Denis Napthine

The Honourable Denis Napthine
47th Premier of Victoria Elections: 2014
In office 6 March 2013 – 4 December 2014
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Alex Chernov
Deputy	Peter Ryan
Preceded by	Ted Baillieu
Succeeded by	Daniel Andrews
Leader of the Opposition of Victoria
In office 26 October 1999 – 20 August 2002
Premier	Steve Bracks
Deputy	Louise Asher
Preceded by	Jeff Kennett
Succeeded by	Robert Doyle
Leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria
In office 6 March 2013 – 4 December 2014
Deputy	Louise Asher
Preceded by	Ted Baillieu
Succeeded by	Matthew Guy
In office 26 October 1999 – 20 August 2002
Deputy	Louise Asher
Preceded by	Jeff Kennett
Succeeded by	Robert Doyle
Minister for Regional Cities and Racing
In office 13 March 2013 – 4 December 2014
Premier	Himself
Succeeded by	Martin Pakula (Racing)
Minister for the Arts
In office 6 March 2013 – 13 March 2013
Premier	Himself
Preceded by	Ted Baillieu
Succeeded by	Heidi Victoria
Minister for Ports, Regional Cities, Racing and Major Projects
In office 2 December 2010 – 13 March 2013
Premier	Ted Baillieu Himself
Preceded by	Tim Pallas (Ports, Major Projects) Rob Hulls (Racing)
Succeeded by	David Hodgett (Ports, Major Projects)
Treasurer of Victoria
In office 7 October 1999 – 20 October 1999
Premier	Jeff Kennett
Preceded by	Alan Stockdale
Succeeded by	Steve Bracks
Minister for Youth and Community Services
In office 30 March 1996 – 18 September 1999
Premier	Jeff Kennett
Preceded by	Vin Heffernan (Youth) Michael John (Community)
Succeeded by	Jacinta Allan (Youth) Christine Campbell (Community)
Member of Parliament for South-West Coast
In office 30 November 2002 – 3 September 2015
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Roma Britnell
Member of the Victorian Parliament for Portland
In office 1 October 1988 – 30 November 2002
Preceded by	Digby Crozier
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	Denis Vincent Napthine 6 March 1952 Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Peggy
Alma mater	University of Melbourne Deakin University
Profession	Veterinarian
Website	denisnapthine.com.au

Denis Vincent Napthine (born 6 March 1952) is a former Australian politician who was the 47th Premier of Victoria. Napthine was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Portland from 1988 to 2002 and South-West Coast from 2002 to 2015. He was elected leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party on 6 March 2013 following the resignation of Ted Baillieu and was sworn in as premier on the same day. His party lost the Victorian state election on 29 November 2014 and he announced he would step down as leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, with Matthew Guy being elected his successor on 4 December.

Early life

Napthine was born in 1952 to Len and Theresa Napthine in Geelong, Victoria, as the third child in a family of ten children.^[1][2][3]

Napthine spent his early school years at Winchelsea State School before attending Chanel College, a Catholic boys' school in Lovely Banks near Geelong. After graduating he attended the University of Melbourne, where he studied to be a veterinarian, undertaking a bachelor's and then a master's degree in veterinary science. He later completed a master's degree in business administration from Deakin University.^[1][3][4]

Political career

Napthine earlier in his political career

Napthine was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1988 as member for the country seat of Portland. He was re-elected in 1992, 1996 and 1999.^[5]

Napthine was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health in 1992 and then promoted to Minister for Youth and Community Services in 1996 in Jeff Kennett's Liberal government, a position he held from 1996 to 1999.^[5]

Following the defeat of the Liberal Party at the 1999 election, Kennett resigned as Liberal leader and Napthine was elected to take his place. Napthine had briefly served as Deputy Liberal Leader, having been elected to the position just shortly before Kennett stood down as Liberal Leader. During his term as Opposition Leader the Liberal–National coalition split, fracturing the opposition parties.

Under Napthine's leadership, the Liberal Party did poorly in the polls and made no significant electoral inroads on the ruling Labor government. Shortly before the 2002 state election, Robert Doyle challenged Napthine for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Doyle won the leadership by a narrow margin. At this election, Napthine ran in South-West Coast, essentially a reconfigured version of Portland. Although it was ancestrally Liberal territory, Napthine just barely held onto the seat, seeing his margin reduced from 4.9 to only 0.7 points. He was re-elected in November 2006 with an increased margin.

After the Liberals won the 2010 Victorian election, Napthine was made a member of the Baillieu cabinet. He served as the Minister for Ports, Racing, Regional Cities and Major Projects.^[5][6]

Premier of Victoria

On 6 March 2013, Baillieu resigned as state leader of the Liberal Party and hence as Premier of Victoria. At an emergency meeting of the Liberal partyroom, Napthine—who had turned 61 that day—was elected his successor.^[7] After the resignation of Geoff Shaw from the parliamentary Liberal Party earlier in the day, Napthine began leadership of a minority government, holding 43 seats (44 seats including that of the Speaker) to Labor's 43 seats, with Shaw sitting an independent politician on the crossbench.

