Geoff Leigh (politician)
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Graeme "Geoff" Leigh (born 24 August 1952) is a former Australia
n politician. He was a Liberal
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
, representing Malvern
from 1982 to 1992 and Mordialloc
from 1992 to 2002.
Leigh was born in Mordialloc
in Melbourne
to marine engineer Ronald Pearson Leigh and his wife, schoolteacher Anne Thora Whiteside. He was educated in Papua New Guinea
at Samarai Island State School before attending Mentone Boys Grammar
, Parkdale Secretary College and Moorabbin
Technical College. He began an apprenticeship in carpentry
and joiner
y in 1969 and completed it in 1972. Active in the Liberal Party
, he was President and Membership Officer of the Mentone
Young Liberals
in 1975 and was on the Young Liberal Movement State Executive 1978–79.
In 1979, he was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for the state seat of Brunswick
, and in 1982 he contested Heatherton
, again unsuccessfully. However, later in 1982, he was selected as the Liberal candidate for a by-election for the safe seat of Malvern
, being vacated by former Premier Lindsay Thompson
. Leigh was elected, and in 1985 he became Opposition Whip in the Assembly. He was promoted to a shadow ministerial role in 1988, holding the Consumer Affairs and Prices portfolio. He left the front bench in 1989 and did not return during the Kennett
Government; he transferred to the seat of Mordialloc
in 1992. He returned to the front bench after Kennett's defeat, serving as Shadow Transport Minister from 1999 until his defeat in 2002.
Leigh has been twice married: firstly to Georgina Gibson on 1 May 1985, and secondly to Andree Patrice Martin on 11 December 1991. He has three children.
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 a 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...
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:...
, representing Malvern
Electoral district of Malvern
-External links:*...
from 1982 to 1992 and Mordialloc
Electoral district of Mordialloc
The Electoral district of Mordialloc is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly including the suburbs of Braeside, Dingley Village, Mordialloc and Parkdale; and parts of Cheltenham, Heatherton, Highett, Mentone and Springvale South...
from 1992 to 2002.
Leigh was born in Mordialloc
Mordialloc, Victoria
Mordialloc is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston...
in 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...
to marine engineer Ronald Pearson Leigh and his wife, schoolteacher Anne Thora Whiteside. He was educated in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
at Samarai Island State School before attending Mentone Boys Grammar
Mentone Grammar School
Mentone Grammar School is an independent, Anglican co-educational grammar school in Mentone, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-History:...
, Parkdale Secretary College and Moorabbin
Moorabbin, Victoria
Moorabbin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston. At the 2006 Census, Moorabbin had a population of 5,170....
Technical College. He began an apprenticeship in carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
and joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
y in 1969 and completed it in 1972. Active in 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...
, he was President and Membership Officer of the Mentone
Mentone, Victoria
Mentone is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 21 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston...
Young Liberals
Young Liberals (Australia)
The Young Liberal Movement is the youth division of the Liberal Party of Australia, and membership is open to those between 16 and 30 years of age. Members of Young Liberals have full party-membership, and have the choice of which part they join...
in 1975 and was on the Young Liberal Movement State Executive 1978–79.
In 1979, he was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for the state seat of Brunswick
Electoral district of Brunswick
The Electoral district of Brunswick is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It is located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and is based around the suburb of Brunswick....
, and in 1982 he contested Heatherton
Electoral district of Heatherton
Electoral district of Heatherton was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria.-Members for Heatherton:...
, again unsuccessfully. However, later in 1982, he was selected as the Liberal candidate for a by-election for the safe seat of Malvern
Electoral district of Malvern
-External links:*...
, being vacated by former Premier Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO, CMG , Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982...
. Leigh was elected, and in 1985 he became Opposition Whip in the Assembly. He was promoted to a shadow ministerial role in 1988, holding the Consumer Affairs and Prices portfolio. He left the front bench in 1989 and did not return during the 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...
Government; he transferred to the seat of Mordialloc
Electoral district of Mordialloc
The Electoral district of Mordialloc is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly including the suburbs of Braeside, Dingley Village, Mordialloc and Parkdale; and parts of Cheltenham, Heatherton, Highett, Mentone and Springvale South...
in 1992. He returned to the front bench after Kennett's defeat, serving as Shadow Transport Minister from 1999 until his defeat in 2002.
Leigh has been twice married: firstly to Georgina Gibson on 1 May 1985, and secondly to Andree Patrice Martin on 11 December 1991. He has three children.