title: 2012 Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic election
text: # 2012 Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic election
  
  Periodic elections for the Tasmanian Legislative Council were held on 5 May 2012. The two seats up for election were Hobart, held by retiring Labor MLC Doug Parkinson, and Western Tiers, held by independent MLC Greg Hall. These seats were last contested (under different names) in 2006.
  
  ## Hobart
  
  The seat of Hobart, formerly known as Wellington, had been held by Doug Parkinson for the Labor Party since 1994; his retirement left Derwent MLC Craig Farrell as the only remaining Labor MLC. As his replacement Labor preselected Dean Winter, a party researcher and staffer for federal MP Julie Collins. His main competition was Rob Valentine, Lord Mayor of Hobart from 1999 to 2011, who was running as an independent candidate. Secondary school teacher Penelope Ann was selected by the Greens, while other independent candidates included engineering consultant James Sugden, former Liberal preselection candidate Paul Hiscutt (who contested Wellington in 2006, and whose father Hugh was an MLC from 1983 to 1995) and serial candidate John Forster.
  
  ### Hobart Results
  
  Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic elections, 2012: Hobart :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | Rob Valentine | 6,646 | 37.0 | +37.0 |
  | | Greens | Penelope Ann | 3,935 | 22.6 | –7.4 |
  | | Labor | Dean Winter | 3,347 | 19.2 | −18.2 |
  | | Independent | James Sugden | 2,356 | 13.5 | +13.5 |
  | | Independent | Paul Hiscutt | 768 | 4.4 | –2.8 |
  | | Independent | John Forster | 547 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 17,399 | 96.9 | +0.2 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 550 | 3.1 | –0.2 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,949 | 75.8 | |
  | Two-party-preferred result ||||||
  | | Independent | Rob Valentine | 10,617 | 62.5 | +62.5 |
  | | Greens | Penelope Ann | 6,376 | 37.5 | +0.2 |
  | | Independent gain from Labor | Independent gain from Labor | Swing | N/A | |
  
  ## Western Tiers
  
  The seat of Western Tiers, renamed from Rowallan in 2006, had been held since 2001 by independent Greg Hall. His only opponent for re-election was another independent candidate, John Hawkins, an antiques dealer and environmental campaigner.
  
  ### Western Tiers Results
  
  Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic elections, 2012: Western Tiers :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | Greg Hall | 13,233 | 73.3 | -8.6 |
  | | Independent | John Hawkins | 4,823 | 26.7 | +26.7 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 18,056 | 94.4 | -0.2 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,080 | 5.6 | +0.2 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,136 | 81.5 | |
  | | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | -8.6 | |
  