John Robert Quigley (born 1 December 1948) is an Australian barrister, solicitor and politician in Western Australia. A member of the ALP, he has served as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from the 2001 election until the present, initially as the Member for Innaloo (2001–2005) until that seat's abolition in an electoral redistribution, then as the Member for Mindarie (2005-2013) until that seat's abolition in an electoral redistribution and is currently the Member for Butler. As of March 2022[update], he is the state's Attorney-General and Minister for Electoral Affairs in the second McGowan ministry after holding the position of Attorney General and Minister for Commerce in the McGowan Ministry.[3]
John Quigley | |
|---|---|
| Attorney-General of Western Australia | |
| Assumed office 17 March 2017[1] | |
| Premier | Mark McGowan |
| Preceded by | Michael Mischin |
| Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia | |
| In office 1 May 2001 – 6 September 2008 | |
| Premier | Geoff Gallop Alan Carpenter |
| Preceded by | Chris Baker |
| Succeeded by | Wendy Duncan |
| Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Butler | |
| Assumed office 9 March 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Mindarie | |
| In office 26 February 2005 – 9 March 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of the Western Australian Parliament for Innaloo | |
| In office 10 February 2001 – 26 February 2005 | |
| Preceded by | George Strickland |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Robert Quigley 1 December 1948 Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Labor Party |
| Spouses | Mary Ellen
(m. 1983; div. 1994)Darryl Wookey
(m. 1994; div. 1997)Michelle Stronach
(m. 2004; div. 2021) |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence(s) | Trigg, Western Australia, Australia |
| Education | Aquinas College |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia (LLB; 1974) |
| Occupation | Trade union lawyer (Police Union of Western Australia) Trade union delegate (Australian Council of Trade Unions) |
| Profession | Barrister Politician |
| Website | www |
Early life edit
He was born on 1 December 1948 in Perth, Western Australia, and was educated at Aquinas College, Perth.[4] He was the lawyer for the Western Australian Police Union for 20 years before entering state parliament in 2001. He became an honorary life member of the union in 2000.[4]
Politics edit
In 2007, his life membership of the Western Australian Police Union was withdrawn after his parliamentary attack on police involved with the Andrew Mallard case, where he named a former undercover policeman who had a role in Mallard's unjust conviction.[4] He planned to melt down his life membership badge, have it made into a tiepin with the words Veritas Vincit— "Truth Conquers", the motto of the school he attended—and present it to Mallard.[4]
In 2008, Quigley and two other MPs were cleared by the Corruption and Crime Commission in relation to allegations of dealings with lobbyist Brian Burke. Burke approached the MPs in order to launch a parliamentary enquiry that would favour one of his associates.[5]
In 2011, he was accused of bringing the legal profession into disrepute, a charge stemming from his campaign to expose the wrongful jailing of Andrew Mallard for murder, to which he replied "...if you take on corrupt police you will be pursued and they will try and destroy you."[6] In November 2011 Quigley was fined $3000 by the State Administrative Tribunal for professional misconduct, again in relation to his successful campaign against police in the Mallard case.[7]
As Minister for Electoral Affairs since the 2021 election, Quigley has been overseeing potential reforms to the voting system for the Western Australian Legislative Council. In April 2021, he formed a panel to examine potential reform of that voting system. The panel was led by former Governor of Western Australia Malcolm McCusker, and consisted of four electoral and constitutional law experts.[8]
References edit
- ^ Hon. John Robert Quigley MLA LLB, JP, profile on WA Parliament website
- ^ "Ex-partner 'shocked' by Quigley's comments". ABC News, 26 May 2011
- ^ Kagi, Jacob. "WA election: McGowan unveils Labor 'cabinet for the times' with Cook as deputy, Wyatt named treasurer". ABC News. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2018
- ^ a b c d Taylor, Robert (2007) MP melts life badge for Mallard 'tiepin of truth', The West Australian. 8 December 2007
- ^ "ABC Online News – CCC clears MPs over Burke dealings". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
- ^ "MP John Quigley accused of bringing legal profession into disrepute". PerthNow. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ "Labor MP John Quigley fined over Mallard case". ABC News, 2 Nov 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2018
- ^ Shine, Rhiannon. "Electoral reform in WA on the cards as group voting tickets, proportional voting under review". ABC News. Retrieved 15 September 2021.