We focused on the independent and minor party candidates for the upcoming House of Assembly elections and asked them to complete a short survey for us. The order on this page – below the electorate subheading – is random. We have not received responses from all candidates despite contacting them several times.
We encourage voters to read all profiles.
Candidates were invited to tell us about their:
- political background, principles, what shapes their views, key beliefs and what kind of politician will they be
- education, job, family and community work
- main issues in their electorate and their proposed solutions
- key upcoming issues such as the stadium, DAP’s and justice related legislation
- whether they will provide confidence and supply to a party that is proceeding with the stadium as its policy position
- reasons why you should vote for them, will they make a good MHA and what skills will they bring to parliament
You can click on their photo to go to their website (if they provided a link).
The main polling day is Saturday 19 July 2025 with pre-poll centres already open at various locations around Tasmania. Please see the TEC website for more information on how to vote.
For major parties (5 MHAs or more), their candidates can be found here: Greens, Liberal, Labor.
Kristie Johnson – independent
Political background:
I was first elected as the Independent Member for Clark in 2021 and re-elected in 2024. I grew up in a family that always looked out for people doing it tough and I’ve carried that with me into my role as a member of parliament. As an independent I don’t have to toe the party line or do what wealthy donors ask. I’m free to follow my conscience, the views of the community, and what the evidence says is the best thing to do.
About you, personally:
I have an Arts/Law degree with a major in Public Policy , and a Masters of Criminology and Corrections, both from UTAS . After university I worked in the community legal sector in Hobart, and I have a strong interest in land-use planning and public transport – particularly light rail.
I have two wonderful human children, two equally wonderful fur babies, and one wonderful fiancé (with three bonus children).
When I’m not meeting with constituents or sitting in parliament I’m pulling beers at my pub in New Town, or relaxing in the garden.
Your electorate and its key issues?
This is my position on key issues for voters in Clark:
A better resourced integrity and anti-corruption commission with real teeth.
Responsible budget repair: raise more revenue in fair ways; limit our infrastructure spend; end pork barrelling and wasteful assistance to industry.
Spend at least 5% of the health and mental health budgets on prevention and promotion keep appeal rights in planning laws so communities can have their say.
No sale of Sandy Bay UTAS campus.
End taxpayer funding of the racing industry.
No Mac Point stadium – use Ninja and York Park stadiums more funding for and better planning of public transport.
Immediately introduce the mandatory player card to minimise harm from poker machines move salmon farming on to land and end native forest logging.
In the House:
Many of the issues above will come before the next parliament. Other issues likely to arise include tough on crime laws, which I oppose because they don’t work. We need more investment in prevention, early intervention and the supports that children, young people and families need to address challenging behaviour early.
Other issues I will keep advocating for include:
Improve housing outcomes by doubling the government’s plan for social housing, more regulation of whole homes in the short stay accommodation sector, and review of the Residential Tenancy Act to give better protections for renters.
Reform the Family Violence Act so it better responds to the needs of victim-survivors Laws to ban conversion practices and unnecessary surgery on intersex infants Boosting educational outcomes with more investment in literacy, numeracy and schools.
More investment in community service organisations, whose chronic underfunding means more and more Tasmanians aren’t getting the support they need.
Will you provide confidence and supply to a party which is proceeding with a stadium as a policy position?
My position on a new stadium is very clear – I don’t support it. We don’t need one and we can’t afford one.
There’s no constitutional requirement for an independent to provide a written supply and confidence agreement to an incoming government. Minority or power-sharing governments have existed without these agreements in the past. Should no party gain a majority my approach will be to vote on every issue according to my publicly-stated positions on key issues, and with regard to the principles of integrity, transparency and the interests of Tasmanians.
On this basis, I will be voting against any legislation that seeks approval for a stadium.
Why you, why now?
I have the parliamentary experience to maximise the impact of an independent member of the House of Assembly. I also have the collaborative mindset and skills needed to navigate the high possibility of another power sharing parliament.
Tasmanians are increasingly fed up with the two old same-same parties. The community is looking to independents and minor parties that work for community interests, not the interests of big donors and big business. I’m a true independent. I don’t take donations so I can’t be bought, by anyone.
I’m free to put the community interest first, every time.
John Macgowan – independent
Political background:
Former Liberal political operative, first time candidate. I define my political ideology as Alternative Conservatism, with an emphasis on liberty, and robust institutions that emphasis individualism and making people more free, not less.
About you, personally:
I grew up in Glenorchy, went to Rosetta Primary School and St Virgil’s in Austin’s Ferry. I dropped out of UTAS in 2003 to take a job with a Senator and spent the subsequent years as a political staffer, including stints as a chief of staff, parliamentary strategist, and acquired expertise in law enforcement and planning policy.
