Australia’s federal parliament has welcomed a new representative from Tasmania, with former senior Liberal Party staffer Chris Gatenby formally sworn in to fill a vacant Senate seat on Monday morning. His appointment comes as the conservative Tasmanian Liberal branch navigates a period of leadership transition, triggered by the recent announced departures of two long-serving Tasmanian senators from national politics.
Gatenby’s path to the Senate began earlier this month, when he was tapped to replace outgoing Senator Wendy Askew. At the time of his selection, he was serving as a senior adviser to Tasmanian state Premier Jeremy Rockliff, bringing deep experience in both state and federal politics to the new role. This is not Gatenby’s first foray into elected politics: he previously ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives seat of Bass in the 2025 federal election, and built his career over years of senior advisory roles for federal Liberal figures, including a stint as chief of staff for former federal sports minister Richard Colbeck.
The vacancy that Gatenby fills is one of two Senate departures from Tasmania’s Liberal parliamentary contingent. In addition to Askew’s exit, prominent Coalition frontbencher Jonno Duniam announced his plans to step down back in June, bringing a close to 25 years of public service. In his June statement, Duniam explained that his decades in politics had required placing his career ahead of family life, and it was time to reverse those priorities. “Twenty-five years is a long time in any vocation and, when you take your role seriously, it always comes first,” Duniam said. “It is time I reversed my priorities and I can’t do that if I am to stay in politics.”
Along with taking up the vacant Senate seat immediately, Gatenby has been selected to lead the Tasmanian Liberal Party’s Senate election ticket for the 2028 federal contest. Joining him on the ticket will be Sarah Courtney, a former senior Tasmanian state minister who led the island state’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Jacki Martin, a sitting Latrobe local government councillor.
Tasmania’s sitting Liberal Senator Claire Chandler publicly welcomed Gatenby’s preselection earlier this month, praising his decades of experience delivering outcomes across diverse policy portfolios. A father of two, Gatenby brings a pragmatic, problem-focused approach to the federal Parliament, Chandler said. “He will bring his pragmatic, solutions-oriented mind to the Liberal senate ticket,” she noted. “I have no doubt Chris, Sarah, and Jacki will work hard to ensure success for the Liberal Party’s Tasmanian team at the next federal election.”
The swearing-in of Gatenby stabilizes the Liberal Party’s Senate representation for Tasmania as the party prepares for upcoming national electoral contests, following a period of transition prompted by two high-profile retirements from long-serving incumbents.