Allan Andrews (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Allan Andrews is an Australia
n politician
. A member of the Liberal Party of Australia
, he represented the electoral district of Heathcote
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for a single term, from 1988–1991.
Andrews was born in Bargo
, where his father worked. The family moved to Heathcote
, in Sydney
, in 1943. Andrews attended public school in Heathcote, and went on to further education at St George Technical College. After completing his education, Andrews worked as a self-employed electrical contractor.
Andrews was elected to the Sutherland Shire
Council as an Independent candidate in 1974, and served there for the next thirteen years, including a two-year stint as Council President. He joined the Liberal Party in 1986, and was soon chosen to contest the seat of Heathcote, which was up for by-election following the August 1986 resignation of disgraced former ALP
Minister Rex Jackson
. The Labor government delayed the by-election as long as possible, arguing that it was not possible to hold an election during Jackson's trial or while Parliament was sitting. The Leader of the Opposition, Nick Greiner
, rejected this argument, declaring that the election was only delayed in an attempt to allow any bad press from the corruption trial to die down. The election finally came on 31 January 1987, and was rarely short of drama: Jackson, with criminal charges hanging over his head, entered as a spoiler candidate
; the Liberals found themseles in hot water over an illegally large billboard prominently placed on the electorate's border over the Princes Highway
; and the ALP were accused of sabotage after vandals cut loose from its moorings a Liberal advertising blimp
. In the election itself, Andrews garnered more than 8,000 of the approximately 28,000 votes cast and narrowly missed out to Labor candidate Ian McManus
.
When the seat came up for re-election in 1988, McManus had moved to the newly-created safe seat of Burragorang
, and redistribution of boundaries had made winning Heathcote a much less daunting prospect for the Liberals. Andrews defeated Labor's rearguard candidate Ian Predsee, becoming the first Liberal candidate to win a seat in the Illawarra
region and the first non-Labor member for the seat of Heathcote.
On 25 September 1990, the Greiner
Liberal Government announced a controversial redistribution
proposal to reduce the number of seats, and MPs
, from 109 to 99 after the upcoming election. Andrews was one of five Liberal MPs to see his district cut out from under him, a prospect he decried bitterly in the run-up to the 1991 NSW election.
At the expiration of his term, Andrews was requested to run for the nearby but traditionally safe Labor district of Coogee
. With the odds against him — Andrews moved to the district two months before the election, and came up against Ernie Page
, a Labor institution in the electorate — Andrews came close to winning, missing out by 600 votes after preferences.
After leaving politics, Andrews continued to serve in the NSW government, this time as policy analyst for the NSW Water Board
. Upon hearing of Andrews' appointment, the Labor Party, then in Opposition, argued that it was just a case of "jobs for the boys", saying that the normal hiring procedures had been bypassed in Andrews' case. The Government responded by saying that Andrews had earned the job on his own merit, and that positions such as his were not normally advertised anyway.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. A member of the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, he represented the electoral district of Heathcote
Electoral district of Heathcote
Heathcote is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Lee Evans of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for Heathcote:-Election results:...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for a single term, from 1988–1991.
Andrews was born in Bargo
Bargo, New South Wales
Bargo is a small town of the Macarthur Region, New South Wales, Australia in the Wollondilly Shire. It is approximately 100 km south west of Sydney....
, where his father worked. The family moved to Heathcote
Heathcote, New South Wales
Heathcote is a suburb, in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Heathcote is located 36 km south of the Sydney central business district in the Sutherland Shire....
, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in 1943. Andrews attended public school in Heathcote, and went on to further education at St George Technical College. After completing his education, Andrews worked as a self-employed electrical contractor.
Andrews was elected to the Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire
The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
Council as an Independent candidate in 1974, and served there for the next thirteen years, including a two-year stint as Council President. He joined the Liberal Party in 1986, and was soon chosen to contest the seat of Heathcote, which was up for by-election following the August 1986 resignation of disgraced former ALP
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Minister Rex Jackson
Rex Jackson
Rex Frederick Jackson was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was the son of a railway fettler and born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and educated at Harefield Public School and Junee and Sutherland High Schools. He became a rail...
