Former Liberal senator Eric Abetz is set to make a political comeback after winning pre-selection for the state-based seat of Franklin in Tasmania.

The 66-year-old conservative was selected by party members to be one of their candidates at the next state election.

Tasmania’s parliamentary system has five multi-member electorates, but at the next election the number of MPs in the parliament is set to grow with seven representatives been drawn from each area.

The Apple Isle is the only Australian state or territory to have a Liberal government, but due to the loss of several MP’s Premier Jeremy Rockliff leads a minority government. He’ll be hoping to increase his numbers at the next election to secure a more stable government.

The Liberals have been in power since 2014 when Will Hodgman led them to victory, he secured a second term in 2018. In 2020 Hodgman stood down and was replaced by Peter Gutwein.

The party secured a third term in 2021 but the following year Gutwein also called time on being premier and was replaced by current leader Jeremy Rockliff.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday Rockliff said he was proud to be taking an experienced team to voters at the election.

“I’m proud of our team, of our endorsed candidates to date, and we’re focused on what matters for all Tasmanians, and that’s teachers in our schools, police on the beat and jobs in rural and regional Tasmania,” he said.

Labor members have speculated that the inclusion of Abetz in the team may put Rockliff’s leadership in jeopardy.

“The last thing Jeremy Rockliff wants is Eric Abetz in his party room,” shadow attorney-general Ella Haddad said.

“If Mr Abetz is elected, it won’t be long before he has a crack at the party leadership with the support of people like hard right Michael Ferguson, Guy Barnett and Felix Ellis.”

Tasmania does not have set dates for elections. The next election must be held on or before 28th June 2025, but it’s expected that Rockcliff might be forced to the polls much earlier.

Abetz entered the federal parliament in 1994 filling a casual vacancy, he was elected in his own right at the 1998 election. From 2001 he served as the Special Minister for State in the Howard government, and was promoted to Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation in a 2006 re-shuffle.

While in opposition he was the Liberal’s Leader in the Senate, and in the Abbott government he was Minister for Employment. A staunch member of the Liberal party’s conservative right wing, Abetz was dropped from the cabinet when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came to power in 2015 and he spent the rest of his time in parliament on the back bench.

During his political career Abetz was a vocal opponent of marriage equality and the LGBTIQA+ communities. He was one of twelve senators who voted against the laws allowing same-sex couples to wed.

During the debate over marriage equality the Tasmanian senator said he had concerns that allowing same-sex couples to marry would lead to polyamory and people wanting to wed inanimate objects such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  He also once described the Pride flag as the flag of a hostile nation.

Eric Abetz has a close relationship with many conservative groups including the Australian Christian Lobby, the World Congress of Families, the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, of which he is a member, and the Australian Family Association.

His time in the Canberra came to a close at the 2021 election when party members bumped him down the ticket to an unwinnable position. His brother is Peter Abetz served in Western Australian parliament from 2008 until 2017. He is currently a councilor at the City of Gosnells, and the Western Australian state director of the Australian Christian Lobby.

Update: 30-01-2024 An earlier version of this article stated that Mr Abetz was a member of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, he is a member of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia. Mr Abetz has a close relationship with both organisations. 

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