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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Dennis Hood

Dennis Hood

Liberal Party · South Australia · South Australian Legislative Council · Statewide (SA) · incumbent

Early life & education encyclopedia

Dennis Garry Edward Hood was born on 12 January 1970 in Woodside, South Australia, and was raised in Salisbury; his father held three jobs and his mother, who is blind, worked as a meat packer. He holds a Bachelor of Economics with honours in politics and philosophy and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics.

Elected 2022 · SA Legislative Council Dennis HOOD (Liberal Party) was declared elected 5th of 11 at the 2022 South Australian State election. [ECSA results]

Sourced positions

Each position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. The badge says what kind of source backs it — official record (Hansard, a parliament, a government or an electoral commission), own statement (their own site or their party's), news report (journalism or a third-party organisation) or encyclopedia. That is a statement about the evidence, not about how much we believe it. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

AyeNoPairedDid not vote

Faith & religion encyclopedia

Hood converted to Christianity at age 19 and continues to attend church regularly; in 2011 he said his anti-prostitution beliefs were consistent with his Christian feminist positions.

Economy & tax recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

  • ✓Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) (Amendment of Indenture) Amendment BillRatifies a new agreement between the State and BHP for the Olympic Dam mine, replacing much of the 1982 indenture so BHP can expand copper mining, smelting and refining there. The mine will be regulated mainly under the Mining Act, its environment protection applications go to the Environment Protection Authority, and it has a pathway to move to the current Aboriginal Heritage Act. Its special mining lease grows by about 51,352 hectares. Water extraction from Great Artesian Basin Wellfield A ends by 2036. BHP must give financial assurance for rehabilitation and pays royalties under the Mining Act unless the State and BHP agree otherwise, and after three years it funds any Roxby Downs council deficit. A hybrid bill, referred to a select committee after its second reading in the House.Second reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading thus carried; bill read a second time. 14–216 Jun 2026 ↗

Abortion & reproductive policy recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

  • ✓Termination of Pregnancy (Restrictions on Terminations After 24 Weeks and 6 Days) Amendment BillA private member's bill from Sarah Game (Family First). As introduced, it restricts terminations of pregnancy after 24 weeks and 6 days of gestation, with an exemption for a procedure necessary to save the woman's life. Unlike her 2025 bill, it has no exemption for foetal abnormalities. The Council amended it in committee before passing it.South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading Second reading thus carried; bill read a second time. 10–9 · Third reading Third reading thus carried; bill passed. 10–917 Jun 2026 ↗

Voluntary assisted dying news report

Voted against (Noe) the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill at its final reading in the SA Legislative Council on 5 May 2021 (the bill passed 14 votes to 7).

Gender & LGBTQ+ policy recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

  • ✓Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) (Childhood Gender Dysphoria) Amendment BillA private member's bill from Cory Bernardi (One Nation). Makes it an offence for a registered health practitioner to prescribe or administer puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or other prescribed drugs to a person under 18 to treat gender dysphoria. Treatment begun before the law takes effect is not affected, nor are these drugs' uses for other conditions such as precocious puberty or disorders of sex development.Second reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading thus negatived. 8–112 Sep 2026 ↗
  • ✗Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration (Birth Certificates) Amendment BillA private member's bill from Robert Simms (Greens). Lets each parent choose to be described as "mother", "father" or "parent" on their child's birth certificate. At present only the birth mother can be registered as a mother; her partner is registered as "father" or, otherwise, "co-parent".Second reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading thus carried; bill read a second time. 11–103 Jun 2026 ↗

Religious freedom encyclopedia

In 2007 Hood defended prayer in parliament; in 2009 he rejected the Greens' call to name religious schools that discriminate on sexual orientation; and in 2016 he proposed an amendment allowing medical professionals to refuse reproductive assistance to same-sex couples and single people.

Drugs & law and order news report

Hood has a long, publicly documented record opposing drug liberalisation and favouring enforcement. He has praised abstinence-based drug policy, pushed for tougher cannabis penalties (proposing in 2013 raising maximum fines for small grows), opposed medicinal cannabis arguing 'the harm outweighs the therapeutic benefits,' and advocated minimum sentences for repeat offenders.

First Nations & treaty recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

  • ✓First Nations Voice Repeal BillA private member's bill from Nicola Centofanti (Liberal, Leader of the Opposition). Repeals the First Nations Voice Act 2023, abolishing the First Nations Voice to Parliament established under it. The mover said the opposition would redirect its funding to programs for Aboriginal South Australians.Second reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading thus negatived. 9–1017 Jun 2026 ↗

Integrity & anti-corruption recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

  • ✗Local Government (Elections) (Periodic Elections) Amendment BillMoves South Australia's council elections from November 2026 to April 2027, with voting closing on 7 April 2027, and then to November 2031 and every four years after. Councillors stay in office until the 2027 elections, anything already done for the November 2026 elections is void, and voters enrolled after 1 January 2026 stay on the roll. The government brought it in after the Acting Electoral Commissioner advised a delay following problems at the March 2026 state election, which are under independent review.Third reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Third reading thus carried; bill passed. 10–725 Jun 2026 ↗

Health recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

  • ✓Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) (Childhood Gender Dysphoria) Amendment BillA private member's bill from Cory Bernardi (One Nation). Makes it an offence for a registered health practitioner to prescribe or administer puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or other prescribed drugs to a person under 18 to treat gender dysphoria. Treatment begun before the law takes effect is not affected, nor are these drugs' uses for other conditions such as precocious puberty or disorders of sex development.Second reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading thus negatived. 8–112 Sep 2026 ↗

Environment & water recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

  • ✓Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) (Amendment of Indenture) Amendment BillRatifies a new agreement between the State and BHP for the Olympic Dam mine, replacing much of the 1982 indenture so BHP can expand copper mining, smelting and refining there. The mine will be regulated mainly under the Mining Act, its environment protection applications go to the Environment Protection Authority, and it has a pathway to move to the current Aboriginal Heritage Act. Its special mining lease grows by about 51,352 hectares. Water extraction from Great Artesian Basin Wellfield A ends by 2036. BHP must give financial assurance for rehabilitation and pays royalties under the Mining Act unless the State and BHP agree otherwise, and after three years it funds any Roxby Downs council deficit. A hybrid bill, referred to a select committee after its second reading in the House.Second reading · South Australia · Legislative Council · Second reading thus carried; bill read a second time. 14–216 Jun 2026 ↗

Votes are shown as the official record lists them — Hansard federally and in New South Wales; Votes and Proceedings, Minutes of the Proceedings and Hansard in Victoria; the Record of Proceedings in Queensland; the Votes and Proceedings and Minutes of Proceedings in Western Australia; the Votes and Proceedings (House of Assembly) and Hansard (Legislative Council) in South Australia; the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers in Tasmania. "Did not vote" means the member held the seat that day and is on neither list — the record says who was in the chamber, not why, so it is never an abstention. Western Australia’s record prints no pairs, so a member paired there shows as did not vote. Nothing is shown for a presiding officer who by law gives only a casting vote (the Speaker and the President in South Australia, the President in Tasmania), nor for the member presiding at a Tasmanian division, which Tasmania’s journals record. Which bills sit under which issue is an editorial choice, made bill by bill with a reason read from the second-reading speech. A bill decided by an earlier parliament (Queensland’s 2018 abortion law reform, for one) is shown with that parliament named, read from the official record of the day. For Queensland and the federal parliament “did not vote” there means the member held a seat that day, as their service is recorded; for the other earlier parliaments the record of who held a seat could not be read, so only the printed Aye, No and paired votes are shown.

Record last updated 2026-10-27.