Maggie Hickey
Encyclopedia
Margaret Anne "Maggie" Hickey (born 16 October 1946) is a former Australian politician. She represented the electoral division of Barkly
for the Australian Labor Party
in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
from 1990 to 2001. In April 1996, she became leader of the ALP in the Northern Territory, and Leader of the Opposition
.
Hickey stood as an independent
in the 1987 election
, and was narrowly defeated by Ian Tuxworth
, a former CLP Chief Minister
who had left the party and formed the Northern Territory Nationals
. The result in Barkly was annulled, and Hickey stood for Labor in the ensuing by-election, but was again defeated by Tuxworth. A redistribution favourable to Labor and Tuxworth's (unsuccessful) attempt to win the seat of Goyder
saw Hickey elected as MLA for Barkly in the 1990 election
. On 16 April 1996, Opposition Leader Brian Ede
resigned as leader of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory, and Hickey was elected the new leader.
On 2 February 1999, Hickey announced that she was resigning as Labor leader and Opposition Leader in order to spend more time with her husband who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. She stated that she would remain as the member for Barkly in the Assembly, and Clare Martin
was elected as party leader the next day.
After leaving the NT parliament, Hickey moved to Adelaide, South Australia where she studied visual arts.
Electoral division of Barkly
Barkly is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1974, and is named after the Barkly Tableland area, which occupies much of the electorate. Barkly is a rural electorate, covering 381,729.2 km² and taking in the towns of Tennant...
for 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...
in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
from 1990 to 2001. In April 1996, she became leader of the ALP in the Northern Territory, and Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Northern Territory)
The Leader of the Opposition of the Northern Territory is an official role usually occupied by the leader of the second largest party in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly...
.
Hickey stood 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...
in the 1987 election
Northern Territory general election, 1987
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 7 March 1987. Although the incumbent Country Liberal Party won a majority under new leader Stephen Hatton, the party's vote was down almost 20 percentage points....
, and was narrowly defeated by Ian Tuxworth
Ian Tuxworth
Ian Lindsay Tuxworth is an Australian politician, who was Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia from 17 October 1984 until he resigned on 10 May 1986....
, a former CLP Chief Minister
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is appointed by the Administrator, who in normal circumstances will appoint the head of whatever party holds the majority of seats in the legislature of the territory...
who had left the party and formed the Northern Territory Nationals
Northern Territory Nationals
The Northern Territory Nationals were a political party active in the Northern Territory in the late 1980s. The party was not affiliated with the National Party of Australia, whose NT affiliate was Country Liberal Party...
. The result in Barkly was annulled, and Hickey stood for Labor in the ensuing by-election, but was again defeated by Tuxworth. A redistribution favourable to Labor and Tuxworth's (unsuccessful) attempt to win the seat of Goyder
Electoral division of Goyder
Goyder is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1990, and is named after George Goyder, the South Australian surveyor responsible for carrying out the first freehold surveys in the area...
saw Hickey elected as MLA for Barkly in the 1990 election
Northern Territory general election, 1990
A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 27 October 1990, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party under Chief Minister Marshall Perron....
. On 16 April 1996, Opposition Leader Brian Ede
Brian Ede
Brian Richard Ede is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Stuart in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1983 to 1996 and led Labor unsuccessfully to the 1994 territory election.-References:...
resigned as leader of the Labor Party in the Northern Territory, and Hickey was elected the new leader.
On 2 February 1999, Hickey announced that she was resigning as Labor leader and Opposition Leader in order to spend more time with her husband who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. She stated that she would remain as the member for Barkly in the Assembly, and Clare Martin
Clare Martin
Clare Majella Martin is a former Australian politician. She is the current CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service . A former journalist, she was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in a shock by-election win in 1995...
was elected as party leader the next day.
After leaving the NT parliament, Hickey moved to Adelaide, South Australia where she studied visual arts.