Brendan Smyth (politician)

Brendan Smyth
Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 February 1998
Constituency Brindabella
Member of the Australian House of Representatives
In office
25 March 1995 – 2 March 1996
Preceded by Ros Kelly
Succeeded by Bob McMullan
Constituency Canberra
Personal details
Born 27 July 1959 (1959-07-27) (age 52)
Sydney, New South Wales
Nationality Australian
Political party Liberal Party of Australia
Website Canberra Liberals People: Brendan Smyth

Brendan Michael Smyth (born 27 July 1959) is a Liberal Party of Australia politician. From 2002 to 2006 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory. He retains his shadow previous portfolios of Health, Ageing, Business and Tourism at present. He represents the electorate of Brindabella.

Smyth was born in Sydney, but moved to Canberra in May 1969. He worked at the National Library of Australia until 25 March 1995, when he ran for the Liberal Party in a by-election for the federal House of Representatives seat of Canberra. Normally a safe Labor seat, its previous member Ros Kelly had left under a cloud, having been forced to resign her ministry a year earlier over the sports rorts affair, and Smyth received a 16.1% swing to claim the seat. At the Australian federal election on 2 March 1996, Smyth contested the new federal House of Representatives seat of Namadgi, even though it had been drawn with a notional Labor majority of 10.9 percent.[1] He was defeated by Annette Ellis in what proved to be the only gain by Labor in that election.[2]

He subsequently shifted to territory politics, winning election to the Legislative Assembly in the 1998 election representing the Tuggeranong-based multimember electorate of Brindabella.[3]

References

  1. ^ http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1996/1996repsact.txt
  2. ^ Green, Antony (2007). "Canberra (electorate)". Australia Votes 2007: Electorate profiles. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/canb.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-14. 
  3. ^ Newman, Gerard (1998). "Research Note 37 1997-98: Against The Odds: The 1998 ACT Election". Parliament of Australia: Parliamentary Library. http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn37.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-14. 

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Gary Humphries
Opposition Leader of the Australian Capital Territory
2002–2006
Succeeded by
Bill Stefaniak
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Ros Kelly
Member for Canberra
1995–1996
Succeeded by
Bob McMullan