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Portrait of Bridget Archer

Bridget Archer

Liberal Party · Tasmania · Tasmanian House of Assembly · Bass (TAS) · incumbent

Bridget Kathleen Archer was born on 18 May 1975 in Hobart, Tasmania, to a teenage mother, and was adopted as a six-week-old baby by bank workers Barry and Marian Whelan. After her adoptive parents separated and her adoptive father died, she moved to Ravenswood, a Launceston suburb, to live with her mother. She was expelled from Launceston Grammar and failed Year 12, but was later admitted to the University of Tasmania (initially dropping out), worked at the Tasmanian Herbarium as a botanical curator (1995-1999) and in casual administrative/hospitality jobs including at the 2000 Summer Olympics, before returning to complete a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science and a graduate certificate in international politics. [source]

Sourced positions

A verified position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

Voluntary assisted dying verified

Stated position: as Tasmanian Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Bridget Archer said in April 2026 that 'Tasmanians should have the right to make their own choices at the end-of-life, including access to voluntary assisted dying supported by registered health practitioners if they are eligible,' announcing public consultation on the statutory review of the End-of-Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021. (She was not a member of the Tasmanian Parliament at the time of the 2020-21 vote.)

Gender & LGBTQ+ policy verified

In February 2022, as federal MP, Archer crossed the floor over the religious discrimination bill; she said she was "horrified" that proposed protections would not extend "to children who identify as transgender" and "utterly distressed by this exclusion," and said she could not support the bill in that form. (Stated position/floor-crossing.)

Religious freedom verified

As federal member for Bass, Archer said in 2022 she could not support the Commonwealth Religious Discrimination Bill, arguing its Statement of Belief provisions would 'allow for discrimination to happen' and would override Tasmania's existing 'gold standard' anti-discrimination laws, while stating there 'absolutely should be freedom from discrimination for all people, including people of faith.' Stated position.

Drugs & law and order verified

Stated position: As Health Minister, Archer ruled out drug decriminalisation in June 2026, saying 'We won't be decriminalising illicit drugs, which cause significant harm in our community,' adding that Tasmania's focus remains on harm minimisation through supply, demand and harm-reduction strategies.

Health verified

Tasmanian Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Ageing and Aboriginal Affairs (Rockliff Liberal government, sworn in August 2025 after the July 2025 state election). Emphasises record elective-surgery delivery - over 22,500 elective surgeries in 2024-25 (a 46.1% increase over pre-elective-surgery-plan levels) - and increased health-system transparency, including daily publication of ambulance response times and elective-surgery wait-list reporting from early 2026, plus a Tasmanian Midwifery Workforce Strategy.

Record last updated 2026-08-13.