I later became a political consultant, first for a major firm then working for myself, I’ve travelled around the world working on election campaigns and political crisis management. In my spare time, I’m also a cinephile and qualified projectionist, I collect David Bowie memorabilia, 1990s Norwegian metal cassettes and first editions of early 20th century political literature. If I never got into politics I would have liked to own a book shop, or a bar. Or a bar/bookshop.
Your electorate and its key issues?
Clark is the economic, social and cultural heart of Tasmania. But it’s also a place of tremendous inequality, some of the nation’s poorest people live in the north of the electorate, while in the south, we have the country’s fastest growing wages. The ideological divide between them is vast, and is contributing to the wide divide on economic and environmental issues. The new stadium dominates superficial discussions about the future in Clark, but it really reflects a deep rift between the people who have missed out on Tasmania’s isolated pockets of growth, and those who have benefited and want to maintain a status quo.
Only health policy unites everyone, but the northern suburbs have missed out on new health infrastructure, leading to anxiety amongst voters about how they can access the help they need. Only across the board economic growth can fix this.
In the House:
I conditionally support the stadium, as I believe that in the current economic environment facing the state, we need to grab any opportunity for growth with both hands.
I don’t think there are any viable privatization options on the table right now, due to existential economic factors and the simple fact Tasmania’s current political leadership is not capable of negotiating good deals.
I’m passionate about planning, and I’ve personally worked on implementing planning reforms to modernize and streamline planning processes while retaining the rights of communities to have their voices heard. I don’t think DAPs do that, I want to see a complete re-write and modernisation of the Tasmanian planning acts and instruments, the creation of Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels to take the Minister and Councils out of the process and get experts making decisions in consultation with the community.
Will you provide confidence and supply to a party which is proceeding with a stadium as a policy position?
The economic crisis looming over the Tasmanian budget is far larger than just the stadium, so I won’t be letting my views on the stadium determine my position on who I would support in a theoretical (albeit likely) hung parliament should I be elected. Tasmania needs stability, and I’ll support whichever party has the best chance of achieving that.
Why you, why now?
For whatever reason, the vagaries of the Hare Clark system, or the media and political culture that’s been created here, Tasmania has homogenizsl diversity. I’m conservative, I’m a product of Australia’s emerging political right, I have a different outlook on things, I have a depth of political experience that our current leaders just don’t have. And I have nothing to lose,
I’m not wedded to any vested interests, so I can be honest about the problems the State faces without worrying about treading on toes or hurting feelings. Our politicians talk about civility, but I’m not civil.
I’m angry about how bad things have become here, and will aggressively tell people the truth about it.
Elise Archer – independent
Political background:
A former Hobart alderman (from 2007-2010), I was first elected to the seat of Denison, now Clark in 2010 and was widely regarded as a hard-working local member.
A former Liberal Attorney-General holding numerous ministerial portfolios between 2018-2023, I was also notably the first female Speaker in the House of Assembly’s then 157-year history.
I am no longer a member of the Liberal Party and believe the electorate of Clark will be better represented by my standing as a moderate, sensible, and measured independent with the experience necessary to fix this parliamentary and budget fiasco.
My background in law and community interests shapes my views. which is why I was widely regarded as a hard-working local member and hailed for my strong law reform agenda, including the establishment of the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and a number of criminal law reforms improving the rights of victims and survivors.
About you, personally:
Born and raised in Tasmania, I was educated in Hobart. Before entering Parliament, I graduated law at UTAS and then practised primarily in civil and criminal litigation law for 18 years in Hobart.
Always community focused, I also acted on a pro bono basis for local community organisations and volunteered as a director on a number of not-for-profit boards in the areas of law, disability, community transport and the arts.
I am married and have worked and lived in Tasmania my entire life.
Your electorate and its key issues?
Clark represents a wide range of views. The main issues at present are the Macquarie Point stadium and the perilous state of the Tasmanian Budget. Consequently, there is a legitimate concern about funding essential services.
To improve our economic situation and create jobs, we must focus on generating housing investment, for example making it easier to develop sub-divisions.
I cannot support the cost of the proposed stadium.
I want Tasmania to have our own AFL team, but we cannot spend endless taxpayer money to achieve an unsustainable and ongoing cost. No other AFL side has had such requirements placed on it.
The Government has now abandoned private investment, resulting in an enormous taxpayer contribution and excessive State debt, which could easily reach $1 billion.
