Neil Andrew

John Neil Andrew, AO (born 7 June 1944), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1983 to October 2004, representing the Division of Wakefield, South Australia. He was born in Waikerie, South Australia, and was a horticulturalist before entering politics.

Andrew was a Councillor in the District Council of Waikerie from 1976–83, before being elected to the House of Representatives in the 1983 federal election.^[1]

Having been for 15 years a little-known Liberal backbencher, Andrew became Speaker of the House after the October 1998 elections. Some parliamentarians regarded his interventions during debates as heavy-handed and his remarks from the chair as sometimes pompous. Along with Leo McLeay, Andrew was one of only two Speakers (as of 2007) to be subjected to a motion of no confidence. In neither case was the motion successful.

Andrew presided over the House during the special sitting in May 2001 to mark the centenary of the Parliament of Australia, which met in the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, as did the first Parliament in 1901. Following a redistribution which in most commentators' opinions made his electorate unwinnable (although in fact the Liberal Party retained it), Andrew announced his retirement from politics at the 2004 elections. He remained Speaker until David Hawker was elected to succeed him on 16 November.

Andrew was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2008 Australia Day awards.^[2]

References

External links

• Daily Hansard with dispute over above division (PDF)