Andrew Olexander
Encyclopedia
Andrew Phillip Olexander (born 26 February 1965) is an Australia
n politician. He was an independent member of the Victorian Legislative Council
representing Silvan Province
from November 2005 to November 2006, after being expelled from the parliamentary Liberal Party
, which he had represented since 1999.
His career has been dogged by controversy after a 2004 drink-driving incident, which ultimately saw him lose Liberal Party pre-selection to contest his seat at the 2006 state election. He was subsequently expelled from the parliamentary party and forced to sit as an independent
after criticising the party's pre-selection decision, and accusing the party of being homophobic
.
gay
, was born in the regional city of Geelong, though he attended high school in suburban Melbourne
. He studied economics at the University of Melbourne
before pursuing a career in market research. He became heavily involved with the Young Liberal movement, acting as its State President from 1989 to 1990. He also served on its Federal Policy Committee, as well as the broader party's Federal Council during the same period.
In the late 1980s Olexander, who was of Hungarian and Ukrainian
descent, helped form the Australian Chernobyl Children's Relief Foundation which provided financial and medical help to victims of the Chernobyl disaster
in Ukraine
. He became the honorary inaugural secretary of that foundation in 1990.
In 1999, Olexander won pre-selection for the safe Liberal Legislative Council seat of Silvan Province, and was subsequently elected. After the Liberal Party's crushing defeat at the 2002 election, Olexander was promoted to the shadow ministry, taking on the portfolios of Youth, Arts and Consumer Affairs in December 2002. During 2002 to 2004, he also served on the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee.
He attracted some attention in late 2004 for advocating for greater funding for gambling support groups and his criticism of the government's backdown on their election promise
to extend the Epping railway line to South Morang
.
On 7 January 2009, Olexander appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court
, accused of driving on the CityLink
tollway three times without a pass. Magistrate Sharon Cure ordered Olexander pay a $100 fine on each of the three counts of using an unregistered vehicle on a tollway plus $40 in court costs.
backed his bid to remain in parliament, but failed to reach double figures in a ballot of the 150 preselection delegates; not enough to even gain him the bottom position on the ticket.
In mid-November 2005 Liberal state leader Robert Doyle convened a meeting of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and asked Olexander to show cause why he should not be expelled from the Parliamentary Party for "bringing the Party into disrepute". Subsequently Doyle convened a second meeting of the PLP on 29 November and moved that Olexander be expelled. This motion was carried (votes not released). Olexander served out the remainder of his term in the Upper House sitting on the cross benches. Olexander commented that he "would continue working as the member for the outer-suburban seat of Silvan and would sit on Parliament's cross-benches as an independent".
, Bruce Atkinson
and Gordon Rich-Phillips
. All four have strongly denied these allegations. http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2006/02/23/1140670207675.html
In June 2006, Olexander was reported to have drafted a Private Member's Bill
that would allow gay civil unions in Victoria. The bill is unlikely to pass, let alone be debated due to Labor
control of both Houses of Parliament
.http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19405392-1702,00.html
Despite threatening to run against Liberal members in the reformed Upper House, Olexander failed to nominate for the 2006 State Election. He retired from Parliament on the 25 November 2006, the day of the poll.
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. He was an independent member of 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...
representing Silvan Province
Silvan Province
Silvan Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council. It existed as a two-member electorate from 1992 to 2006, with members holding alternating eight-year terms. It was considered a safe seat for the Liberal Party of Australia for much of its history, but was a surprise gain for...
from November 2005 to November 2006, after being expelled from the parliamentary Liberal Party
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...
, which he had represented since 1999.
His career has been dogged by controversy after a 2004 drink-driving incident, which ultimately saw him lose Liberal Party pre-selection to contest his seat at the 2006 state election. He was subsequently expelled from the parliamentary party and forced to sit as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
after criticising the party's pre-selection decision, and accusing the party of being homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
.
