Stephen Wade
Encyclopedia
Stephen Graham Wade is an Australia
n politician. He has been a Liberal Party of Australia
member of the South Australian Legislative Council
after an appointment in May 2006.
Wade was a ministerial adviser to former state minister Dr Michael Armitage before working in the water industry. Having decided to make a move into politics himself, he nominated for the party's Legislative Council ticket for the 2006 state election
with the support of the party's moderate faction. It had been predicted that as a moderate he would only receive the distinctly unwinnable seventh position, but in an upset result, he instead won the at least potentially winnable fifth position. However, the party suffered a particularly bad defeat at the election, and the party was only able to win three seats.
Wade received a second chance soon after the election, however, when the Liberal Party opened nominations for a casual vacancy that had occurred prior to the election when former shadow minister Angus Redford
resigned in order to make an unsuccessful bid to shift to the House of Assembly
to contest the electoral district of Bright
after Wayne Matthew
resigned prior to the 2006 election
. He emerged as the leading moderate contender for the position, challenging conservative Tim Keynes, who had occupied the fourth position on the ticket at the election and Joe Scalzi
, a defeated Member of the House of Assembly. Keynes was widely seen as the favourite, particularly after the victory of conservative Cory Bernardi
in a vote to fill a Senate
vacancy in March, but in an upset result, Wade won 112-84-32 respectively in the first round of balloting, and 134-96 in the second. He was subsequently appointed to the vacancy on May 2, the first sitting day of the new parliament, and will serve out the remaining four years of Redford's term.
On 18 April 2007, within a year of the election, Wade was appointed to the Shadow Ministry. Following a reshuffle in July 2009, Wade served as Shadow Minister for Disability Services, Housing, Families and Communities, Social Inclusion and Assisting the Shadow Attorney-General.
Wade won preselection for second position on the Liberal Party Legislative Council ticket at the 2010 state election, and was returned. A law graduate who has never practiced law, Wade was appointed Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Justice in April 2010.
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 has been a Liberal Party of Australia
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 South Australian Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
after an appointment in May 2006.
Wade was a ministerial adviser to former state minister Dr Michael Armitage before working in the water industry. Having decided to make a move into politics himself, he nominated for the party's Legislative Council ticket for the 2006 state election
South Australian legislative election, 2006
The state election for the 51st Parliament of South Australia was held in the Australian state of South Australia on 18 March 2006, and was conducted by the independent State Electoral Office.-House of Assembly:...
with the support of the party's moderate faction. It had been predicted that as a moderate he would only receive the distinctly unwinnable seventh position, but in an upset result, he instead won the at least potentially winnable fifth position. However, the party suffered a particularly bad defeat at the election, and the party was only able to win three seats.
Wade received a second chance soon after the election, however, when the Liberal Party opened nominations for a casual vacancy that had occurred prior to the election when former shadow minister Angus Redford
Angus Redford
Angus John Redford is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the South Australian Legislative Council between 1993 and 2006....
resigned in order to make an unsuccessful bid to shift to the House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
to contest the electoral district of Bright
Electoral district of Bright
Bright is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers southern coastal suburbs of Adelaide including Hove, Brighton, Seacliff, Seacliff Park, Marino, Hallett Cove, Somerton Park, South Brighton, North Brighton and Kingston Park....
after Wayne Matthew
Wayne Matthew
Wayne Anthony Matthew is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Australia in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1989 to 2006 inclusive, representing the electorate of Bright....
resigned prior to the 2006 election
South Australian legislative election, 2006
The state election for the 51st Parliament of South Australia was held in the Australian state of South Australia on 18 March 2006, and was conducted by the independent State Electoral Office.-House of Assembly:...
. He emerged as the leading moderate contender for the position, challenging conservative Tim Keynes, who had occupied the fourth position on the ticket at the election and Joe Scalzi
Joe Scalzi
Giuseppe "Joe" Scalzi is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the South Australian House of Assembly between 1993 and 2006, representing the electorate of Hartley....
, a defeated Member of the House of Assembly. Keynes was widely seen as the favourite, particularly after the victory of conservative Cory Bernardi
Cory Bernardi
Cory Bernardi is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since 2006, representing the state of South Australia.-Early life:...
in a vote to fill a Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
vacancy in March, but in an upset result, Wade won 112-84-32 respectively in the first round of balloting, and 134-96 in the second. He was subsequently appointed to the vacancy on May 2, the first sitting day of the new parliament, and will serve out the remaining four years of Redford's term.
On 18 April 2007, within a year of the election, Wade was appointed to the Shadow Ministry. Following a reshuffle in July 2009, Wade served as Shadow Minister for Disability Services, Housing, Families and Communities, Social Inclusion and Assisting the Shadow Attorney-General.
Wade won preselection for second position on the Liberal Party Legislative Council ticket at the 2010 state election, and was returned. A law graduate who has never practiced law, Wade was appointed Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Justice in April 2010.