Steve Whan
Encyclopedia
Steve Whan an Australia
n politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
, appointed in June 2011 to fill a casual vacancy. Whan represented the electoral district of Monaro
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for the Australian Labor Party
from 2003
until his defeat at the 2011 election
. Whan served as Minister of Emergency Services, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Rural Affairs in the Rees
and Keneally
ministries from 2009 to 2011.
, Australian Capital Territory
, the son of Bob Whan
, a former member of the federal seat
of Eden-Monaro
, Whan was educated at the Canberra College of Advanced Education
(now University of Canberra
). Here, Steve Whan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in Social Sciences, majoring in Economics and Politics Interests in 1985. In 1998, he received a Graduate Certificate in Management from the University of Western Sydney
.
Whan lives in Queanbeyan with his wife and two children.
From 1987 to 1988 Whan was Assistant Private Secretary to John Brown, Federal Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories. He later worked for then Senator
Bob McMullan
until 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, Whan worked for Ros Kelly
, Federal Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories. Whan was employed by Kelly during the period known as the sports rorts affair
.
He worked for the Australian Sports Commission
from 1994 to 2001 and subsequently became a consultant on community relations and sport before being preselected as a candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Council.
Whan was elected as the Member for Monaro at the 2003 NSW State election.
In August 2009, some media outlets speculated that Whan would be appointed as the NSW Government's Police Minister. Commentators had suggested that Whan would be rewarded for his ongoing factional support for Premier, Nathan Rees. His appointment as Police Minister did not eventuate; however one month later, Whan was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs.
At the 2011 election, Whan was defeated as Member for Monaro. Less than three months later, he was appointed to the Legislative Council to fill a casual vacancy, succeeding Tony Kelly. He was immediately promoted to the shadow cabinet, becoming the shadow minister for Resources and Primary Industries, Shadow Special Minister of State, shadow minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing.
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, is a 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...
, appointed in June 2011 to fill a casual vacancy. Whan represented the electoral district of Monaro
Electoral district of Monaro
Monaro is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Barilaro of the National Party of Australia....
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...
for 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...
from 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...
until his defeat at the 2011 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...
. Whan served as Minister of Emergency Services, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Rural Affairs in the Rees
Rees ministry
The Rees ministry is the 91st ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and was led by the 41st Premier Nathan Rees.The Rees Labor ministry was formed following the resignation of Premier Morris Iemma on 5 September 2008 and the unanimous election of Rees as Leader of the Labor caucus and...
and Keneally
Keneally ministry
The Keneally ministry is the 92nd ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and was led by the 42nd Premier Kristina Keneally....
ministries from 2009 to 2011.
Early career and background
Born in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, the son of Bob Whan
Bob Whan
Robert Bruce "Bob" Whan, AM was an Australian politician. He was the Australian Labor Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Eden-Monaro from 1972 until his defeat by Murray Sainsbury in the 1975 election....
, a former member of the federal seat
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
of Eden-Monaro
Division of Eden-Monaro
The Division of Eden-Monaro is anAustralian 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 is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales...
, Whan was educated at the Canberra College of Advanced Education
College of Advanced Education
The College of Advanced Education was a class of Australian tertiary education institution that existed from 1967 until the early 1990s. They ranked below universities, but above Colleges of Technical and Further Education which offer trade qualification...
(now University of Canberra
University of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
). Here, Steve Whan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Social Sciences, majoring in Economics and Politics Interests in 1985. In 1998, he received a Graduate Certificate in Management from the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Whan lives in Queanbeyan with his wife and two children.
From 1987 to 1988 Whan was Assistant Private Secretary to John Brown, Federal Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories. He later worked for then Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Bob McMullan
Bob McMullan
Robert Francis McMullan is an Australian former politician who represented the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives....
until 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, Whan worked for Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly AO was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Canberra from 18 October 1980 to 30 January 1995. She was a minister in the governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating....
, Federal Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories. Whan was employed by Kelly during the period known as the sports rorts affair
Sports rorts affair
The "sports rorts" affair was the name by which Australian media and political commentators came to refer to events during the second Keating ministry in late 1993 and early 1994, where the then Sports Minister, Ros Kelly, was unable to appropriately explain the distribution of federal sporting...
.
He worked for the Australian Sports Commission
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
from 1994 to 2001 and subsequently became a consultant on community relations and sport before being preselected as a candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Council.
Political career
Representing Labor, Whan contested Eden-Monaro at the 1998 and 2001 federal elections; however was unsuccessful on both occasions.Whan was elected as the Member for Monaro at the 2003 NSW State election.
In August 2009, some media outlets speculated that Whan would be appointed as the NSW Government's Police Minister. Commentators had suggested that Whan would be rewarded for his ongoing factional support for Premier, Nathan Rees. His appointment as Police Minister did not eventuate; however one month later, Whan was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs.
At the 2011 election, Whan was defeated as Member for Monaro. Less than three months later, he was appointed to the Legislative Council to fill a casual vacancy, succeeding Tony Kelly. He was immediately promoted to the shadow cabinet, becoming the shadow minister for Resources and Primary Industries, Shadow Special Minister of State, shadow minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing.