Andrew Landeryou
Encyclopedia
Andrew John Clyde Landeryou (born 1970) is an Australian political blogger
, and online business consultant. In recent years, he has attracted attention initially through his blog "The Other Cheek: Andrew Landeryou's Blog of Freedom" and more recently VEXNEWS.
, a former Leader of the Opposition and then the Government in the Victorian Legislative Council
and a minister in the Australian Labor Party
Victorian
state government of John Cain
. Andrew Landeryou has been active in the past in the Labor Party, and particularly the Labor Right
faction. Subsequently he has been described as a "Liberal blogger." He has said he is not a member of a political party.
Landeryou was elected as President of Melbourne University Student Union, taking office in January 1991. A referendum of union members removed him after five months when he proposed commercialising the union's services.
Landeryou was managing director of IQ Corporation, a sports statistics company, which was invested in by Solomon Lew
until it went into liquidation in 2003. He was also a co-owner of Marbain, a company with a contract with MUSU.
Landeryou spent five months in Costa Rica
, after he failed to answer a court summons in December 2004. In May 2005, he was arrested on his return to Australia and required to attend at a liquidator's examination of the affairs of MUSU.
Landeryou was declared bankrupt by the Federal Magistrates Court in May 2006.
Landeryou regularly accused the Melbourne newspaper The Age
of politically-motivated left-wing
bias, including against himself. He clashed with another political blogger, Stephen Mayne
, in 2006 when they accused each other of being spiv
s.
Landeryou's blog has been archived by the National Library of Australia
from the Herald Sun refers to Landeryou as "always entertaining" and "often compelling."
Independent political candidate Les Twentyman
applied for a court intervention order in 2008 after VEXNEWS published a series of stories on him suggesting that he was wealthier than was public knowledge, including publishing photographs of his house. Twentyman later withdrew the application.
VEXNEWS broke a story revealing AFL footballer Brendan Fevola's attack on a Melbourne journalist. Landeryou also broke a story drawing on Liberal party sources when he revealed that the authors of an anti-Ted Baillieu
website were employees of Baillieu's own party.
Other front-page stories prompted by Landeryou include a Fairfax story about Australian politicians sanitising their Wikipedia articles and a story about a Christian Family First
candidate who had exposed himself in photographs. Landeryou declared him 'Australia's smallest loser', an epithet repeated by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann when he covered the story for US cable news.
Blogger
Blogger may refer to:* A person who writes a blog, or weblog* Blogger , a web service for publishing blogs...
, and online business consultant. In recent years, he has attracted attention initially through his blog "The Other Cheek: Andrew Landeryou's Blog of Freedom" and more recently VEXNEWS.
Background
Landeryou is the son of Bill LanderyouBill Landeryou
William Albert Landeryou , Australian politician, was leader of the Australian Labor Party in the Victorian Legislative Council and a minister in the Labor government of John Cain....
, a former Leader of the Opposition and then the Government in the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
and a minister in the Australian Labor Party
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...
Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
state government of John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
. Andrew Landeryou has been active in the past in the Labor Party, and particularly the Labor Right
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
faction. Subsequently he has been described as a "Liberal blogger." He has said he is not a member of a political party.
Landeryou was elected as President of Melbourne University Student Union, taking office in January 1991. A referendum of union members removed him after five months when he proposed commercialising the union's services.
Landeryou was managing director of IQ Corporation, a sports statistics company, which was invested in by Solomon Lew
Solomon Lew
Solomon Lew is an Australian businessman, and one of Australia's richest men. His principal commercial activities involve importing apparel, toys and other goods into Australia from China and share market investments, principally in retail companies.He was formerly a director then Chairman of the...
until it went into liquidation in 2003. He was also a co-owner of Marbain, a company with a contract with MUSU.
Landeryou spent five months in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, after he failed to answer a court summons in December 2004. In May 2005, he was arrested on his return to Australia and required to attend at a liquidator's examination of the affairs of MUSU.
Landeryou was declared bankrupt by the Federal Magistrates Court in May 2006.
Blogging
In 2005, Landeryou established a weblog commenting on Australian party politics called The Other Cheek - Andrew Landeryou's Blog of Freedom. According to ninemsn, it was a "popular" website and to ABC News it was a "gleefully-muckraking, tabloid-style blog", His blog focussed on internal political events and exclusive reports rather than political analysis and opinion. He also publishes VEXNEWS. Lucy Saunders, a political activist linked to the Socialist Left who had been criticised by Landeryou, wrote on ABC News Online that "The overwhelming majority of what Landeryou prints is vague rumour, personal vendettas and outright fiction. Very occasionally, though, some actual facts sneak through."Landeryou regularly accused the Melbourne newspaper The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
of politically-motivated left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
bias, including against himself. He clashed with another political blogger, Stephen Mayne
Stephen Mayne
Stephen Mayne is an Australian journalist, local government councillor and self-described shareholder activist. Mayne is also considered “serial runner”, continually running for elected office and election onto company boards, more often than not in futile attempts, or just to make political...
, in 2006 when they accused each other of being spiv
Spiv
In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...
s.
Landeryou's blog has been archived by the National Library of Australia
VEXNEWS
Landeryou launched VEXNEWS in August 2008. Landeryou is helped by 10 other pseudonymous contributors. Andrew BoltAndrew Bolt
Andrew Bolt is an Australian newspaper columnist, radio commentator, blogger and television host. Bolt is a columnist and associate editor of the Melbourne-based Herald Sun. He has appeared on the Nine Network, Melbourne Talk Radio, ABC Television, Network Ten and local radio...
from the Herald Sun refers to Landeryou as "always entertaining" and "often compelling."
Independent political candidate Les Twentyman
Les Twentyman
Leslie Jack "Les" Twentyman AO is a prominent youth outreach worker and community activist in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Raised in Braybrook, he is one of Victoria's best known social campaigners, on issues ranging from homelessness, drug abuse, prison reform and social...
applied for a court intervention order in 2008 after VEXNEWS published a series of stories on him suggesting that he was wealthier than was public knowledge, including publishing photographs of his house. Twentyman later withdrew the application.
VEXNEWS broke a story revealing AFL footballer Brendan Fevola's attack on a Melbourne journalist. Landeryou also broke a story drawing on Liberal party sources when he revealed that the authors of an anti-Ted Baillieu
Ted Baillieu
Edward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...
website were employees of Baillieu's own party.
Other front-page stories prompted by Landeryou include a Fairfax story about Australian politicians sanitising their Wikipedia articles and a story about a Christian Family First
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
candidate who had exposed himself in photographs. Landeryou declared him 'Australia's smallest loser', an epithet repeated by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann when he covered the story for US cable news.