Rob Oakeshott

Robert James Murray (Rob) Oakeshott (born 14 December 1969) is an Australian politician. He is the independent Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne, New South Wales, which he won in the 2008 by-election following the resignation of former Nationals leader and Howard minister Mark Vaile. Elected as the Nationals candidate for the state seat of Port Macquarie in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1996, he left the party to become an independent in 2002, and retained the seat until 2008, when he resigned to run as an independent candidate in the Lyne by-election. Oakeshott describes his views as economically conservative and socially progressive. [http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/mp-wanted-for-growing-rural-seat-mavericks-very-welcome-20080902-47yv.html MP wanted for growing rural seat. Mavericks very welcome: The Age 3/9/2008] ] [ [http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/print-version.chtml?filename_num=228472 MP wanted for growing rural seat. Mavericks very welcome: Australian Policy Online 4/9/2008 (expanded version of The Age article)] ]

Early political career and State politics

Oakeshott worked as a staffer for National Party Leader Mark Vaile before his election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.cite web | date = 3 | year = 2004 | month = August | url = http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2004/s1168229.htm | title = Nationals concerned about Vaile's survival | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | accessdate = 2006-06-10] cite web | date = 20 | year = 2004
month = July | url = http://crikey.com.au/articles/2004/07/20-0005.html | title = Where 220 ex Howard staffers are now | publisher = crikey.com | accessdate = 2006-06-10]

He was elected as the National Party member for Port Macquarie at a by-election on 30 November 1996 after the retirement of National Party member Wendy Machin on 28 August, winning 46.71% of the primary votecite web | title=State Electoral District - Port Macquarie Results 1996 (byelection) | publisher = New South Wales Electoral Commission
url = http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/election_results/district_index/port_macquarie/results/1996_byelection | accessdate = 2006-11-24 ] against John Barrett, a former Liberal Party candidate who stood as an independent after Liberal Leader Peter Collins decided not to run a candidate.cite web |url= http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2008/07/will-the-libera.html|title= Will the Liberals Pass on Lyne?|accessdate= 2008-07-21 |authorlink= Antony Green |date= 2008-07-19 |work= |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation] He stood again at the 1999 election, increasing his primary vote to 56.05%.cite web | title=State Electoral District - Port Macquarie Results 1999 | publisher = New South Wales Electoral Commission | url = http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/election_results/district_index/port_macquarie/results/1999 | accessdate = 2006-11-24 ]

Resignation from the National Party

Following the 1999 State Election, Oakeshott became the Opposition spokesman on Gaming, Sport and Recreation, and Fisheries and Ports.cite web |url= http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/1f05a073cb5a49a2ca256e7c00184cda/3ca6db4281ff90ae4a256745000165b1!OpenDocument|title= Mr Robert James Murray OAKESHOTT (1969 - )|accessdate=2008-09-04|author= |date=2008-08-26|work=Parliament of New South Wales website|publisher=Parliament of New South Wales ] He become increasingly dissatisfied with the National Party and stated that he was often the youngest person at most meetings he attended. He disagreed with his party's opposition to an Australian republic.

Oakeshott resigned from the National Party on 9 March 2002, and subsequently retained the seat as an independent at the 2003 New South Wales State election, gaining 69.75% of the primary vote, compared to 14% for the National Party candidate.cite web | title=State Electoral District - Port Macquarie Results 2003
publisher = New South Wales Electoral Commission | url = http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/election_results/district_index/port_macquarie/results/2003 | accessdate = 2006-11-24]

Federal politics

There were suggestions that Oakeshott would stand as an independent candidate at the 2004 Federal election against his former boss and National Party Leader Mark Vaile in the seat of Lyne, but he did not nominate as a candidate.

In April 2008, following the defeat of the Howard Government, Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan approached Oakeshott to consider standing as a joint Liberal-National candidate should Mark Vaile retire and a by-election be called. He did not comment at the time because Vaile had not announced his intentions.cite news |first= McDougall|last= Bruce|authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Independent MP Rob Oakeshott tilts at Mark Vaile seat|url= http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24048715-5005941,00.html|work= Daily Telegraph|publisher= News Limited|date= 2008-07-21|accessdate=2008-07-21] After Vaile announced his resignation from Parliament on 19 July 2008, triggering a Lyne by-election, [cite web |url= http://www.markvaile.com.au/news/default.asp?action=article&ID=1360|title= Vaile steps down from Politics|accessdate= 2008-07-21|authorlink= Mark Vaile|date= 2008-07-19|work= markvaile.com.au|publisher= Mark Vaile] Oakeshott announced that he would consider standing for the seat.

Oakeshott resigned as the independent MP for Port Macquarie in order to run as an independent candidate at the federal Lyne by-election. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/06/2325482.htm By-elections pressure Coalition's unity: ABC News 6/8/2008] ] [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24135323-5006784,00.html Maverick Rob Oakeshott to haunt former party: The Australian 6/8/2008] ] This will trigger a Port Macquarie by-election.

Oakeshott was considered the strong favourite for the Lyne by-election, being placed at $1.16 by Centrebet and $1.15 by Sportingbet to take the seat. He won virtually every booth in the electorate, receiving around two thirds of the primary vote and three quarters of the two-party vote. [ [http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13827-130.htm AEC Results: Lyne by-election 2008] ] The extent of his primary vote saw him receive over $100,000 in electoral reimbursements from the Australian Electoral Commission. [ [http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Media_releases/2008/10_02.htm Public funding payments for Lyne and Mayo by-elections: AEC 2/10/2008] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.roboakeshott.com/ Rob Oakeshott official website]
* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/1f05a073cb5a49a2ca256e7c00184cda/3ca6db4281ff90ae4a256745000165b1!OpenDocument NSW Parliament]

Persondata
NAME = Oakeshott, Robert James Murray (Rob)
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH = 14 December 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH =
DATE OF DEATH = living
PLACE OF DEATH =