Michael Pengilly

Michael Redding Pengilly (born 13 June 1950, in Kangaroo Island) is an Australian politician who took over from retiring sitting member and former Premier Dean Brown in the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Finniss at the 2006 election, representing the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia.[1]

Pengilly is a resident of Victor Harbor, and was formerly the mayor of Kangaroo Island as well as chairman of the SA Country Fire Service Board from 1995 to 2000. He was also the chairman of the Hills Mallee and Southern Regional Health Service Board for 8 years. The 2006 election saw Pengilly elected with a two-party margin of 6.5 percent, 9.1 percent less than under Dean Brown. Pengilly recovered 5.8 percent of the two-party vote at the 2010 election.

Political career

Pengilly controversially labelled Prime Minister Julia Gillard a "dog" on social media site Twitter on 24 November 2011 following her increased parliamentary numbers in the House of Representatives.[2] He was at risk of losing Liberal preselection for his seat of Finniss.[3][4] In March the following year he remarked in Parliament that Transport Minister Chloe Fox "ought to be put down, fair dinkum" further jeopardising his preselection chances. The Fox comment was the latest in a series of at least four gaffes.[5]

Pengilly has also supported the prospect of seal culling in South Australia in defense of the interests of the fishing industry. In 2015 he said of the animals:

"Common sense dictates that where seals are way out of control and impacting on fishing, the Government needs to take a common sense approach rather than a foolish, do-nothing situation before (if it’s not happening already) people take the law into their own hands and do it anyway... Seals are in plague proportions, (and they) are not warm and cuddly, but highly invasive, aggressive animals.”[6]

In 2015, Pengilly expressed his support for Oceanic Victor to establish an enterprise similar to Swim with Tuna (which was previously located near Port Lincoln) on and in waters adjacent Granite Island. Pengilly also praised the company's "transparency."[7] Oceanic Victor is directed by Tony Santic of Tony's Tuna International.

Pengilly will not be re-contesting his seat at the 2018 election.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Michael Pengilly MP State Member for Finniss". Liberal Party. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Liberal MP Michael Pengilly retracts PM 'dog' tweet: Herald Sun 24 November 2011
  3. ↑ New allegations dog MP Pengilly: The Advertiser 26 November 2011
  4. ↑ South Australian MP Michael Pengilly likely to lose pre-selection: The Australian 25 November 2011
  5. ↑ Wills, Daniel (2012-03-30). "Liberal MP for Finniss Michael Pengilly expected to lose preselection". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  6. ↑ Islander, The. "Fur seals taking over - penguins, pelicans, tuna and fish at risk". Retrieved 2015-07-04.
  7. ↑ "Community focus on Granite Island". Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  8. ↑ Former Liberal leader Isobel Redmond will retire at the 2018 state election: The Advertiser 18 January 2017
South Australian House of Assembly
Preceded by
Dean Brown		 Member for Finniss
2006–present 		Incumbent
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