Matt Birney

Matthew John "Matt" Birney (born 10 June 1969), Australian politician, was elected Leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia on 9 March 2005.

Related Topics:
10 June - 1969 - Australian - Liberal Party - Leader of the Opposition - Western Australia - 9 March - 2005

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Birney was born in Sydney but comes from a family long established on the Western Australian goldfields, and has lived in Kalgoorlie, a regional city in Western Australia, since childhood. His father, Jack Birney, was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for a New South Wales seat from 1975 to 1983.

Related Topics:
Sydney - Kalgoorlie - Jack Birney - Australian House of Representatives - New South Wales - 1975 - 1983

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Birney was educated at North Kalgoorlie Primary and Eastern Goldfields Senior High School. He was a small business proprietor and a board member of the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce and Industry, before being elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Kalgoorlie in February 2001. He is the first Liberal ever to win Kalgoorlie.

Related Topics:
Western Australian Legislative Assembly - 2001

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Birney was Shadow Minister for Youth and for the Goldfields-Esperance region in 2001-02, Shadow Minister for Police and Goldfields-Esperance and Communication Services 2002-04 and Shadow Minister for Police, Commerce and Communications and Goldfields-Esperance 2004-05.

Related Topics:
2001 - 02 - 04 - 05

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Despite his relative lack of experience, Birney was widely seen as one of the Liberal Party's better performers in Opposition during the 2001-05 Parliament. When the Liberals under Colin Barnett were defeated at the 2005 elections by the Australian Labor Party government of Dr Geoffrey Gallop, Barnett resigned and Birney was elected unopposed as party Leader.

Related Topics:
2001 - 05 - Colin Barnett - Australian Labor Party - Geoffrey Gallop

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