Russell Savage
Encyclopedia
Russell Irwin Savage Australia
n politician, was the independent
member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly
seat of Mildura
from 1996 until 2006. Prior to entering politics, he was a long-serving police officer in Victoria and England.
, and educated at the Red Hill
Consolidated School on the Mornington Peninsula
. From
1967 to 1969, he was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police
in London
. He returned to Australia and joined Victoria Police
in 1970, attaining the rank of senior sergeant and acting as station commander at Mildura police station. In 1989 he received the National Medal
for twenty years of service in the Victorian police force.
council, until 1995 when the Shire was merged with the City of Mildura
and Shire of Walpeup
into the Rural City of Mildura
.
Savage ran as an independent
candidate for the seat of Mildura
in the 1996 Victorian state election. Savage based his campaign on the neglect of rural Victoria by incumbent Premier Jeff Kennett
's government, in particular its closure of the Vinelander
rail service between Melbourne and Mildura. His campaign was successful, and Savage was elected after a large swing from the incumbent Liberal
member Craig Bildstien.
At the next Victorian election in 1999, Savage retained his seat, and along with two other independents (Craig Ingram
and Susan Davies
), held the balance of power
in the Victorian parliament (pending the results of a supplementary election in Frankston East
following the death of sitting MP Peter McLellan on election day). At 11am on 18 October, Savage, Ingram and Davies held simultaneous press conferences, announcing their support for the Labor Party
led by Steve Bracks
.
Savage lost his seat to the National Party
's Peter Crisp
in the 2006 Victorian State election
, a loss he attributed to the Nationals' high-budget campaign, Labor's failure to reopen the Mildura rail link, and a proposal to build a toxic waste dump in his electorate.
After leaving his seat, Savage kept a low profile, saying "There's nothing more dull than ex-members of parliament. Once you're out, you're out." He and his wife Gaie now live at their property in Queensland
's Noosa hinterland.
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, was the independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
seat of Mildura
Electoral district of Mildura
Mildura is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 27,162 km² rural electorate in the far-north-west of the state, encompassing the regional towns of Hopetoun, Mildura, Ouyen, Red Cliffs and Robinvale...
from 1996 until 2006. Prior to entering politics, he was a long-serving police officer in Victoria and England.
Early life and police career
Savage was born in 1948 in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and educated at the Red Hill
Red Hill, Victoria
Red Hill is a small rural community, located in the hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour's drive south of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. The Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
Consolidated School on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. From
1967 to 1969, he was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He returned to Australia and joined Victoria Police
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
in 1970, attaining the rank of senior sergeant and acting as station commander at Mildura police station. In 1989 he received the National Medal
National Medal (Australia)
The National Medal is an Australian award given for long service by operational members of specified eligible organisations. It was introduced in 1975, as an original component of the new Australian honours system, and replaced a range of medals available to military and civilian uniformed...
for twenty years of service in the Victorian police force.
Political career
After leaving the police force in 1990, Savage entered local politics as a councillor for the Shire of MilduraShire of Mildura
The Shire of Mildura was a Local Government Area located at the northwestern corner pf Victoria, Australia, on the Murray River and the South Australian border. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1890 until 1995. From 1920 onwards, Mildura itself was managed by a separate entity,...
council, until 1995 when the Shire was merged with the City of Mildura
City of Mildura
The City of Mildura was a Local Government Area located on the Murray River in northwestern Victoria, Australia. The City covered an area of , and existed from 1920 until 1995.-History:...
and Shire of Walpeup
Shire of Walpeup
The Shire of Walpeup was a Local Government Area located in northwestern Victoria, Australia, along the South Australian border. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1911 until 1995.-History:...
into the Rural City of Mildura
Rural City of Mildura
The Rural City of Mildura is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the north-western part of the state. It has an area of 22,214 square kilometres. Localities within the LGA include Mildura city itself and the towns of Merbein, Red Cliffs, Irymple, Ouyen, Werrimull,...
.
Savage ran as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate for the seat of Mildura
Electoral district of Mildura
Mildura is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 27,162 km² rural electorate in the far-north-west of the state, encompassing the regional towns of Hopetoun, Mildura, Ouyen, Red Cliffs and Robinvale...
in the 1996 Victorian state election. Savage based his campaign on the neglect of rural Victoria by incumbent Premier Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
's government, in particular its closure of the Vinelander
Vinelander
The Vinelander was a named passenger train that operated by the Victorian Railways between Melbourne and Mildura, Victoria, Australia from 1972 to 1993. Operating overnight along the Mildura line, it included motorail and sleeping car facilities.-History:...
rail service between Melbourne and Mildura. His campaign was successful, and Savage was elected after a large swing from the incumbent 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 Craig Bildstien.
At the next Victorian election in 1999, Savage retained his seat, and along with two other independents (Craig Ingram
Craig Ingram
Craig Ingram is a former Australian politician, and was the Independent Member of Parliament for Gippsland East in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2010.-Personal life:...
and Susan Davies
Susan Davies
Susan Margaret Davies is a former Australian politician.She was born in Mirboo North, Victoria, to parents Richard Llewellyn and Jean Margaret Davies . She attended Leongatha High School and Watsonia High School in 1971, when she completed her Higher School Certificate...
), held the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
in the Victorian parliament (pending the results of a supplementary election in Frankston East
Electoral district of Frankston East
Electoral district of Frankston East was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria.-Members for Frankston East:...
following the death of sitting MP Peter McLellan on election day). At 11am on 18 October, Savage, Ingram and Davies held simultaneous press conferences, announcing their support for the 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...
led by Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
.
Savage lost his seat to the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
's Peter Crisp
Peter Crisp
Peter Crisp is an Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006. He was formerly a Wentworth Shire Councillor....
in the 2006 Victorian 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...
, a loss he attributed to the Nationals' high-budget campaign, Labor's failure to reopen the Mildura rail link, and a proposal to build a toxic waste dump in his electorate.
After leaving his seat, Savage kept a low profile, saying "There's nothing more dull than ex-members of parliament. Once you're out, you're out." He and his wife Gaie now live at their property in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
's Noosa hinterland.