Roger Degen
Encyclopedia
Roger Charles Degen is a former Australia
n politician. He was the Labor
member for Balmain
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1968 to 1984.
Degen was born in Balmain
to boatbuilder John Degen and Alice Quigley. He was educated at St Joseph's Christian Brothers High School in Rozelle
before being apprenticed to the Railways Department building carriages and wagons. A carpenter, he became an executive member of the New South Wales Building Workers Industrial Union; he joined the Australian Labor Party
in 1962. He became assistant secretary of the party's Rozelle branch, and was on the electorate councils for the federal seat of Dalley
and the state seat of Balmain
. He married Celes Watkin in 1968, with whom he had one son.
When the member for Balmain, John McMahon
, retired at the 1968 state election
, Degen was selected to replace him as Labor candidate. He won the seat easily. In 1980, he faced a motion of expulsion from parliament after an adverse finding against him by the Woodward Royal Commission into drug trafficking. The motion was defeated on party lines and he continued to hold the seat without difficulty until his retirement in 1984.
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 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...
member for Balmain
Electoral district of Balmain
Balmain is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It includes the suburbs and localities of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Glebe Island, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle,...
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 1968 to 1984.
Degen was born in Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
to boatbuilder John Degen and Alice Quigley. He was educated at St Joseph's Christian Brothers High School in Rozelle
Rozelle, New South Wales
Rozelle is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 4 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
before being apprenticed to the Railways Department building carriages and wagons. A carpenter, he became an executive member of the New South Wales Building Workers Industrial Union; 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 1962. He became assistant secretary of the party's Rozelle branch, and was on the electorate councils for the federal seat of Dalley
Division of Dalley
The Division of Dalley was an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was abolished in 1969. It was named for the colonial politician William Dalley. It was located in the...
and the state seat of Balmain
Electoral district of Balmain
Balmain is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It includes the suburbs and localities of Annandale, Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Glebe Island, Haberfield, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle,...
. He married Celes Watkin in 1968, with whom he had one son.
When the member for Balmain, John McMahon
John McMahon (Australian politician)
The Hon John Michael Alfred McMahon was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1950 until 1968...
, retired at the 1968 state election
New South Wales state election, 1968
The 1968 New South Wales state election was held on 24 February 1968. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1966 redistribution...
, Degen was selected to replace him as Labor candidate. He won the seat easily. In 1980, he faced a motion of expulsion from parliament after an adverse finding against him by the Woodward Royal Commission into drug trafficking. The motion was defeated on party lines and he continued to hold the seat without difficulty until his retirement in 1984.