The result of Saturday’s election in Tasmania is not expected until August 2, with the state facing a hung parliament.  

The Liberals are ahead, with the ABC calling 14 of 35 seats for Jeremy Rockliff’s party, indicating he will need support from four crossbenchers to form government.

That would result in a similar make-up to that before the election. The Liberals have been in power 11 years.

Labor has nine seats, the Greens five and independents four, and three seats remain in doubt. The counting of postal votes is not scheduled to begin until Thursday.  

If they win, the Liberals plan to establish a government general insurer called TasInsure.It would be “cheaper and easier to access than anything else in the market”, Mr Rockliff says, promising to save households $250 a year and small businesses 20% on premiums.  

Initial products could include home and contents, small business, community groups and events, and farm covers.

The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party appears likely to claim its first seat, in Lyons, while anti-salmon farm campaigner Peter George, in the seat of Franklin, will join what could be a 10-member crossbench. 

Independents Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland have been re-elected. Both recently voted no confidence in Mr Rockliff, who was under siege over a budget deficit and failure to deliver an adequate berth in Devonport for two new Bass Strait ferries, which had to be moved to a port in Scotland.