Michael Owen (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Joseph Owen is a former Australia
n politician. He was the Liberal
member for Bass Hill
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1986 to 1988.
Owen was educated at St Therese Primary School in Padstow Heights
, and then at De La Salle College in Revesby
and Benilde High School in Bankstown
. He worked as an insurance agent and real estate salesman before entering politics. He joined the Liberal Party
in 1980, and served as Vice-President and then President of the Bankstown Young Liberals; he was also President and Treasurer of the Blaxland
Federal Electoral Council and Vice-President of the Bankstown State Electoral Council.
In 1985, Owen was elected to Bankstown City Council at a by-election, representing the Liberal Party. He was re-elected in 1987, and served on the council until 1991, when he did not seek re-election.
In 1986, Premier Neville Wran
resigned from parliament, triggering a by-election for the safe Labor
seat of Bass Hill
. Owen was selected as the Liberal candidate, and won the seat by 103 votes after the distribution of preferences, with the Labor primary vote dropping by 22.17% from the previous election. The seat was redistributed prior to the next election, consolidating it for Labor, and Owen was easily defeated by his opponent in the by-election, Bill Lovelee
. He has not returned to politics.
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 was 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...
member for Bass Hill
Electoral district of Bass Hill
Bass Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales from 1962 to 1991, including the Sydney suburb of Bass Hill.-Members for Bass Hill:...
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1986 to 1988.
Owen was educated at St Therese Primary School in Padstow Heights
Padstow Heights, New South Wales
Padstow Heights, a suburb of local government area City of Bankstown, is located 23 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region...
, and then at De La Salle College in Revesby
Revesby, New South Wales
Revesby, a suburb of local government area City of Bankstown, is located 22 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region....
and Benilde High School in Bankstown
Bankstown, New South Wales
Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...
. He worked as an insurance agent and real estate salesman before entering politics. He joined the Liberal Party
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...
in 1980, and served as Vice-President and then President of the Bankstown Young Liberals; he was also President and Treasurer of the Blaxland
Division of Blaxland
The Division of Blaxland is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. It is based in the western suburbs of Sydney, and includes the working-class suburbs of Bass Hill, Birrong, Carramar, Chester Hill, Condell Park, Fairfield East, Georges Hall, Guildford West, Old Guildford,...
Federal Electoral Council and Vice-President of the Bankstown State Electoral Council.
In 1985, Owen was elected to Bankstown City Council at a by-election, representing the Liberal Party. He was re-elected in 1987, and served on the council until 1991, when he did not seek re-election.
In 1986, Premier Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
resigned from parliament, triggering a by-election for the safe Labor
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...
seat of Bass Hill
Electoral district of Bass Hill
Bass Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales from 1962 to 1991, including the Sydney suburb of Bass Hill.-Members for Bass Hill:...
. Owen was selected as the Liberal candidate, and won the seat by 103 votes after the distribution of preferences, with the Labor primary vote dropping by 22.17% from the previous election. The seat was redistributed prior to the next election, consolidating it for Labor, and Owen was easily defeated by his opponent in the by-election, Bill Lovelee
Bill Lovelee
William Thomas "Bill" Lovelee is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Bass Hill in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 1991....
. He has not returned to politics.