John Earle (15 November 1865 – 6 February 1932) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of Tasmania from 1914 to 1916 and also for one week in October 1909.

[1] In 1901, Earle chaired the conference which established the Workers' Political League (WPL), the predecessor of the modern Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch).

[2] Earle was defeated by three votes in the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Waratah at the 1903 state election.

In the House of Assembly the government relied on the vote of independent MP Joshua Whitsitt, and in the unreformed Legislative Council it had few supporters.

Its accomplishments including the extension of public secondary education, the nationalisation of the Waddamana hydroelectricity scheme, and the establishment of the state's first national parks, Mount Field and Freycinet.

He viewed the aim of the ALP as "true progressive liberalism" rather than socialism, and some of his policy positions had alienated more radical members of the party, notably his support for overseas conscription.

[1] In November 1916, during the nationwide party split over conscription, he announced his resignation from the ALP in an open letter, stating that "the movement has been corrupted by bodies of extremists, irresponsible and in some cases distinctly disloyal men, aided and abetted by the weakness, cowardice, and treachery of the officers of the organisation and members of the Parliamentary party obtaining control of the movement".

[2] In March 1917 Earle, who had by then joined the Nationalist Party of Australia, was elected by the Parliament of Tasmania to fill a vacancy in the Australian Senate.