Peter Tinley
Encyclopedia
Peter Tinley AM
(born 1962) is an Australia
n soldier and politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
since November 2009, representing the electorate of Willagee
.
Born in the northern Perth
suburb of Karrinyup
, Tinley joined the Australian Army in 1981 and graduated from Royal Military College, Duntroon
, earning the Queen's Medal which is awarded to the cadet graduating top of their class. He spent 17 of his 25 years in the Army in the Special Air Service (SAS)
Regiment. In 2002, he was the lead tactical planner for Australia's special forces advising the United States, and in 2003 he served as Deputy Commander for the Special Forces Task Group in Iraq
. In the same year, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "dynamic leadership and consistent professional excellence".
In late 2006, after leaving the army with the rank of Major
, Tinley spoke out against the decision of the Howard Government
to support the US and British initiative to invade Iraq on the basis of purported evidence of the country's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction
. He also called for the immediate withdrawal of Australian troops.
In the meantime, Tinley conducted strategic planning and leadership workshops. Among other clients, he worked with the West Coast Eagles Football Club coaching staff. He also ran a small business.
In 2006, former federal opposition leader Kim Beazley
approached Tinley to run for the federal Division of Stirling
as the Australian Labor Party
's endorsed candidate at the 2007 election. The sitting member, Liberal
MP Michael Keenan
, retained the seat with a slightly reduced majority.
Upon the resignation of former Premier
Alan Carpenter
from the safe Labor state seat of Willagee
, Tinley was preselected to run for Labor at the resulting by-election
on 28 November 2009. He was ultimately elected as the member for Willagee with over 60% of the two-party-preferred vote against the Greens
' Hsien Harper.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 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 soldier and 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 November 2009, representing the electorate of Willagee
Electoral district of Willagee
Willagee is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district is located in the southern suburbs of Perth.Willagee has at all times been a safe Labor seat.-Geography:...
.
Born in the northern Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
suburb of Karrinyup
Karrinyup, Western Australia
Karrinyup is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 12 km north of Perth's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stirling...
, Tinley joined the Australian Army in 1981 and graduated from Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
, earning the Queen's Medal which is awarded to the cadet graduating top of their class. He spent 17 of his 25 years in the Army in the Special Air Service (SAS)
Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...
Regiment. In 2002, he was the lead tactical planner for Australia's special forces advising the United States, and in 2003 he served as Deputy Commander for the Special Forces Task Group 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....
. In the same year, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "dynamic leadership and consistent professional excellence".
In late 2006, after leaving the army with the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, Tinley spoke out against the decision of the Howard Government
Howard Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
to support the US and British initiative to invade Iraq on the basis of purported evidence of the country's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
. He also called for the immediate withdrawal of Australian troops.
In the meantime, Tinley conducted strategic planning and leadership workshops. Among other clients, he worked with the West Coast Eagles Football Club coaching staff. He also ran a small business.
In 2006, former federal opposition leader Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
approached Tinley to run for the federal Division of Stirling
Division of Stirling
The Division of Stirling is an Australian Electoral Division in the inner northern and beachside suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. It includes the suburbs of Balcatta, Balga, Carine, Innaloo, Nollamara, North Beach, Scarborough, Stirling, Trigg and Yokine....
as 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...
's endorsed candidate at the 2007 election. The sitting member, 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...
MP Michael Keenan
Michael Keenan
Michael Fayat Keenan , Australian politician, was elected to the House of Representatives as member for the Division of Stirling, Western Australia for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 2004 federal election. He was educated at Murdoch University, Perth, the Australian National University, and...
, retained the seat with a slightly reduced majority.
Upon the resignation of former Premier
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...
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...
from the safe Labor state seat of Willagee
Electoral district of Willagee
Willagee is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district is located in the southern suburbs of Perth.Willagee has at all times been a safe Labor seat.-Geography:...
, Tinley was preselected to run for Labor at the resulting by-election
Willagee state by-election, 2009
A by-election was held for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Willagee on 28 November 2009. It was triggered as a result of the resignation of former Premier of Western Australia Alan Carpenter. The election was won by Labor candidate Peter Tinley.-Candidates:Four candidates stood...
on 28 November 2009. He was ultimately elected as the member for Willagee with over 60% of the two-party-preferred vote against the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
' Hsien Harper.