Richard Torbay
Encyclopedia
George Richard Torbay MP (born 26 March 1961), an Australian politician, is an independent
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Northern Tablelands
since 1999. Torbay was the 30th Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, serving from 2007 until 2011, and was the first independent member to be Speaker of the House since 1913. Prior to his election to State parliament, he served for a period as Mayor
of Armidale City Council.
High School. He was elected to Armidale City Council in 1991 and was a Councillor 1991–98. He was the Deputy Mayor 1992–93, and Mayor 1995–98. He also established Armidale City Council: Public Relations Committee in 1993 and Youth Council in 1993.
His involvement in local government also extended to being Chairman New England Local Government Group 1997–98; Chairman NSW Country Mayor's Association 1997–98 and Member Water Supply and Resources Committee of the Local Government and Shires Association 1996.
Minister, Ray Chappell
, for the seat of Northern Tablelands, running as an independent candidate. In a surprise result, Torbay defeated Chappell; winning 44.15 per cent of the primary vote to Chappell's 34.09 per cent, with a two-party preferred margin of 59.37 per cent.
Torbay was re-elected at the 2003
and 2007 general elections, again representing Northern Tablelands. He accepted an offer by Premier Morris Iemma
to become Speaker
of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, a position usually filled by a member of the governing party. Following the election of the O'Farrell
–Stoner
Liberal
/National coalition
government at the 2011 general election
, Torbay was replaced as Speaker by the Liberal's Shelley Hancock
.
Union having previously started at the university as a kitchen hand in 1980. In 2008, he was elected the Chancellor
of the University of New England. Married with three children, in 2007, Torbay received an honorary doctorate from the University of New England.
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 of 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...
representing Northern Tablelands
Electoral district of Northern Tablelands
Northern Tablelands is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is currently represented by independent member Richard Torbay....
since 1999. Torbay was the 30th Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly, New South Wales's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is Shelley Hancock, who was elected on 3 May 2011...
, serving from 2007 until 2011, and was the first independent member to be Speaker of the House since 1913. Prior to his election to State parliament, he served for a period as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Armidale City Council.
Early life and career
Born in 1961, Torbay was educated at KingswoodKingswood, New South Wales
Kingswood is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Kingswood is located 49 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith...
High School. He was elected to Armidale City Council in 1991 and was a Councillor 1991–98. He was the Deputy Mayor 1992–93, and Mayor 1995–98. He also established Armidale City Council: Public Relations Committee in 1993 and Youth Council in 1993.
His involvement in local government also extended to being Chairman New England Local Government Group 1997–98; Chairman NSW Country Mayor's Association 1997–98 and Member Water Supply and Resources Committee of the Local Government and Shires Association 1996.
State political career
In 1999, he challenged the former NationalsNational 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...
Minister, Ray Chappell
Ray Chappell
Raymond Francis "Ray" Chappell is a former Australian politician. He was the National Party member for Northern Tablelands in the New South Wales Parliament from 1987 to 1999, and served as a minister from 1993 to 1995....
, for the seat of Northern Tablelands, running as an independent candidate. In a surprise result, Torbay defeated Chappell; winning 44.15 per cent of the primary vote to Chappell's 34.09 per cent, with a two-party preferred margin of 59.37 per cent.
Torbay was re-elected at the 2003
New South Wales state election, 2003
Elections to the 53rd Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 22 March 2003. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
and 2007 general elections, again representing Northern Tablelands. He accepted an offer by Premier Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
to become Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of 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...
, a position usually filled by a member of the governing party. Following the election of the 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...
–Stoner
Andrew Stoner
Andrew John Stoner is an Australian politician, Deputy Premier of New South Wales and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Oxley since the 1999 state election, and the Leader of the New South Wales National Party since 31 March 2003...
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...
/National coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government at the 2011 general election
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
, Torbay was replaced as Speaker by the Liberal's Shelley Hancock
Shelley Hancock
Shelley Elizabeth Hancock MP , an Australian politician, was elected as the first female Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the first sitting of Parliament following the 2011 state election...
.
Other appointments
In 1991, Torbay was the Chief Executive of the University of New EnglandUniversity of New England, Australia
The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
Union having previously started at the university as a kitchen hand in 1980. In 2008, he was elected the Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the University of New England. Married with three children, in 2007, Torbay received an honorary doctorate from the University of New England.