Having served on Cabinet’s budget sub-committee, this is likely to bankrupt the State. We have more pressing areas to address such as housing, health, and education.
In the House:
I do not support privatisation of public assets.
I cannot support the cost of the proposed stadium. I want Tasmania to have our own AFL team, but we cannot spend endless taxpayer money to achieve an unsustainable and ongoing cost. No other AFL side has had such requirements placed on it.
The Government has now abandoned private investment, resulting in an enormous taxpayer contribution and excessive State debt, which could easily reach $1 billion.
Having served on Cabinet’s budget sub-committee, this is likely to bankrupt the State.
We have more pressing areas to address such as housing, health, education and the infrastructure necessary for the Spirit of Tasmania ships.
I have a proud history of law reform in justice-related areas as Attorney-General and will continue to advocate for such reform, particularly those affecting victims and survivors of which there has been far too little in the last term of Parliament.
Will you provide confidence and supply to a party which is proceeding with a stadium as a policy position?
I believe a minority government is now inevitable in the 35-seat House of Assembly and with the Hare Clark voting system. Therefore, we must be mature and negotiate our way forward in a minority situation.
Moderate and sensible independents with experience are critical for a successful Parliament.
Based on my experience, I will only act in the best interests of my electorate of Clark in providing confidence and supply. I have no preference for either major party but will be interested in negotiating with either who is willing to move on their position and particularly the cost to the taxpayer.
Why you, why now?
After overwhelming support from the community, it was not a difficult decision to stand as I love representing my community.
I am never afraid to speak up and ensure the views of my constituents in Clark are heard.
I hope that my reputation for working hard in my electorate will be remembered along with my honesty, openness, and integrity.
Jaggs Goldsmith – independent
Political background:
I am a genuine independent – I have never run for office before and until a few weeks, ago, I had no intention of doing so.
I have been motivated to stand in this election, for Clark, because I believe that the Arts sector, and all who work in it – actors like me, but graphic designers, writers, screen professionals, musicians, and on and on – have been taken for granted for as long as I can remember.
Arts workers, and the cultural product of their work, are utterly integral to the way we understand ourselves, and how we relate to each other. It’s time the Arts were part of the conversation at the beginning, and not just mentioned in passing after decisions have been made.
The Arts are my constituency, and I plan to speak for them, and make them heard.
About you, personally:
I am a married father of one, and actor by trade, and a supporter of all the Arts by inclination. I grew up in Sorell, went to school in Rokeby, and I have worked all kinds of jobs all across Tasmania.
I am not a politician – far from it – but I do think it’s time that the decisions that affect all of us be made by people who reflect us a community.
Your electorate and its key issues?
My electorate, the voters I hope will support me, are the people who know the intangible value of art and creativity.
Unless and until we embed a recognition of, and a commitment to, cultural endeavours and artistic expression right across the services and projects of Government, we will continue to be told the cost of everything, whilst recognising the value of nothing. Health, education, disability services – all of these can and would benefit from deeper and better-resourced arts and culture engagement.
I am open to be persuaded of the merits of policies across the spectrum, and I intend to assess them against their cultural value whilst not losing sight of their economic importance.
In the House:
One of the motivations for my candidacy for Clark is the seemingly unrelenting erosion of democratic processes in this State.
From planning ‘reform’ that robs communities of their power to speak about development, to a stadium that feels like it has been imposed without consultation, to justice policy that seems more concerned with punishment than reformation, we have lost our sense of public good, and are too focused on private benefit. Inclusion of arts work across the spectrum of government opens the door to seeing other perspectives.
Building and empowering community cohesion through the Arts will be the primary focus of my time, should I be elected, and it is through that lens that I will consider questions and proposals as they are put to the House.
Will you provide confidence and supply to a party which is proceeding with a stadium as a policy position?
Confidence and supply are in the gift of the members elected to the House, and it would be presumptuous of me to commit my support hypothetically.
The next parliament is likely to continue to push for a new stadium regardless, since both the major parties are supportive, and as a single independent member, my ability to influence that specific project will be close to zero.
Any discussions I may have with either side on the subject of confidence and supply, I believe, are therefore unlikely to include the Stadium, and my considerations will be focused on getting the best possible outcomes for the arts and cultural sectors I seek to represent.
Why you, why now?
If Parliament is to be truly representative of the people it governs, it ought to be made up of ordinary people who seek the best balanced outcome for everyone. I carry no baggage into this election, and I owe no-one a favour. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.
It’s time for a fresh voice – it’s time to Vote 1, Jags Goldsmith.
No information received on other independent and minor party candidates.
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user-friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories
