campaign called on parties and candidates to ‘Prioritise all Tasmanians’ and articulate how they will, if elected, build a sustainable community services industry to meet the current and future needs of all Tasmanians.

Encouragingly, all three major parties indicated support for five year funding agreements and indicated the timeline would be brought forward. The Labor and Liberal parties also committed to a partnership agreement with the industry, with Labor promising to establish a Premier’s Community Services Partnership Agreement.

All three major parties also indicated support for a industry sustainability program, with the Liberals and Labor committing $150,000 for this specific purpose.

There is more work to be done with regard to securing an appropriate and fair indexation approach, underpinned by a formula that reflects the true cost of providing our essential services to Tasmanians in need.

While the Greens committed to ensuring appropriate indexation for community service organisations, we will need to continue to lobby the incoming government to ensure the indexation approach is in keeping with community expectations and the level of need.

By working together, the industry can collectively support Tasmanians, retain our staff who deserve secure employment, and have certainty to make longer-term decisions that deliver better value for money.

Thank you for supporting the campaign to-date and we’ll keep you updated on our progress.

For more information about the campaign, please visit tascoss.org.au/coalition-of-community-service-peaks.

Show your support for the campaign by downloading and displaying the ‘Prioritise all Tasmanians’ resources on your social media and other digital platforms — access the DropBox.

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