Paul Papalia
Encyclopedia
Paul Papalia CSC
(born 12 July 1962) is an Australia
n politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
since February 2007. Originally the member for Peel
. he is now the member for Warnbro. A decorated former navy diver who served two tours in Iraq
, Papalia entered parliament after winning a by-election
sparked by the resignation of scandal-tarred former minister Norm Marlborough
.
Papalia was born in Bunbury
, Western Australia
. He served in the Royal Australian Navy
for 26 years before entering politics, working as a navy diver and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander
. He specialised in explosives retrieval and escape and rescue, and attained the rank of lieutenant commander. He served with the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq during the early 1990s, and was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross
in 1994 for his work there. Papalia later returned to Iraq
during the Iraq War, serving as executive officer in an Australian mine-clearing team. He left the navy in 2004, and operated a small business renovating houses up until the time of his election to parliament. He publicly opposes the Iraq War, and has advocated a rapid withdrawal of Australian forces from the country.
In November 2006, state Minister for Small Business Norm Marlborough
resigned from parliament after it was revealed that he had lied to the Corruption and Crime Commission
about his dealings with disgraced former Premier of Western Australia
Brian Burke
, thus triggering a by-election in his electorate of Peel
. Peel had been held by the Labor Party since the seat's inception and was generally considered a safe Labor seat, but concerns about an electoral backlash over Marlborough's conduct led the party to look for a candidate without a political background. Papalia thus nominated for Labor preselection in the by-election, and was easily successful – despite having only joined the party weeks before – after receiving strong support from Premier Alan Carpenter
. He went on to easily win the by-election, receiving a small swing in his favour in a seat that the government had feared they might lose.
The district of Peel was abolished with effect at the 2008 state election
. Papalia instead successfully contested the new seat of Warnbro, which covers much the same area.
Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia)
The Conspicuous Service Cross is a decoration of the Australian Honours System. The CSC is awarded only for outstanding devotion to duty, or outstanding achievement in the application of exceptional skills, judgment or dedication, in non-warlike situations...
(born 12 July 1962) is an Australia
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 Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
since February 2007. Originally the member for Peel
Electoral district of Peel
Peel was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1989 to 2008.The district was based in the south-western suburbs of Perth.Peel was at all times a safe Labor seat.-History:...
. he is now the member for Warnbro. A decorated former navy diver who served two tours in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Papalia entered parliament after winning a by-election
Peel state by-election, 2007
A by-election for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly district of Peel was held on 3 February 2007.The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labor MP Norm Marlborough...
sparked by the resignation of scandal-tarred former minister Norm Marlborough
Norm Marlborough
Norman "Norm" Richard Marlborough was a Western Australian state politician.Marlborough was born in Yorkshire, England and arrived in Western Australia in 1963. Before he entered parliament he was a fitter and turner and later a union official...
.
Papalia was born in Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He served in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
for 26 years before entering politics, working as a navy diver and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
. He specialised in explosives retrieval and escape and rescue, and attained the rank of lieutenant commander. He served with the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq during the early 1990s, and was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross
Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia)
The Conspicuous Service Cross is a decoration of the Australian Honours System. The CSC is awarded only for outstanding devotion to duty, or outstanding achievement in the application of exceptional skills, judgment or dedication, in non-warlike situations...
in 1994 for his work there. Papalia later returned to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
during the Iraq War, serving as executive officer in an Australian mine-clearing team. He left the navy in 2004, and operated a small business renovating houses up until the time of his election to parliament. He publicly opposes the Iraq War, and has advocated a rapid withdrawal of Australian forces from the country.
In November 2006, state Minister for Small Business Norm Marlborough
Norm Marlborough
Norman "Norm" Richard Marlborough was a Western Australian state politician.Marlborough was born in Yorkshire, England and arrived in Western Australia in 1963. Before he entered parliament he was a fitter and turner and later a union official...
resigned from parliament after it was revealed that he had lied to the Corruption and Crime Commission
Corruption and Crime Commission
The Corruption and Crime Commission is a permanent investigative commission established by the Government of Western Australia in 2003, largely as a result of the findings of a Royal Commission into the state's police service. Its role is to investigate public corruption...
about his dealings with disgraced former Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Brian Burke
Brian Burke
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
, thus triggering a by-election in his electorate of Peel
Electoral district of Peel
Peel was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1989 to 2008.The district was based in the south-western suburbs of Perth.Peel was at all times a safe Labor seat.-History:...
. Peel had been held by the Labor Party since the seat's inception and was generally considered a safe Labor seat, but concerns about an electoral backlash over Marlborough's conduct led the party to look for a candidate without a political background. Papalia thus nominated for Labor preselection in the by-election, and was easily successful – despite having only joined the party weeks before – after receiving strong support from Premier Alan Carpenter
Alan Carpenter
Alan John Carpenter is a former Australian politician. He was the 28th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop...
. He went on to easily win the by-election, receiving a small swing in his favour in a seat that the government had feared they might lose.
The district of Peel was abolished with effect at the 2008 state election
Western Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
. Papalia instead successfully contested the new seat of Warnbro, which covers much the same area.