Peter Gutwein

Peter Carl Gutwein (/ɡʌtwən/) (born 21 December 1964) is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly since 2002 representing the seat of Bass. On 20 January 2020, he replaced Will Hodgman as leader of the Liberal Party in Tasmania, and was sworn in as 46th Premier of Tasmania later that day.

Early life and career

Peter Gutwein was born in England in 1964, and raised in the village of Nunamara near Launceston, Tasmania. He was educated at Myrtle Park Primary School and Queechy High School in Launceston, and Deakin University in Melbourne.

A financial adviser (Dip Fin Planning, Grad Cert Bus Admin) he was a senior manager in the insurance and financial planning sector working throughout Australia and in Europe (Ireland).

Political career

Gutwein began his career in politics in 1995, when he was introduced to the former federal MP for Bass, Warwick Smith, who convinced him to join the Liberal Party and manage Smith's successful re-election campaign at the 1996 federal election. Following the election of the Howard Government, Gutwein worked for two years as a ministerial adviser to Senator Jocelyn Newman during her time as Minister for Social Security.

In July 2002, Gutwein was elected as a member for Bass at the state election. In August 2002, he joined opposition leader Rene Hidding's shadow cabinet, holding the portfolios of shadow treasurer, employment, and economic development. In December 2003, Gutwein became the first Tasmanian MP in five years to cross the floor when he voted for a bill proposed by the Tasmanian Greens to establish a commission of inquiry into child abuse, which saw Hidding strip him of his shadow portfolios. In April 2004 he became shadow minister for education, and police and public safety. When Will Hodgman led the Liberals to government at the 2014 state election, Gutwein was appointed as Treasurer of Tasmania, as well as minister for planning and local government. Until 2019, he held various other ministries including environment, parks and heritage; forestry; and state growth.

In April 2017, Gutwein was referred to the Legislative Council for contempt of parliament, following his refusal to provide an unredacted version of a report, The Sale of the Tamar Valley Power Station, to the Public Accounts Committee.

According to the Tasmanian Parliamentary Library, as of 2017 Gutwein had been suspended from parliament more than any other member, with 16 suspensions.

Premier of Tasmania

On 14 January 2020, Hodgman announced his intention to resign as Liberal leader and premier. Along with Michael Ferguson, Gutwein was considered a front-runner for the leadership contest, but was elected unopposed on 20 January, when Ferguson withdrew from the ballot. Gutwein was sworn in as the 46th Premier of Tasmania later that afternoon.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Gutwein announced on 19 March that all "non-essential" travellers to the state, including returning residents, would be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. On 6 May, Gutwein informed the public that Singapore had experienced 2,500 deaths related to COVID-19. Data from the Singapore Ministry of Health indicated the actual number of deaths related to COVID-19 up to the 6 May was actually 20.

Personal life

Gutwein lives in the Tamar Valley with his wife and two children. He is a qualified black belt instructor in the martial art of taekwondo.