Michael Townley (Australian politician)

Michael Townley
Senator for Tasmania
In office
1 July 1971 – 5 June 1987
Personal details
Born 4 November 1934
Political party Independent (1971–75)
Liberal (1975–87)
Independent (1987)

Michael Townley (born 4 November 1934) is a former Tasmanian senator. He served both as an Independent and as a Liberal Party of Australia senator.

Townley was elected as an Independent Tasmanian Senator at the 1970 Half Senate election and the 1974 Double Dissolution Election.

In February 1975 he joined the Liberal party. This increased the Coalition's numbers in the Senate from 29 to 30 out of 60, and so was a factor in the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.

He remained a Liberal senator until his retirement at the Australian federal election, 1987.

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