Lara Alexander

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Lara Alexander

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| office = Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Bass

| term_start = 25 February 2022

| term_end = 23 March 2024

| predecessor = Sarah Courtney

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1967|7|13}}

| birth_place = Bucharest, Romania

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| party = Independent (2023–2024)

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| otherparty = Liberal (until 2023)

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Lara Maria Alexander (born 13 July 1967){{cite Tas Parliament |id=alexander_L_HA_803 |title=Lara Alexander |access-date=26 July 2022}} is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the division of Bass since 2022, serving as a member for the Liberal Party before moving to the crossbench as an independent in 2023.

Alexander was born in Romania.{{cite news |last1=Bovill |first1=Monte |title=From low profile MPs to headline grabbers — who are Lara Alexander and John Tucker? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-14/who-are-rogue-mps-lara-alexandere-john-tucker/102341438 |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=ABC News |date=13 May 2023}} She is an accountant and holds a Bachelor of Economic Studies (Honours). She was general manager of Presbyterian Care Tasmania and in 2018 became chief executive officer of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Tasmania.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/tas/2021/guide/bass|title=Bass - TAS Electorate, Candidates, Results|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|date=2021|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} She was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Bass at the 2021 Tasmanian state election, and complained during the campaign of being prevented from speaking publicly by Liberal Party headquarters.{{cite news|url=https://www.examiner.com.au/story/7205781/cookie-cutter-candidates-liberals-gag-bass-hopeful/|title=Lara Alexander's Liberal Bass campaign complains of 'complete control' from party in Hobart|last=Holmes|first=Adam|date=13 April 2021|newspaper=The Examiner}} In February 2022 she filled the vacancy caused by Sarah Courtney's resignation, winning a recount of votes.{{cite web|url=https://www.tec.tas.gov.au/House_of_Assembly_Elections/Recounts/Results/2022/Bass-recount-220225.pdf?t=2104|title=Courtney recount scrutiny sheets|publisher=Tasmanian Electoral Commission}}

On 12 May 2023, ABC News reported that Alexander, alongside fellow Liberal John Tucker, would leave the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, in part due to concerns related to the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium project.{{cite news |last1=Pridham |first1=Bec |title=Tasmania's Liberal government to be thrown into minority as MPs defect over $715 million AFL stadium in Hobart |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-12/tasmania-liberal-government-in-minority-mps-defect-over-stadium/102333446 |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=ABC News |date=12 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511234223/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-12/tasmania-liberal-government-in-minority-mps-defect-over-stadium/102333446 |archive-date=11 May 2023 |url-status=live}} This left the Liberal party in minority government and requiring 7 seats to reach a majority in the next state election. At the next state election held in March 2024, Alexander lost her seat.{{cite news |title=Lara Alexander speaks after defeat in Tasmanian election |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-23/lara-alexander-speaks-after-defeat/103624666 |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=ABC News |date=23 March 2024 |language=en-AU}}