Tasmania First Party is a minor Australian political party which operates exclusively in the state of Tasmania . The party was begun by members of the Tasmanian Firearms Owners Association in response to the Howard Government 's 1996 National Firearms Agreement , which the party called a " unilateral imposition of unnecessarily restrictive firearm legislation , following the unique tragedy of Martin Bryant 's Port Arthur protest '' sic '' . " Tasmania First contested its first election in August 1998 , the Tasmanian state election . The party received 5.1 % of the primary vote for the House of Assembly but failed to win any seats . Tasmania First subsequently contested the Australian federal elections in 1998 and 2001 , as well as Tasmanian state elections in 2002 and 2006 , but its primary vote in these elections was very modest compared to the party 's initial effort in 1998 . The Australian Electoral Commission ( AEC ) deregistered Tasmania First as a registered political party on 28 April 2006 , because the party had not contested a federal election in over four years ( an AEC requirement , which must be met if parties are to retain their registration at the national level )
Port Arthur protest
Port Arthur massacre (Australia)
Tasmania First Party