Kristie Johnston Explained

Kristie Johnston
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Constituency Mp:Clark
Parliament:Tasmanian
Term Start:1 May 2021
Birth Date:1980 12, df=yes
Party:Independent

Kristie Joy Johnston (born 22 December 1980)[1] is an Australian politician. She was elected as the Mayor of City of Glenorchy in 2014 and 2018 and is an Independent member for the seat of Division of Clark, having been elected in the 2021 Tasmanian state election.

Political career

Johnston was first elected in 2014 as the mayor of the City of Glenorchy, winning 59% of the vote against incumbent mayor Stuart Slade.[2] In 2015, Johnston claimed that the city council had breached regulations by voting on making 16 employees redundant without her presence.[3] Federal independent MP for the Division of Denison, Andrew Wilkie, who endorsed Johnston for mayor, criticised this as "puerile behaviour", saying that some aldermen were "sore losers" and trying to create an impression of chaos under Johnston's mayoralty.[4] She was re-elected in 2018 as mayor, winning 86.4% of the vote.[5] [6]

In a press release on 27 February 2021, Johnston announced she would run for the seat of Clark in the next Tasmanian state election.[7] A snap election was ultimately called a month later, with the election date set for 1 May 2021.[8] After the counting of final preferences, Johnston won the final seat in Clark with 11% of the primary vote.[9] Johnston's win was the first time an independent candidate had won a seat in the House of Assembly since Bruce Goodluck in 1996.[10]

In March 2022 Johnston said of the Tasmanian Integrity Commission, that there is "snowball's chance in hell that this government will move to reform and strengthen the Integrity Commission in Tasmania".[11]

Johnston is currently providing the Rockliff Liberal Government with confidence and supply alongside all three members of the Jacqui Lambie Network and former-Labor leader and independent MP for Franklin, David O'Byrne.[12]

Notes and References

  1. johnston_k_HA_802 . Kristie Joy Johnston . 26 July 2022.
  2. News: Mayors dumped as local council Tas polls deliver sweeping change . 12 May 2021 . . 28 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232110/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-28/mayors-ousted-in-tas-local-government-elections/5848982 . 12 May 2021 . live.
  3. News: Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston urges fellow aldermen to reconsider restructure decision . 12 May 2021 . . 16 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232456/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-16/glenorchy-mayor-kristie-johnston-urges-against-sacking-workers/6322732 . 12 May 2021 . live.
  4. News: Denison MP Andrew Wilkie raises Glenorchy council's 'puerile behaviour' in Federal Parliament . 12 May 2021 . . 11 February 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232533/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-11/wilkie-takes-glenorcy-council-stoush-to-federal-parliament/6085124 . 12 May 2021 . live.
  5. News: Robertson . David . Kristie Johnston returns as Glenorchy Mayor after landslide council election victory . 12 May 2021 . . 16 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232533/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-16/kriste-johnston-to-don-mayoral-robes-for-glenorchy-again/9333806 . 12 May 2021 . live.
  6. Web site: Glenorchy City Council Election Results . . 12 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232719/https://www.tec.tas.gov.au/Local_Government_Elections/Glenorchy201718/Results.html . 12 May 2021 . live.
  7. News: Kristie Johnston To Run As Independent At Upcoming State Election . 12 May 2021 . Kristie Johnston . 27 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232720/https://kristiejohnston.com.au/2021/02/27/kristie-johnston-to-run-as-independent-at-upcoming-state-election/ . 12 May 2021 . live.
  8. News: Boseley . Matilda . Tasmania election 2021: Peter Gutwein sends state to early poll . 12 May 2021 . . 26 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232729/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/26/tasmania-election-2021-peter-gutwein-sends-state-to-early-poll . 12 May 2021 . live.
  9. News: Clark results - 2021 State election Tasmania . 12 May 2021 . . https://archive.today/20210512120935/https://www.tec.tas.gov.au/House_of_Assembly_Elections/StateElection2021/results/clark/index.html . 12 May 2021 . live.
  10. News: Tasmanian Liberals have won majority government, ABC's Antony Green says. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 May 2021. 12 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512232741/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-12/tasmanian-liberals-have-won-majority-government/100132058 . 12 May 2021 . live.
  11. News: 2022-03-10 . Little chance of any teeth for this corruption watchdog . en-AU . ABC News . 2022-12-22.
  12. News: 2024-04-24 . Premier Rockliff seals deals with key independents to prop up Tasmanian Liberal government . 2024-05-08 . ABC News . en-AU.