Tony Rundle, who served as Tasmania’s Premier from 1996 until 1988 has died at the age of 86.
Rundle was the Premier when Tasmania became the last Australian state to decriminalise homosexuality.
A former journalist, he was elected to the seat of Braddon for the Liberal party in 1986, and remained in parliament until 2002, returned by voters on four occasions.
At the 1996 Premier Ray Groom vowed he would only lead a majority government. At the election the Liberals lost three seats and Groom stepped down.
Rundle was elected as his successor becoming the state’s 40th Premier after he formed an agreement with the Greens that allowed the Liberals to form a minority government.
During his term Rundle was under pressure to reduce the size of the parliament. The eventual reform meant it was harder for Greens members to be elected, causing a falling out with the smaller party.
With the knowledge that the Greens would launch a no-confidence vote in the government, Rundle called the 1998 election but was unable to retain power. He stayed on as Opposition leader until the following year.
While the Rundle government was only in power for a short period they are credited with the passage of gay law reforms, making an apology to the Stolen Generations and the handling of the Port Arthur Massacre.
The Liberal government had been opposed to decriminalising homosexual acts, and the laws in Tasmania were described as the harshest in the Western World. With growing activism calling for change under Rundle’s leadership the Liberal party relaxed their opposition, describing it as a conscience issue for individual members.
