John Ajaka
Encyclopedia
John George Ajaka is an Australia
n politician. He has been a Liberal Party of Australia
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
since 2007. He is the first Liberal
Lebanese Australian
member of an Australian parliament. Ajaka currently serves as parliamentary secretary for Transport and Roads.
Ajaka was born in Bulli
, New South Wales
, to migrant parents. He attended St Joseph's Primary School and Marist College Kogarah. He served in the Army Cadets, graduating as the second-highest ranking officer in his group, and served briefly in the Army Reserve. He subsequently studied law and opened his own practice in Rockdale
. He was later elected as a City of Rockdale
councillor, serving in that role until his election to parliament.
Ajaka was elected to the Legislative Council at the 2007 state election
, having been preselected in the winnable sixth position on the Liberal Party ticket. He made his inaugural speech to the Legislative Council on 9 May 2007, in which he called for greater acceptance of migrants within Australian society and declared his intention to oppose racial prejudice and injustice in his role as an MP. He also strongly criticised the police practice of referring to the ethnic backgrounds of criminals, contravening his own party's policy on the matter.
Ajaka supported the party's current leader, Barry O'Farrell
, in his leadership battle against former leader Peter Debnam
.
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 a Liberal Party of Australia
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 of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
since 2007. He is the first 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...
Lebanese Australian
Lebanese Australian
A Lebanese Australian is an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Lebanese descent. The community is multi-religious, and includes a Christian, mostly Maronite Catholic, majority, as well as a large Muslim minority of both the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam, and various other Christian and...
member of an Australian parliament. Ajaka currently serves as parliamentary secretary for Transport and Roads.
Ajaka was born in Bulli
Bulli, New South Wales
Bulli is a northern suburb of Wollongong situated on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Bulli is derived from an Aboriginal word signifying "double or two mountains"....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, to migrant parents. He attended St Joseph's Primary School and Marist College Kogarah. He served in the Army Cadets, graduating as the second-highest ranking officer in his group, and served briefly in the Army Reserve. He subsequently studied law and opened his own practice in Rockdale
Rockdale, New South Wales
Rockdale is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rockdale is located 13 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the St George area...
. He was later elected as a City of Rockdale
City of Rockdale
The City of Rockdale is a Local Government Area in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre is located 12 kilometres south-south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the western shores of Botany Bay...
councillor, serving in that role until his election to parliament.
Ajaka was elected to the Legislative Council at the 2007 state election
New South Wales legislative election, 2007
Elections for the 54th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 24 March 2007. The entire Legislative Assembly and half of the Legislative Council was up for election. The Australian Labor Party led by Morris Iemma won a fourth four-year term against the Liberal-National coalition led...
, having been preselected in the winnable sixth position on the Liberal Party ticket. He made his inaugural speech to the Legislative Council on 9 May 2007, in which he called for greater acceptance of migrants within Australian society and declared his intention to oppose racial prejudice and injustice in his role as an MP. He also strongly criticised the police practice of referring to the ethnic backgrounds of criminals, contravening his own party's policy on the matter.
Ajaka supported the party's current leader, Barry O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
, in his leadership battle against former leader Peter Debnam
Peter Debnam
Peter John Debnam , is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Vaucluse between 1994 and 2011. Debnam is a former Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney,...
.