Terry Mulder
Encyclopedia
Terence Wynne "Terry" Mulder (born 16 August 1952) is an Australia
n politician. He has been a Liberal
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
since 1999, representing the Colac
-based electorate of Polwarth
. He is currently Minister for Transport and Roads
.
Mulder was born in Colac
, and attended Trinity College, but did not complete high school and began working as a laborer. He was employed by the Postmaster General's Office from 1967 to 1978 before going into business, serving as managing director of a property management company from 1978 to 1999. Mulder also worked as a consultant from 1994 to 1999.
Mulder joined the Liberal Party in 1992, and was an active member of his local branch thereafter, serving as its vice-president from 1993 to 1995 and president from 1995 to 1999. He subsequently won preselection to contest the safe seat of Polwarth
upon the resignation of long-serving Ian Smith
. He was easily elected, and was a popular backbencher for most of his first term. Mulder was promoted to the ministry in a reshuffle ahead of the 2002 election, serving as Shadow Minister for Water Resources.
Mulder was easily re-elected at the 2002 election, despite a statewide routing of the Liberal Party and a challenge from renowned Geelong
football player Paul Couch
, who ran in Polwarth as a National Party
candidate. The defeat of several shadow ministers opened up a number of vacancies in the shadow cabinet after the election, and Mulder was promoted to the position of Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister for Ports.
As Shadow Minister for Transport, Mulder became one of the highest-profile members of the opposition, leading attacks on cost blowouts over the Regional Fast Rail project
and the rebuilding of Spencer Street Station
, the badly delayed Craigieburn railway extension and the controversial siting of the Marshall railway station. With the party continuing to generally struggle, however, Mulder began to be seen as a potential replacement for leader Robert Doyle
.
Mulder was seen as an outside chance to become leader throughout 2005 and early 2006, and briefly emerged as a contender to succeed Doyle when he stepped down in May 2006. He was endorsed by Doyle as his chosen replacement, but withdrew when it became clear that Ted Baillieu
, Doyle's chief rival, had the numbers to succeed him. Since the 2010 state election
, Mulder has been the Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Roads.
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
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:...
since 1999, representing the Colac
Colac, Victoria
Colac is a small city located in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac and the surrounding volcanic plains, approximately 40 km inland from Bass Strait. Colac is the largest city in and...
-based electorate of Polwarth
Electoral district of Polwarth
The Electoral district of Polwarth is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers much of the rural territory west of Geelong and includes the towns of Anglesea, Lorne, Lismore, Colac, Camperdown, Terang and Mortlake....
. He is currently Minister for Transport and Roads
Department of Transport (Victoria, Australia)
The Department of Transport or DOT is the central Government agency responsible for the coordination, integration and regulation of the transport system in the State of Victoria, Australia...
.
Mulder was born in Colac
Colac, Victoria
Colac is a small city located in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac and the surrounding volcanic plains, approximately 40 km inland from Bass Strait. Colac is the largest city in and...
, and attended Trinity College, but did not complete high school and began working as a laborer. He was employed by the Postmaster General's Office from 1967 to 1978 before going into business, serving as managing director of a property management company from 1978 to 1999. Mulder also worked as a consultant from 1994 to 1999.
Mulder joined the Liberal Party in 1992, and was an active member of his local branch thereafter, serving as its vice-president from 1993 to 1995 and president from 1995 to 1999. He subsequently won preselection to contest the safe seat of Polwarth
Electoral district of Polwarth
The Electoral district of Polwarth is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers much of the rural territory west of Geelong and includes the towns of Anglesea, Lorne, Lismore, Colac, Camperdown, Terang and Mortlake....
upon the resignation of long-serving Ian Smith
Ian Smith (Australian politician)
Ian Winton Smith is a former Victoria, Australia Liberal Party of Australia politician. He represented the Electoral district of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria as a MLA from 1967 until 1983. He resigned to unsuccessfully contest Liberal Party pre-selection for the Federal Division of Wannon...
. He was easily elected, and was a popular backbencher for most of his first term. Mulder was promoted to the ministry in a reshuffle ahead of the 2002 election, serving as Shadow Minister for Water Resources.
Mulder was easily re-elected at the 2002 election, despite a statewide routing of the Liberal Party and a challenge from renowned Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
football player Paul Couch
Paul Couch
Paul Couch is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the Australian Football League.Prior to playing with Geelong, Couch initially tried out with Fitzroy, but was rejected for being too slow....
, who ran in Polwarth as a National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
candidate. The defeat of several shadow ministers opened up a number of vacancies in the shadow cabinet after the election, and Mulder was promoted to the position of Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister for Ports.
As Shadow Minister for Transport, Mulder became one of the highest-profile members of the opposition, leading attacks on cost blowouts over the Regional Fast Rail project
Regional Fast Rail project
The Regional Fast Rail project was a rail transport project of the State Government of Victoria, Australia undertaken between 2000 and 2006 aimed at improving the passenger services on the Victorian regional railway network , specifically to reduce travel times, enhance service frequency and...
and the rebuilding of Spencer Street Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
, the badly delayed Craigieburn railway extension and the controversial siting of the Marshall railway station. With the party continuing to generally struggle, however, Mulder began to be seen as a potential replacement for leader Robert Doyle
Robert Doyle
Robert Keith Bennett Doyle is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008...
.
Mulder was seen as an outside chance to become leader throughout 2005 and early 2006, and briefly emerged as a contender to succeed Doyle when he stepped down in May 2006. He was endorsed by Doyle as his chosen replacement, but withdrew when it became clear that Ted Baillieu
Ted Baillieu
Edward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...
, Doyle's chief rival, had the numbers to succeed him. Since the 2010 state 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....
, Mulder has been the Minister for Public Transport and Minister for Roads.