Geoff Howard
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Kemp "Geoff" Howard (born 8 November 1955) is an Australia
n politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
since 1999, representing Ballarat East
.
Howard was born at Geelong
, Victoria
, and attended public schools in Belmont
and Geelong. He received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1977 from the University of Melbourne
and a Graduate Diploma of Education in 1979 from State College Rusden. He became a secondary school teacher at Kaniva
from 1980–82, moving to Ballarat
in 1982. He joined the Australian Labor Party
in 1987, and was elected to Ballarat City Council
in 1989. He was mayor from 1993–94 but left the council in 1994, only to return in 1996.
Howard left the council in 1999 after he was preselected as the Labor candidate for the Liberal
-held seat of Ballarat East
prior to the 1999 state election. Howard defeated sitting MP Barry Traynor to win the seat, and has held it since. He was immediately appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment in 1999, moving to Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture in 2002. In 2006 he lost his parliamentary secretary position, and is currently the Chair of the Education and Training Committee.
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 an 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...
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 Ballarat East
Electoral district of Ballarat East
Ballarat East is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 3,323 km² part-urban and part-rural electorate covering areas to the east of the regional centre of Ballarat...
.
Howard was born at Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
, 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....
, and attended public schools in Belmont
Belmont, Victoria
Belmont is a southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The name means "beautiful hill". Belmont is geographically separated from the Geelong central business district by the Barwon River. The suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry along Barwon Heads Road...
and Geelong. He received a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1977 from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and a Graduate Diploma of Education in 1979 from State College Rusden. He became a secondary school teacher at Kaniva
Kaniva, Victoria
Kaniva is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway, north of Little Desert National Park, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. It is located roughly 25km east of the South Australian border and 43km east of Bordertown. At the 2006 census, Kaniva had a...
from 1980–82, moving to Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
in 1982. He joined 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 1987, and was elected to Ballarat City Council
City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia around Ballarat. It is located in the western part of the state. It has an area of 740 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 81,000...
in 1989. He was mayor from 1993–94 but left the council in 1994, only to return in 1996.
Howard left the council in 1999 after he was preselected as the Labor candidate for the 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...
-held seat of Ballarat East
Electoral district of Ballarat East
Ballarat East is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 3,323 km² part-urban and part-rural electorate covering areas to the east of the regional centre of Ballarat...
prior to the 1999 state election. Howard defeated sitting MP Barry Traynor to win the seat, and has held it since. He was immediately appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment in 1999, moving to Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture in 2002. In 2006 he lost his parliamentary secretary position, and is currently the Chair of the Education and Training Committee.