Bass electorate guide: Federal election 2025 candidates, results and margin

Bass has a history of swinging between the Labor and Liberal parties in the past three decades and the ALP will be hoping it is a seat they can win back in their favour in the 2025 election.

Bass is situated in Tasmania’s north east corner and includes the residential centre of Launceston. It also includes the islands in the Bass Strait such as the Flinders and the Cape Barren Islands.

The seat is held on a margin of just 1.4 per cent by moderate MP Bridget Archer although it is a whole percentage point safer than it was in the lead up to the 2022 election.

Ms Archer achieved a one point swing in her favour last year despite the national average swing of 3.7 per cent against the Coalition.

It has been 35 years since a party held on to Bass for three consecutive elections — the seat has had seven MPs since the turn of the century.

Ms Archer made deadlines while the Coalition was in government, repeatedly crossing the floor to vote against her party on issues like a federal integrity commission.

While taking a much more low-key approach this term, Ms Archer still has significant name recognition, especially among the Liberals moderate supporters.

She also crossed the floor in November to vote against the social media ban for under-16s, siding with crossbench MPs who were concerned at the speed the legislation was passed.

Her main challenger will be Launceston teacher Jess Teesdale for Labor.

Ms Teesdale was caught up in her views on ending native logging in the State when she told a radio interview in early April she’d like to see the Tasmanian state government end native forest logging.

Later that day the party clarified it was not changing its policy on native forestry logging.