Dean Winter

Winter was born in Queenstown on Tasmania's West Coast where his father Murray worked as a miner for the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company. Winter's parents met in Queenstown where his mother Margaret worked as a nurse at the Queenstown hospital. Margaret Winter is a descendant of William and Susanna Powell who, after arriving in Tasmania around 1850, married and settled in Deloraine. Their son Francis moved to Queenstown in 1896 to work at Mount Lyell, before his son, and Winter's grandfather Les also worked at Mount Lyell.

The family moved to Hobart when Dean was five.

He suffered from a serious stutter as a child. The impairment was so bad his family travelled to Brisbane to seek specialist help, living in a caravan for six weeks.{{Cite web | url=https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/house-of-assembly/inaugural/iswintermp | title=Parliament of Tasmania - Dean Winter MP Inaugural Speech | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240410140028/https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/house-of-assembly/inaugural/iswintermp | archive-date=2024-04-10}}

Winter attended St Aloysius Catholic College, St Virgil's College and the University of Tasmania. While at University, Winter undertook a cadetship at the Department of Treasury and Finance.

Winter's first job at the age of 15 was working as a service station attendant after being hired by Liberal Minister Nic Street's father. He later worked as a deli assistant at Woolworths.{{cite news |last1=Bailey |first1=Sue |title=Labor leader Dean Winter opens up about his highs and lows |url=https://archive.today/20240512023912/https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/labor-leader-dean-winter-opens-up-about-his-highs-and-lows/news-story/553bbe9e0ec88621144db0ac25cd04be |access-date=12 May 2024 |work=The Mercury (Hobart) |date=12 May 2024}}

Winter was hired as an electorate officer for Labor MP and Tasmanian treasurer Michael Aird. He then worked in the Tasmanian Government Media Office before taking a role with Federal Labor MP Julie Collins.{{Cite web | url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-winter-mp-84893652/details/experience/ | title=Experience {{!}} Dean Winter | website=www.linkedin.com}}{{self-published source | date=August 2024}}

He subsequently became the chief executive officer of TasICT, the peak body representing Tasmania's ICT sector. This coincided with the National Broadband Network rollout in Tasmania which subsequently became an issue in Tasmania at the 2013 Australian federal election. Winter and TasICT argued the Tasmanian rollout should be completed using Fibre to the Premises (FttP) technology, while the Coalition had already announced it would use a mix of technologies, including Fibre to the Node (FttN), which they said would be easier and more affordable to deploy.{{cite news |title=Turnbull clarifies Coalition's plan for superfast internet access in Tasmania |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-16/tasmanian-towns-warned-about-nbn-under-the-coalition/4891906 |access-date=7 June 2021 |work=ABC News |date=16 August 2013}}

Following the 2018 Tasmanian state election, Winter was appointed senior economic adviser to Opposition leader Rebecca White.{{cite news |last1=Whitson |first1=Rhiana |last2=Coulter |first2=Ellen |title=Labor left faction moves to have Rebecca White adviser ousted for not holding party 'values' |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-11/tasmanian-labor-left-moves-for-staffer-dean-winter-removal/10224998 |access-date=12 May 2021 |work=ABC News |date=11 September 2018}}

Following an unsuccessful candidacy for the Electoral division of Hobart at the 2012 Tasmanian Legislative Council periodic election, Winter successfully contested the Kingborough Council election for the position of Councillor in 2014. The Labor Left faction attempted to censure Winter later in 2018, due to comments Winter made around Kingborough Council's behaviour being "authoritarian" in regards to an overturned decision that was made to destroy a dog, which were interpreted as anti-worker. Winter said that his criticism was aimed "at the leadership of council, not its staff". The censure attempt was unsuccessful, with White intervening to stop the issue from being addressed at the party conference. Winter ultimately won the Kingborough mayoral election, held later that year, with 61.93% of the vote becoming youngest Kingborough Mayor ever.{{cite news |last1=Whitson |first1=Rhiana |title=Tasmanian council elections: Reynolds new mayor of Hobart, as Christie brings up the rear |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-31/tasmania-council-early-results/10447508 |access-date=12 May 2021 |work=ABC News |date=31 October 2018}}

