John Quigley (politician)

John Robert Quigley LL.B. (born 1 December 1948) is an Australian barrister, solicitor and politician in Western Australia. A member of the Australian Labor Party, he has served as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from the 2001 election until the present, initially as the Member for Innaloo (2001–2005) until that seat's abolishment in an electoral redistribution, then as the Member for Mindarie.

Early life

He was born on 1 December 1948 in Perth, Western Australia, and was educated at Aquinas College, Perth.^[1] He was the lawyer for the Western Australian Police Union for 20 years before entering state parliament in 2001. He became an honorary life member of the union in 2000.^[1]

Politics

In 2007, his life membership of the Western Australian Police Union was withdrawn after his parliamentary attack on police involved with the Andrew Mallard case, where he named a former undercover policeman.^[1] He is planning to melt down his life membership badge, and have it made into a tiepin with the words "Veritas Vincit" (Truth conquers) the motto of the school he attended, and present it to Andrew Mallard.^[1]

In 2008, Quigley was cleared by the Corruption and Crime Commission in relation to dealings with lobbyist Brian Burke. Burke approached Quigley in order to launch a parliamentary enquiry that would favour one of Burke's associates.^[2]

In 2011, he was accused of bringing the legal profession into disrepute, a charge stemming from his campaign to expose the wrongful jailing of Andrew Mallard for murder.^[3] In November 2011 Quigley was fined $3000 by the State Administrative Tribunal for professional misconduct.^[4]

References