Tasmania now has a majority of female MPs to its legislature

Tasmania has become the first state in Australian history to elect a majority of female MPs to its legislature. Thirteen women and 12 men have been elected to the House Of Assembly as counting is finalised in the state election which was held on March 3. The 13 women elected in this year’s vote is a significant step up from the 9 elected, the last time Tasmanians went to the polls in 2014. "It demonstrates to young women that a political future and leadership roles are attainable," Michelle O'Byrne, deputy leader of the opposition Labor party, told the BBC. Tasmania is an isolated island state off Australia's south coast.