. The Labor government delayed the by-election as long as possible, arguing that it was not possible to hold an election during Jackson's trial or while Parliament was sitting. The Leader of the Opposition, Nick Greiner
Nick Greiner
Nicholas "Nick" Frank Hugo Greiner AC, is an Australian businessman and former politician. He was the 37th Premier New South Wales from 1988 to 1992. He was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 and Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1988. He is married...
, rejected this argument, declaring that the election was only delayed in an attempt to allow any bad press from the corruption trial to die down. The election finally came on 31 January 1987, and was rarely short of drama: Jackson, with criminal charges hanging over his head, entered as a spoiler candidate
Spoiler effect
The spoiler effect describes the effect a minor party candidate with little chance of winning has in a close election, when that candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a major candidate similar to them, thereby causing a candidate dissimilar to them to win the election...
; the Liberals found themseles in hot water over an illegally large billboard prominently placed on the electorate's border over the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
; and the ALP were accused of sabotage after vandals cut loose from its moorings a Liberal advertising blimp
Non-rigid airship
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
. In the election itself, Andrews garnered more than 8,000 of the approximately 28,000 votes cast and narrowly missed out to Labor candidate Ian McManus
Ian McManus
Ian McManus is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 2003, representing the electorates of Heathcote , Burragorang and Bulli...
.
When the seat came up for re-election in 1988, McManus had moved to the newly-created safe seat of Burragorang
Electoral district of Burragorang
Burragorang was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales for a single term from 1988 to 1991, named after the Burragorang Valley of the Wingecarribee River. Its only member was Ian McManus....
, and redistribution of boundaries had made winning Heathcote a much less daunting prospect for the Liberals. Andrews defeated Labor's rearguard candidate Ian Predsee, becoming the first Liberal candidate to win a seat in the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
region and the first non-Labor member for the seat of Heathcote.
On 25 September 1990, the Greiner
Nick Greiner
Nicholas "Nick" Frank Hugo Greiner AC, is an Australian businessman and former politician. He was the 37th Premier New South Wales from 1988 to 1992. He was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 and Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1988. He is married...
Liberal Government announced a controversial redistribution
Redistribution (Australia)
The term redistribution is used in Australia to mean a redrawing of electoral boundaries. It is equivalent to the term redistricting in the United States....
proposal to reduce the number of seats, and MPs
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Following are lists of members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly:* Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1856–1858* Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1858–1859...
, from 109 to 99 after the upcoming election. Andrews was one of five Liberal MPs to see his district cut out from under him, a prospect he decried bitterly in the run-up to the 1991 NSW election.
At the expiration of his term, Andrews was requested to run for the nearby but traditionally safe Labor district of Coogee
Electoral district of Coogee
Coogee is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Bruce Notley-Smith of the Liberal Party.-Members for Coogee:-Election results:...
. With the odds against him — Andrews moved to the district two months before the election, and came up against Ernie Page
Ernie Page
Ernest Thomas Page is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1981 to 2003, representing the electorates of Waverley and Coogee ....
, a Labor institution in the electorate — Andrews came close to winning, missing out by 600 votes after preferences.
After leaving politics, Andrews continued to serve in the NSW government, this time as policy analyst for the NSW Water Board
Water board
A water board is a regional organisation that has very different functions from one country to another, ranging from flood control, water resources management, water charging and financing, and bulk water supply.-Philippines:The...
. Upon hearing of Andrews' appointment, the Labor Party, then in Opposition, argued that it was just a case of "jobs for the boys", saying that the normal hiring procedures had been bypassed in Andrews' case. The Government responded by saying that Andrews had earned the job on his own merit, and that positions such as his were not normally advertised anyway.