By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of Tasmania to be premier and principal adviser.

[2] Since 8 April 2022, the premier of Tasmania has been Jeremy Rockliff, leader of the Liberal Party, which holds 14 of the 35 seats in the House of Assembly.

Before the 1890s, there was no formal party system in Tasmania.

Party labels before that time indicate a general tendency only.

The current convention of appointing the premier from the House of Assembly did not develop until the late 19th century, with eight premiers appointed from the Legislative Council (the last being Philip Fysh from 1887 to 1892).