Early career
Olexander, who is openlyComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, was born in the regional city of Geelong, though he attended high school in suburban Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. He studied economics at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
before pursuing a career in market research. He became heavily involved with the Young Liberal movement, acting as its State President from 1989 to 1990. He also served on its Federal Policy Committee, as well as the broader party's Federal Council during the same period.
In the late 1980s Olexander, who was of Hungarian and Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
descent, helped form the Australian Chernobyl Children's Relief Foundation which provided financial and medical help to victims of the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. He became the honorary inaugural secretary of that foundation in 1990.
In 1999, Olexander won pre-selection for the safe Liberal Legislative Council seat of Silvan Province, and was subsequently elected. After the Liberal Party's crushing defeat at the 2002 election, Olexander was promoted to the shadow ministry, taking on the portfolios of Youth, Arts and Consumer Affairs in December 2002. During 2002 to 2004, he also served on the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee.
Controversies
In the early hours of 11 July 2004, Olexander had been drinking and was driving home when he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his taxpayer funded car into four parked cars in Port Melbourne. He was fined $500 and lost his license for 12 months.He attracted some attention in late 2004 for advocating for greater funding for gambling support groups and his criticism of the government's backdown on their election promise
Election promise
An election promise is a promise made to the public by a politician who is trying to win an election. They have long been a central element of elections and remain so today...
to extend the Epping railway line to South Morang
South Morang, Victoria
South Morang is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
.
On 7 January 2009, Olexander appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court
Melbourne Magistrates' Court
The Melbourne Magistrates' Court is a venue of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria. It is a court in Melbourne, Australia that deals with a range of criminal offences, money claims and disputes up to $100,000 and family violence and family law proceedings...
, accused of driving on the CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
tollway three times without a pass. Magistrate Sharon Cure ordered Olexander pay a $100 fine on each of the three counts of using an unregistered vehicle on a tollway plus $40 in court costs.
Party expulsion
Olexander kept a relatively low profile throughout the remainder of 2005, and despite past controversy, attempted to retain Liberal preselection to contest his seat at the 2006 state election. He received some initial support when Opposition Leader Robert DoyleRobert Doyle
Robert Keith Bennett Doyle is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008...
backed his bid to remain in parliament, but failed to reach double figures in a ballot of the 150 preselection delegates; not enough to even gain him the bottom position on the ticket.
In mid-November 2005 Liberal state leader Robert Doyle convened a meeting of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and asked Olexander to show cause why he should not be expelled from the Parliamentary Party for "bringing the Party into disrepute". Subsequently Doyle convened a second meeting of the PLP on 29 November and moved that Olexander be expelled. This motion was carried (votes not released). Olexander served out the remainder of his term in the Upper House sitting on the cross benches. Olexander commented that he "would continue working as the member for the outer-suburban seat of Silvan and would sit on Parliament's cross-benches as an independent".
Independent Member
Since his expulsion from the Parliamentary Liberal Party Olexander has made several statements alleging that he was expelled because of anti-gay sentiment among Liberal parliamentarians, naming Philip Davis, Bill ForwoodBill Forwood
William Forwood was an Australian politician. He was the Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1992 to 2006, representing Templestowe Province....
, Bruce Atkinson
Bruce Atkinson
Bruce Norman Atkinson is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council since October 1992, representing Koonung Province from 1992 to 2006 and Eastern Metropolitan Region since. He is currently the President of the Legislative Council.Atkinson was born...
and Gordon Rich-Phillips
Gordon Rich-Phillips
Gordon Kenneth Rich-Phillips is an Australian politician representing the Liberal Party of Australia in the Victorian Legislative Council....
. All four have strongly denied these allegations. http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2006/02/23/1140670207675.html
In June 2006, Olexander was reported to have drafted a Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
that would allow gay civil unions in Victoria. The bill is unlikely to pass, let alone be debated due to Labor
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...
control of both Houses of Parliament
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...
.http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19405392-1702,00.html
Despite threatening to run against Liberal members in the reformed Upper House, Olexander failed to nominate for the 2006 State Election. He retired from Parliament on the 25 November 2006, the day of the poll.