Petro Georgiou
Encyclopedia
Petro Georgiou Australia
n politician, was a Liberal
member of the Australian House of Representatives
from November 1994 to July 2010, representing the Division of Kooyong
, Victoria
.
, Greece
, and was educated at Melbourne University. He was a senior tutor in politics at La Trobe University
1970-73, Senior Adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser
1975-79, Secretary of the Ethnic Television Review Panel 1979-80, Director of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs 1980-85, Senior Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Peacock
, 1985, Director of the Victorian Liberal Policy Unit 1985-89 and State Director of the Victorian Liberal Party 1989-94.
, Georgiou was preselected to contest the 1994 Kooyong by-election
for the Liberal Party. He won the safe Liberal seat on 64 per cent of the two-party vote against the main contender, the Greens
.
In 2005, Georgiou was one of a small number of Liberal parliamentarians who expressed disagreement with the government's policy of mandatory detention
for asylum seekers. He began speaking out against the policy in June and began drafting a private member's bill
aimed at softening the policy. On 17 June, Prime Minister John Howard
announced a shift in that policy, allowing families in detention with children to enter the community and ensuring that long-term detainees would have their cases reviewed regularly. Georgiou was given a large amount of credit for the policy change.
On 11 August 2006, Georgiou joined Russell Broadbent
and Judi Moylan
in crossing the floor to vote against the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill, that would force all asylum seekers to be processed offshore.
. This followed another prominent Liberal former Victorian President Michael Kroger
's decision not to contest the seat. Liberal Deputy Leader Peter Costello
endorsed Georgiou and Kroger is believed to have supported him.
In the days leading to the preselection convention, Queensland frontbenchers Ian Macfarlane
, Peter Dutton
and Santo Santoro
backed Frydenberg's credentials, to the dismay of former Premier
Jeff Kennett
.
The preselection was held at Trinity Grammar School
on 23 April 2006.
Georgiou retained selection by receiving 62 of the 85 Liberal Party delegates' votes, with challenger Frydenberg receiving 22 votes and a third candidate, Alistair Armstrong, receiving one vote.
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, 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 Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
from November 1994 to July 2010, representing the Division of Kooyong
Division of Kooyong
The Division of Kooyong is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the inner eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and encompasses the suburbs of Kew, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Balwyn, Canterbury, Camberwell and Surrey Hills. The Division was proclaimed in 1900, and was...
, Victoria
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....
.
Early life
Georgiou was born in CorfuCorfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and was educated at Melbourne University. He was a senior tutor in politics at La Trobe University
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1964 by an Act of Parliament to become the third oldest university in the state of Victoria. The main campus of La Trobe is located in the Melbourne suburb of Bundoora; two other major campuses are...
1970-73, Senior Adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
1975-79, Secretary of the Ethnic Television Review Panel 1979-80, Director of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs 1980-85, Senior Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Peacock
Andrew Peacock
Andrew Sharp Peacock AC, GCL , is a former Australian Liberal politician. He was a minister in the Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments, and was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia 1983–1985 and 1989–1990...
, 1985, Director of the Victorian Liberal Policy Unit 1985-89 and State Director of the Victorian Liberal Party 1989-94.
Parliament
Upon the resignation of former Liberal leader Andrew PeacockAndrew Peacock
Andrew Sharp Peacock AC, GCL , is a former Australian Liberal politician. He was a minister in the Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments, and was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia 1983–1985 and 1989–1990...
, Georgiou was preselected to contest the 1994 Kooyong by-election
Kooyong by-election, 1994
The 1994 Kooyong by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Kooyong in Victoria on 19 November 1994. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Liberal Party of Australia's Andrew Peacock on 16 August 1994...
for the Liberal Party. He won the safe Liberal seat on 64 per cent of the two-party vote against the main contender, the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
.
In 2005, Georgiou was one of a small number of Liberal parliamentarians who expressed disagreement with the government's policy of mandatory detention
Mandatory detention in Australia
Mandatory detention in Australia concerns the Australian federal government's policy and system of mandatory immigration detention active from 1992 to date, pursuant to which all persons entering the country without a valid visa are compulsorily detained and sometimes subject to deportation.In the...
for asylum seekers. He began speaking out against the policy in June and began drafting 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...
aimed at softening the policy. On 17 June, Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
announced a shift in that policy, allowing families in detention with children to enter the community and ensuring that long-term detainees would have their cases reviewed regularly. Georgiou was given a large amount of credit for the policy change.
On 11 August 2006, Georgiou joined Russell Broadbent
Russell Broadbent
Russell Evan Broadbent , Australian politician, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as member for the Division of McMillan, Victoria for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 2004 federal election. He previously represented the Division of Corinella 1990-93 and McMillan 1996-98...
and Judi Moylan
Judi Moylan
Judith Eleanor "Judi" Moylan , an Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993, representing the Division of Pearce, Western Australia....
in crossing the floor to vote against the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill, that would force all asylum seekers to be processed offshore.
Preselection challenge
In March 2006, Josh Frydenberg, an investment banker and former political adviser, made known his intention to challenge Georgiou for his seat in an internal Liberal Party preselectionPreselection
Preselection is the process by which a candidate is selected, usually by a political party, to contest an election for political office. It is also referred to as candidate selection. It is a fundamental function of political parties...
. This followed another prominent Liberal former Victorian President Michael Kroger
Michael Kroger
Michael Norman Kroger is a businessman and a powerbroker within the Victorian division of the Liberal Party of Australia. He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne.-Early Life :...
's decision not to contest the seat. Liberal Deputy Leader Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
endorsed Georgiou and Kroger is believed to have supported him.
In the days leading to the preselection convention, Queensland frontbenchers Ian Macfarlane
Ian Macfarlane (politician)
Ian Elgin Macfarlane , is an Australian politician. He was elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives in October 1998, representing the Division of Groom, Queensland for the Liberal National Party...
, Peter Dutton
Peter Dutton
Peter Craig Dutton MP , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Dickson, Queensland...
and Santo Santoro
Santo Santoro
Santo Santoro , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from October 2002 to March 2007, representing the state of Queensland....
backed Frydenberg's credentials, to the dismay of former Premier
Premiers of Victoria
The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
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...
.
The preselection was held at Trinity Grammar School
Trinity Grammar School, Victoria
Trinity Grammar School is an independent Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located across several campuses in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
on 23 April 2006.
Georgiou retained selection by receiving 62 of the 85 Liberal Party delegates' votes, with challenger Frydenberg receiving 22 votes and a third candidate, Alistair Armstrong, receiving one vote.