Pembroke – Tasmania LC 2025

Incumbent MLC
Luke Edmunds (Labor), since 2022.

• Geography
• History
• Candidates
• Assessment
• 2022 results
• Booth breakdown
• Results maps

Geography
Eastern shore of the Derwent River. Pembroke covers the eastern suburbs of Hobart, separated from the majority of the urban area by the river. Pembroke covers the suburbs between Geilston Bay in the north and Tranmere in the south.

History
Pembroke has existed as a Legislative Council seat continuously since 1856. The seat was held by independents by over 130 years, but in recent decades has been one of the few seats to be contested by both major parties.

Three generations of the Murdoch family (James Sr, James Jr and John) consecutively held the seat from 1903 to 1936. James Jr and John both won the seat on the death of their father.

Ben McKay held the seat from 1959 until his death in 1976. He was succeeded by his son Peter.

Peter McKay was elected as an independent, but joined the Liberal Party in 1991. He served as a minister from 1996 to 1998.

McKay retired in 1999, and the by-election was won by Clarence mayor Cathy Edwards, defeating Lara Giddings (who went on to become Premier).

Edwards was defeated in 2001 by Labor candidate Allison Ritchie. Ritchie was re-elected in 2007 with 42.9% of the primary vote.

In 2009, Ritchie resigned from Parliament.

The 2009 by-election was won by Liberal candidate Vanessa Goodwin. Goodwin was re-elected in 2013, and served as a minister in the Liberal government and as leader of the government in the upper house after the 2014 election. Goodwin resigned from parliament in 2017 due to ill-health, and died in 2018.

The 2017 by-election won by Labor’s Jo Siejka, with 57.4% of the two-candidate-preferred vote against her Liberal rival. Siejka was re-elected in 2019 with a slightly increased 8.7% margin.

Siejka retired early in her term in 2022, and Labor candidate Luke Edmunds retained the seat, with a further increased majority.

Candidates

• Luke Edmunds (Labor)

Assessment
The conventional two-party contest doesn’t dominate many seats in Tasmania’s upper house but the major parties are dominant here in Pembroke. Labor have done quite well here since 2017 and are favourites again in 2025.

2019 result

2019 two-candidate-preferred result

2022 by-election result

2022 by-election two-candidate-preferred result

Booth breakdown

Booths have been divided into three areas: North, Central and South.

Labor topped the primary vote in 2019, ranging from 43% in the south to 51.1% in the centre. The Liberal vote ranged from 21.9% in the centre to 26.1% in the south.

The Labor primary vote was lower in 2022, ranging from 37.0% in the north to 39.8% in the centre.

2019 booth breakdown

2022 booth breakdown

Election results in Pembroke at the 2019 Legislative Council election
Toggle between primary votes for Labor, the Liberal Party and independent candidate Tony Mulder.

Election results at the 2022 Pembroke by-election
Toggle between primary votes for Labor, the Liberal Party, the Greens and independent candidate Hans Willink.

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