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The State Government is elected once every four years by means of an election for the Tasmanian Parliament's House of Assembly. The leader of the political party which controls the House of Assembly takes office as Premier and forms a Cabinet of no more than eight Ministers.
The House Of Assembly has 25 members - five from each of the five electorates - voted on by all Tasmanians over the age of 18. Most legislation, which can cover any matter that is not specifically the responsibility of the Federal Parliament, is usually considered first by the House of Assembly.
Each piece of legislation passes from the House of Assembly to the Legislative Council (the house of review) for consideration. The Legislative Council consists of 15 members from single member electorates.
A law must pass both Houses of Parliament and be signed by the Governor of Tasmania before it can take effect.
The Governor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Premier. The office of the Governor is non-political and quite distinct from that of the Premier.
The Governor has various constitutional functions. They include appointing the Premier, appointing Ministers on the Premier's advice, assenting to parliamentary bills, determining the structure of elections, opening parliament and giving legal effect to government decisions through the Executive Council, which consists of the Premier and the Ministers of the State government.
Legislation is generally administered by the relevant department or authority, a brief summary of the major topics covered by each department is below:
Annual Report 2006-07 - Departmental information [PDF 265 KB]
Aboriginal lands, administrative arrangements, State Service Act, churches, the Constitution, burials and cremations, coastal waters, dog control, local government, youth affairs, disabilities, Parliament and some industrial relations matters including awards.
Liquor and accommodation licensing, superannuation, taxation (including land tax, payroll tax and duties), first home owner's grant, electricity supply industry, government business enterprises, revenue, fee units, public works and gaming.
Annual Report 2007, p.68 [PDF 1.9 MB]
Transport, passenger transport, taxis, roads, highways, motor vehicles, motor accidents, traffic, Metro Tasmania, rail, aviation, ports, jetties, marine safety, mineral resources, petroleum, gas pipelines, gas, electricity, energy, the Hydro-Electric Commission, forestry, private forests, forest practices, racing, local government and the Printing Authority of Tasmania.
Annual Report 2006-07, section two, p.62 [PDF 800 KB]
Housing, employment incentive assistance, Tasmanian development, farm water development, fire damage relief, several mining agreements and tourism.
Education, libraries, archives, child care, vocational education and training, building and construction industry training, youth participation in education and training, TAFE Tasmania, teacher registration and universities.
Public health, tobacco, adoption, alcohol and drugs, health professional registrations, nursing, poisons, child protection, radiation control, hospitals and food.
Annual Report 2006-07, p.88 [PDF 1.2 MB]
Freedom of information, anti-discrimination, consumer affairs, fair trading, residential tenancy, trade unions, auctioneering, business names, security agents, partnerships, associations, charity collections, travel agents, births, deaths and marriages, wills, companies and securities, trade measurement, conveyancing, Criminal Code, elections, courts, juries, prisoners bills of sale, State policies and projects, major infrastructure development approvals, public land, architects, building, plumbing, dangerous goods, long service leave, occupational health and safety, rehabilitation and compensation, workers compensation, workplace health and safety, shop trading hours, statutory holidays, some occupational registrations as well as many industrial relations matters.
Information available from the Tasmanian Legislation website.
Police offences, emergency services, marine search and rescue, telecommunications, witness protection, firearms and road safety (alcohol and drugs).
Animals, animal welfare, agricultural and veterinary chemicals, egg industry, farming, fishing, inland fisheries, dairy industry, meat hygiene, plant quarantine, gene technology, genetically modified organisms, Crown land, land titles, land valuation, forestry rights registration, marine resources, natural resources, surveying, threatened species, veterinary surgeons, irrigation, water and nature conservation.
Annual Report 2006/07 - Supporting information [PDF 123 KB]
Museums, arts, Aboriginal relics, historic cultural heritage, environment, pollution control, national parks and reserves management.
Other Agencies
Independent agencies such as the Forest Practices Board often administer their own legislation.