Tasmania – the corruption isle?
In short, no-one knows. Corruption is usually concealed, and valid metrics for Tasmania are scarce. Analysts might consult Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) which ranked Australia 14th of 180 countries in corruption control in 2023, scoring 75 points of 100 (TI, 2024). However, the CPI gives a single score for a country and does not disaggregate at regional or state level, which may mask or fail to capture what is going on in some areas.
Elite Cartel corruption in Tasmania – the nature of the game
In this second post on Tasmania, Robyn A. Lewis and Professor Michael Johnston examine corruption in Australia’s smallest state through the lens of the Elite Cartel syndrome, highlighting its sources and continued dominance.
Tasmania’s Hidden Tax: Elite Cartel Corruption and Its Real Costs
Australia’s island state Tasmania faces another cluster of economic, social and environmental crises. Despite intermittent growth, Tasmania remains Australia’s poorest, least dynamic state. In 2023-24, GSP per capita was A$70,679, 73% of Australia’s per capita GDP (DTF, 2024). Tasmania’s projected debt position is A$13billion (DTF, 2025a) largely accrued since 2020 (Eslake, 2025b).
Reforming Governance and the Quiet Capture of Democracy in Tasmania
In this final blog in a 4-part series on Elite Cartels in Tasmania, Robyn A. Lewis and Michael Johnston draw on experiences elsewhere to suggest potential anti-corruption reforms.
Elite3 Cartels (ECs) operate subtly – often legally and opaquely – contributing to Tasmania’s long, slow decline in economic vitality, politics, civil society, and the environment.