Peter George

Peter Antony George (born 1951) is an Australian politician and member for Franklin in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. He received the highest primary vote of all Franklin candidates at the 2025 Tasmanian state election.

George had previously contested the 2025 federal election as an independent candidate for the federal seat of Franklin. He received 42.2% of the two-candidate-preferred vote.

Personal life George was born in 1951 to an Australian mother and British father. After living in several countries, his family settled in Sydney when he was 15.

George settled in Cygnet, Tasmania in recent years, following his retirement. He became a prominent voice in local opposition to salmon farming, taking on the role of President of Neighbours of Fish Farming (NOFF). His environmental advocacy gained attention after a major salmon die-off in 2025, prompting his decision to run for federal parliament as an independent in the seat of Franklin. He engaged with political figures like Yasser Arafat, Khalil al-Wazir, Intissar al-Wazir, Margaret Thatcher and Shimon Peres.

George wrote about his experience as a Foreign Correspondent in his book Behind the Lines: The Personal Story of an ABC Foreign Correspondent.

George is strongly opposed to salmon farming in Tasmania, citing the environmental damage they allegedly cause and the risk to endangered species. On election night, he explained, "We have to stop the decimation of our waterways by the multinational salmon farms. We have to stop supporting them, and we have to stop the expansion into our waters". Protecting native forests from logging companies is another of George's priorities.

Another focus was modification to Tasmania's Integrity Commission, which he views as ineffective in its current state. George believes, "We all need to agree on a properly financed Integrity Commission that's able to do its job and restore Tasmanians' faith in their government".

George opposed the Falklands War, suggesting the conflict was one that "need never had started in the first place".

George has been critical of both of the Tasmanian Liberal and Labor parties, who he sees as both having caused the early 2025 election due to their unwillingness to cooperate with the Greens and other crossbenchers to form minority government. "If neither of the [two major parties] can speak to the crossbench, that is their problem, it is not the problem of the crossbench, nor will it be the problem of the Greens."