At the 2021 Tasmanian state election, Winter was endorsed as one of the Labor candidates. He was initially denied preselection in the seat of Franklin for the 2021 Tasmanian state election, with the Labor Left rumoured to be opposed to him becoming a candidate. Former Labor premier David Bartlett labelled Winter an "outstanding candidate", and that by not preselecting him, Labor was effectively conceding the election.{{cite news |last1=MacDonald |first1=Lucy |last2=Langenberg |first2=Adam |title=Factional infighting results in popular Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter being denied Labor preselection |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-27/tasmanian-election-dean-winter-preselection-labor-party-split/13278624 |access-date=31 March 2021 |work=ABC News |date=28 March 2021}} Former Premiers Paul Lennon{{cite news |last1=Bailey |first1=Sue |title=Former premier Paul Lennon throws his support behind Dean Winter |url=https://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/former-premier-paul-lennon-throws-his-support-behind-dean-winter-and-janie-finlay/news-story/76f4163cc0102869e62e5abb7edfabe8 |access-date=7 June 2021 |work=The Mercury (Hobart) |date=26 March 2021}} and Lara Giddings{{cite news |last1=Compton |first1=Leon |title=He's Premier material and I think he will be one day': Lara Giddings says Dean Winter is part of the future of Tasmania and the Labor Party |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/hobart/programs/mornings/lara-giddings-says-dean-winter-is-premier-material/13279670 |access-date=7 June 2021 |work=ABC News |date=29 March 2021}} also expressed support for his candidacy.

Winter ended up being preselected as the sixth candidate for Franklin, following intervention from the party's national executive.{{cite news |last1=Langenberg |first1=Adam |title=Dean Winter announced as Labor's candidate for Franklin, after preselection row |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-06/dean-winter-to-become-tas-labors-sixth-candidate/100050778 |access-date=29 April 2021 |work=ABC News |date=6 April 2021}} Winter was ultimately elected as one of two Labor MPs in Franklin, beating incumbent MP Alison Standen, and outperforming then-Labor MP David O'Byrne.{{cite news |last1=Langenberg |first1=Adam |title=Tas election 2021: Peter Gutwein tops poll, claims Liberal victory |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-01/tasmanian-2021-state-election-liberals-head-for-majority-win/100084224 |access-date=12 May 2021 |work=ABC News |date=2 May 2021}}

Winter is aligned with Labor Right and is a member of the AWU.{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-05/awu-intervenes-over-tas-labor-dean-winter-snub/100048610 | title=National union body intervenes over Labor's snub of popular candidate | newspaper=ABC News | date=4 April 2021 }} Winter used to support privatisation in 2015, however by 2025 he opposes it.{{Cite news |date= |title=Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter defends party's opposition to privatisation after contradictory decade-old interview surfaces|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-12/tas-labor-dean-winter-privatisation-stance/105041632|access-date= |work=}}

Winter was elected unopposed to replace Rebecca White as Tasmanian Labor leader, following the party's defeat at the 2024 Tasmanian state election.

On becoming leader, Winter announced that the Tasmanian Labor Party would focus on policies that create and protect jobs.[https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/proindustry-mp-dean-winter-to-lead-tasmanian-labor-promising-focus-on-jobs/news-story/a5d2832d49625806563f7cb33b1807cc&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=LOW-Segment-1-SCORE&V21spcbehaviour=append Unknown]{{Dead link|date=August 2024 | fix-attempted=yes}} He also changed the party's position on the controversial Macquarie Point Stadium project, saying that ″A stadium will mean thousands of jobs in construction, including hundreds of apprenticeships.″{{cite web | url=https://www.examiner.com.au/story/8626939/dean-winters-u-turn-on-hobart-stadium-sparks-backlash/ | title=Plenty of opposition to Tasmanian Labor's backflip on AFL stadium | date=13 May 2024 }}

Following his Budget Reply speech on June 3, 2025, Winter introduced a motion of no confidence against Premier Jeremy Rockliff on June 4, 2025. Winter secured support from the Tasmanian Greens and three crossbench members: Craig Garland, Kristie Johnston, and Andrew Jenner. He rejected a Greens' amendment that referenced the economic impact of funding the Macquarie Point Stadium. The motion passed the House of Assembly 18-17 on June 5, 2025, with Labor Speaker Michelle O'Byrne casting the decisive vote. The supporting coalition comprised 10 Labor MPs, 5 Greens MPs, and the three crossbench members, while 14 Liberal MPs and 3 independents voted against the motion.{{Cite web |title=Votes and Proceedings No. 53 |date=4 June 2025 |url=https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/94095/v53-040625.pdf |publisher=Parliament of Tasmania, House of Assembly |access-date=10 June 2025}}

The successful motion triggered speculation about Tasmania's fourth state election in seven years. On June 7, 2025, Greens' Leader Rosalie Woodruff wrote to Winter offering supply and confidence to enable him to form government, stating that ″Tasmanians don't want an election, and neither do the Greens.″{{Cite web |last=Woodruff |first=Rosalie |date=7 June 2025 |title=Greens Ready To Offer Labor Confidence and Supply |url=https://tasgreensmps.org/media-releases/greens-ready-to-offer-labor-confidence-and-supply/ |website=Tasmanian Greens MPs |access-date=10 June 2025}}

Winter married his wife, Allison, in 2014. He has one daughter, Harriet, and a son, George.

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Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Tasmania

Category:Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly

Category:21st-century Australian politicians

Category:Mayors of places in Tasmania

Category:Labor Right politicians

Category:Tasmanian local councillors