On 28 November 2013 Australian media reported that Napthine had 'secretly assisted' Shaw to draft a Private Member's Bill to change state abortion legislation which Napthine voted against in 2008.^{[8][9][10][11]} Napthine refuted the allegations and stated his Government had no plans to change abortion laws,^[12][8] nor would he support any such change. In June 2014 Napthine stated:^[13]

"...that while I am Premier of this state, I will not allow Mr Shaw to introduce any legislation seeking to change the abortion laws in Victoria."

During September 2014 Napthine and Daniel Andrews told the Australian Christian Lobby that they would allow a conscience vote should a private members bill to repeal section eight of the Victorian abortion laws be introduced. Section eight if removed would mean doctors are not required by law to refer a woman who wants an abortion to an abortion doctor or perform the abortion even if they have a conscientious objection.^[14]

In May 2014 a parliamentary privileges committee found that Shaw was not diligent in the use of his parliamentary car and fuel card.^[15] On 3 June 2014 Shaw told radio station 774 ABC Melbourne that he would support a no confidence motion in the Napthine government.^[16] On 11 June 2014, following a Labor move to expel Shaw from Parliament that was defeated on party lines with the support of the speaker, Napthine's government successfully moved a motion that resulted in the Members of the Legislative Assembly suspending Shaw for a period of eleven days, fined A$6,838 and ordered to apologise to the Parliament upon his return.^[17] Shaw's suspension followed a period of political instability under Napthine's leadership.^[18][19][20]

In opposition

On 29 November 2014, after the Victorian state election, Napthine conceded defeat to Labor led by Daniel Andrews.^[21]

Napthine stated that he intended to serve a full parliamentary term despite losing the Premiership,^[22] however on 31 August 2015 he announced his resignation from the Victorian Parliament, which triggered a by-election in his electorate of South-West Coast.^[23]

Personal life

Napthine and his wife Peggy have three children. His younger brother, Simon, was the unsuccessful ALP candidate for the federal seat of Flinders at the 2004 election.^[24]

One of Napthine's ancestors was convict Joseph Potaski.^[25]

See also

• Victorian state election, 2014

References

1. "Who is Denis Napthine?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
2. "Family Notices". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848 – 1957). Melbourne, Victoria: National Library of Australia. 10 March 1952. p. 13. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
3. Green, Shane (8 March 2013). "From country paddock to top job". The Age. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
4. "Premier Denis Napthine". Denis Napthine: Premier of Victoria; Member for South West Coast. Liberal Victoria. 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
5. "Members Information – Denis Napthine (South-West Coast)". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
6. Austin, Paul; Colebatch, Tim (3 December 2010). "Baillieu promotes Lib ex-leader". The Age. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
7. "Ted Baillieu resigns as Victoria premier, Denis Napthine takes over as Liberal leader". The Australian. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
8. "Denis Napthine – South-West Coast (LIB)". Life vote. Australian Family Association. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
9. "Geoff Shaw dictating Coalition's agenda". News.com.au. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
10. Ferguson, John (28 November 2013). "Denis Napthine secretly helped Geoff Shaw over abortion laws – report". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
11. Ferguson, John (28 November 2013). "Geoff Shaw dictating Coalition's agenda". The Australian. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
12. Webb, Carolyn; Cook, Henrietta (4 December 2013). "Napthine vows he will not change abortion laws". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
13. Tomazin, Farrah (8 June 2014). "Abortion debate not on, Denis Napthine pledges". The Age. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
14. "What Denis Napthine and Daniel Andrews told Christians". Voice for values. Australian Christian Lobby. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
15. "Inquiry in relation to recommendation 2 of the Ombudsman's report Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001: Investigation into allegations against Mr Geoff Shaw MP" (PDF). Legislative Assembly Privileges Committee (PDF). Melbourne, Victoria: Parliament of Victoria. May 2014. p. 6. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
16. Savage, Alison (4 June 2014). "Napthine-Andrews standoff over 'rorter' Geoff Shaw a battle of nerves". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
17. Uhlmann, Chris; Donovan, Samantha (12 June 2014). "Vic Parliament suspends Geoff Shaw". AM (streaming audio and transcript). Australia. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
18. Willingham, Richard; Cook, Henrietta; Gordon, Josh (11 June 2014). "Rogue MP Geoff Shaw suspended from Parliament". The Age. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
19. Lillebuen, Steve (12 June 2014). "Geoff Shaw must be remorseful or be expelled, Denis Napthine warns". The Age. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
20. Ferguson, John; Baxendale, Rachel (12 June 2014). "Rebel Victorian MP Geoff Shaw suspended and fined". The Australian. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
21. "Victoria votes 2014 live: Labor wins election, Napthine concedes defeat". ABC News. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
22. Conifer, Dan (1 December 2014). "Denis Napthine 'fully intends' to serve his full term following the Coalition's election defeat". ABC News. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
23. "Former Victorian premier Denis Napthine retires from politics". ABC News. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
24. "2004 Federal Election – Flinders Electorate Profile". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2004. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
25. Purcell, Marie (1991). By degrees: a story of the Potaskie/McDonald family 1802–1987. M. Purcell. ISBN 0-646-05619-0.

External links

• Official website
• Denis Napthine on Facebook