The Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party has chosen a senior adviser to Premier Jeremy Rockliff to replace outgoing Senator Wendy Askew, the ABC reported on Saturday. The party also preselected former state minister Sarah Courtney to fill the Senate position currently held by Jonno Duniam, who is set to retire from politics at the end of the year.
The preselection decision, made on Saturday, resolves who will fill the two casual vacancies and contest the next federal election for the party.
Senator Askew announced in June her intention not to recontest her seat, with political analyst Dr Kevin Bonham reporting she was expected to resign in the coming weeks. Senator Duniam, who has been a senator since 2016, also announced in June that he would be leaving federal parliament. His departure is expected by the end of 2026.
According to reporting from the ABC, Ms Courtney, a former minister in the Gutwein government, was selected to replace Senator Duniam.
The successful candidate to replace Senator Askew was reported by the ABC to be an adviser to Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Political commentary from July 2026 identified Chris Gatenby, a Senior Advisor to the Premier, as a candidate in the preselection race.
The upcoming vacancies mean Tasmania will send two new Liberal senators to Canberra ahead of the next federal election, which is anticipated in or before 2028. The new senators will serve the remainder of the current terms before facing the voters.
The original reporting on this preselection result can be found on the ABC News website.