Damian Hale

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Damian Francis Hale (born 1969, Ipswich, Queensland) is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Solomon since the 2007 federal election. He moved to the Northern Territory in 1974 and grew up in Maningrida, Katherine and Darwin, with his teacher parents, Bob and Bev Hale.

While growing up he was actively involved in sports, representing the Northern Territory in rugby league and Australian rules football.[1] He later coached St Marys Football Club to three premierships (2003-5[2]) in the Northern Territory Football League. He is married to Jennifer McLennan, a Larrakia woman[3] and traditional owner of the land around Darwin, they have five children together.[1]

He currently works as head coach of the Australian rules program at the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, and is keenly involved the development of the junior and youth footballers of the Territory.

Hale won the marginal seat of Solomon for the Australian Labor Party at the 2007 Australia federal election, defeating sitting Country Liberal Party member Dave Tollner. [4] Hale won an extremely close preselection process which included a letter of support from Labor leader Kevin Rudd despite Rudd having never met Hale, [3] revelations that he was only been in the party for less than six months at the time of preselection, his views on abortion and factional unrest at balloting irregularities.

In June 2007 Hale was involved in an altercation with Fremantle Football Club player Chris Tarrant in a popular Darwin nightspot. Hale received a black eye when he was struck by Tarrant after intervening when the inebriated Tarrant exposed his buttocks to a female colleague of Hale.[5][6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b ALP Profile
  2. ^ Rex Nixon (2007-10-19). Northern Territory Football League - Premiership Placings 1971/2 to 2006/7. Full Points Footy. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  3. ^ a b Black and white labor; The Bulletin; 1 February 2007
  4. ^ "Labor wins Solomon", ABC, 11 December 2007. 
  5. ^ Tarrant investigated over nightclub scuffle; ABC News (Australia); 18 June 2007
  6. ^ Tarrant faces fine, ban; The West Australian; 19 June 2007
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Dave Tollner		 Member for Solomon
2007 – present		 Incumbent
v • d • e
Labor
Annette Ellis · Damian Hale · Bob McMullan · Warren Snowdon