Bob Stensholt
Encyclopedia
Robert Einar "Bob" Stensholt (born 11 July 1945) was an Australia
n politician in the Victorian Parliament
.
He was an Australian Labor Party (ALP)
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
from 1999 to 2010, representing the electorate of Burwood
. From 2007 he was the Chair, Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. From February 2003 to December 2006 he was Parliamentary Secretary, Treasury and Finance.
Bob Stensholt's initial victory in the seat of Burwood came at an 11 December 1999 by-election
following the resignation from parliament of the previous member for Burwood and former Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett
.
Stensholt's by-election victory was unexpected and cemented the result of the 1999 state election which for a period had been up for grabs following an election in which three independents ended up with the balance of power, eventually throwing their support behind the Labor Party. The seat of Burwood had previously been held by the Liberal Party
since its establishment in 1955, most recently by a margin of 10% at the state election less than two months previously.
Early in his career Stensholt had studied to be a Catholic priest, a matter the Liberal Party attempted to make some mileage out of during Stensholt's by-election campaign.
Since discontinuing his religious studies Stensholt primarily worked in various roles with the Australian Public Service in Canberra, most notably as Assistant Director-General of Australia's overseas aid program, AusAID. Prior to being elected Stensholt was working as a senior research fellow at Monash University
and as an international development
consultant.
Stensholt was re-elected for a third term at the 2006 Victorian State Election with a two-candidate preferred margin of 7.46%.
Stensholt lost his seat in the 2010 election
when the ALP was voted out of office, with a 9.6% swing against him seeing the seat conclusively change into Liberal
hands.
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 in the Victorian 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...
.
He was an Australian Labor Party (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...
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
from 1999 to 2010, representing the electorate of Burwood
Electoral district of Burwood
The electoral district of Burwood is an electorate for the Victorian Legislative Assembly in Australia. It is located approximately 13 kilometres east of Melbourne, and covers an area of 24 km². It includes the suburbs of Ashburton, Ashwood, Box Hill South, and parts of Burwood, Camberwell,...
. From 2007 he was the Chair, Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. From February 2003 to December 2006 he was Parliamentary Secretary, Treasury and Finance.
Bob Stensholt's initial victory in the seat of Burwood came at an 11 December 1999 by-election
Burwood state by-election, 1999
A by-election was held for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Burwood on 11 December 1999. The by-election was triggered by the resignation on 2 November of Jeff Kennett, the sitting member and Premier of Victoria until his government was defeated in the 1999 state election on 18...
following the resignation from parliament of the previous member for Burwood and former Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
.
Stensholt's by-election victory was unexpected and cemented the result of the 1999 state election which for a period had been up for grabs following an election in which three independents ended up with the balance of power, eventually throwing their support behind the Labor Party. The seat of Burwood had previously been held by the 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...
since its establishment in 1955, most recently by a margin of 10% at the state election less than two months previously.
Early in his career Stensholt had studied to be a Catholic priest, a matter the Liberal Party attempted to make some mileage out of during Stensholt's by-election campaign.
Since discontinuing his religious studies Stensholt primarily worked in various roles with the Australian Public Service in Canberra, most notably as Assistant Director-General of Australia's overseas aid program, AusAID. Prior to being elected Stensholt was working as a senior research fellow at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
and as an international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
consultant.
Stensholt was re-elected for a third term at the 2006 Victorian State Election with a two-candidate preferred margin of 7.46%.
Stensholt lost his seat in the 2010 election
Victorian state election, 2010
The 2010 Victorian state election was held on 27 November. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party government, led by John Brumby, was defeated by the centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition, led by Ted Baillieu....
when the ALP was voted out of office, with a 9.6% swing against him seeing the seat conclusively change into Liberal
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...
hands.