Lidia Argondizzo
Encyclopedia
Lidia Serafina Argondizzo (born 13 October 1960) is an Australia
n politician. She was the Australian Labor Party
(ALP) member of the Victorian Legislative Council
representing Templestowe Province
from 2002 to 2006.
Argondizzo was born in Italy
, but immigrated to Australia as a child. She attended Preston Girls' High School and received an MBA from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
. After graduating, she was employed by the Victorian Health Department for several years. It was during this period that Argondizzo was elected as a councillor in the City of Northcote
in 1987. She left the Health Department the following year to take up a position as an electorate officer for Giovanni Sgro
, an ALP member of the Legislative Council was also in the Party's left-wing.
In 1989, Argondizzo was elected mayor of the City of Northcote
, and got a job as an electorate officer with ALP Senator Barney Cooney
. She continued on as a councillor until 1993. During this period, she made several unsuccessful attempts to secure ALP preselection for a seat in either State or Federal parliament. At one time she was a member of the splinter Left faction the Pledge Left, where she appeared likely to obtain preselection partly due to the support she received from her brother Frank Argondizzo, a then official at the Vehicle Builders Union. Tensions emerged within the Pledge Left about her candidacy and she was not selected as a result. She returned to the Socialist Left faction soon after.
In 2002, she was chosen as the ALP candidate for the seat of Templestowe Province at the election due later that year. Templestowe was held by a margin of nearly six percent by Deputy Liberal Leader in the Upper House and Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Energy Carlo Furletti
. There was a large swing to the Labor Party at the state election and Argondizzo won as a result, making Furletti one of the major casualties of the election.
She was appointed as the Government Whip in the Legislative Council after the election. She has served on the Library, Legislative Council Standing Orders and Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committees.
The Legislative Council was substantially reformed in the leadup to the 2006 state election
, and Argondizzo was one of eight incumbent Labor members forced to fit into one new, larger, electorate which would only return a maximum of three for Labor. As a relatively junior member of the government, she did not have priority for one of the winnable Legislative Council seats, and attempted to shift to the Legislative Assembly by contesting the Liberal-held marginal seat of electoral district of Doncaster
, then held by the retiring Victor Perton
. She was defeated by Mary Wooldridge
.
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. She was 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...
(ALP) member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
representing Templestowe Province
Templestowe Province
Templestowe Province was an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Council. It existed as a two-member electorate from 1967 to 2006, with members serving alternating eight-year terms. It was traditionally held by the Liberal Party of Australia, but was held by the Australian Labor Party on two...
from 2002 to 2006.
Argondizzo was born in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, but immigrated to Australia as a child. She attended Preston Girls' High School and received an MBA from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
. After graduating, she was employed by the Victorian Health Department for several years. It was during this period that Argondizzo was elected as a councillor in the City of Northcote
City of Darebin
The City of Darebin is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of , and as of 2009, has a population of 139,608...
in 1987. She left the Health Department the following year to take up a position as an electorate officer for Giovanni Sgro
Giovanni Sgro
Giovanni Antonio Sgro , Australian politician, was a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Australian Labor Party for Melbourne North Province from July 1979 until his retirement in August 1992....
, an ALP member of the Legislative Council was also in the Party's left-wing.
In 1989, Argondizzo was elected mayor of the City of Northcote
City of Northcote
The City of Northcote was a Local Government Area located about northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1883 until 1994.-History:...
, and got a job as an electorate officer with ALP Senator Barney Cooney
Barney Cooney
Bernard Cornelius "Barney" Cooney is a former Australian politician. Born in Currie, Tasmania, he was educated at the University of Melbourne before becoming a barrister. In 1984, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for Victoria. He held the seat until his retirement in...
. She continued on as a councillor until 1993. During this period, she made several unsuccessful attempts to secure ALP preselection for a seat in either State or Federal parliament. At one time she was a member of the splinter Left faction the Pledge Left, where she appeared likely to obtain preselection partly due to the support she received from her brother Frank Argondizzo, a then official at the Vehicle Builders Union. Tensions emerged within the Pledge Left about her candidacy and she was not selected as a result. She returned to the Socialist Left faction soon after.
In 2002, she was chosen as the ALP candidate for the seat of Templestowe Province at the election due later that year. Templestowe was held by a margin of nearly six percent by Deputy Liberal Leader in the Upper House and Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Energy Carlo Furletti
Carlo Furletti
Carlo Angelo Furletti is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1996 to 2002, representing Templestowe Province. Born in Italy, he arrived in Australia at the age of four.He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for...
. There was a large swing to the Labor Party at the state election and Argondizzo won as a result, making Furletti one of the major casualties of the election.
She was appointed as the Government Whip in the Legislative Council after the election. She has served on the Library, Legislative Council Standing Orders and Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committees.
The Legislative Council was substantially reformed in the leadup to the 2006 state election
Victorian state election, 2006
An election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. Just over 3 million Victorians registered to vote elected 88 members to the Legislative Assembly and, for the first time, 40 members to the Legislative Council under a proportional representation system...
, and Argondizzo was one of eight incumbent Labor members forced to fit into one new, larger, electorate which would only return a maximum of three for Labor. As a relatively junior member of the government, she did not have priority for one of the winnable Legislative Council seats, and attempted to shift to the Legislative Assembly by contesting the Liberal-held marginal seat of electoral district of Doncaster
Electoral district of Doncaster
The Electoral district of Doncaster is a metropolitan electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, located approximately 13 kilometres north-east of Melbourne...
, then held by the retiring Victor Perton
Victor Perton
Victor Perton is a former Australian parliamentarian. He is the Commissioner to the Americas based in San Francisco representing the Australian State of Victoria....
. She was defeated by Mary Wooldridge
Mary Wooldridge
Mary Louise Newling Wooldridge is an Australian politician for the Liberal Party in the state of Victoria. She was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 2006, representing the electoral district of Doncaster...
.