Ian Marshall Baillieu (born 6 June 1937) is a former Australian politician. He is a prominent member of the wealthy Baillieu family of Melbourne and until 2013 chaired the family investment company. He served in the House of Representatives from 1975 to 1980, representing the Victorian seat of La Trobe for the Liberal Party.
Marshall Baillieu | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for La Trobe | |
| In office 13 December 1975 – 18 October 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Lamb |
| Succeeded by | Peter Milton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 June 1937 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Occupation | Investment manager |
Early life
editBaillieu was born in Melbourne on 6 June 1937, the son of Nancy Elizabeth "Betty" (née Willsallen) and Marshal Lawrence "Bill" Baillieu. His father was the nephew of entrepreneur William Lawrence Baillieu.[1] An article in The Canberra Times prior to his election to parliament described him as "a Beaconsfield market gardener and agricultural engineer".[2]
Politics
editBaillieu was elected to parliament at the 1975 federal election, winning the Division of La Trobe from the incumbent Australian Labor Party (ALP) member Tony Lamb. He was re-elected in 1977 but was defeated by the Labor candidate Peter Milton at the 1980 election.[3] Prior to the vote he had been given the highest rating by the Victorian Right To Life Association and Milton had been given the lowest.[4] It was later reported that Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser had pork barreled La Trobe in an attempt to secure Baillieu's re-election, granting a local textile manufacturer relief from tariff reforms.[5][6]
Other activities
editBaillieu served as the chairman of Mutual Trust, a company established in 1951 to manage his family's wealth. He retired in 2013 and was granted the title of "chairman emeritus". The family's wealth was estimated at $568 million in the 2014 Financial Review Rich List.[7]
As of 2016, Baillieu lived on Minta Farm, a farming property of 286 hectares (710 acres) in Berwick, Victoria, which has been in the family since 1920. He sold 114 hectares (280 acres) to developer Stockland in December 2016 for a sum reportedly between $150–200 million. The remaining northern portion of the farm was retained by the family.[8]
Personal life
editBaillieu is a second cousin of former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu.[9] In 2012, during his cousin's premiership, he issued a statement apologising for giving the finger to a group of nurses protesting government policies outside a book launch at the Baillieu Library.[10]
Baillieu is a member of the Melbourne Club. He reportedly campaigned for the club presidency in 2012 but subsequently withdrew.[11]
References
edit- ^ Money, Lawrence (5 March 2012). "Baillieu family salutes dynasty founder". The Age. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Rivett, Rohan (11 December 1975). "The polls: believers and unbelievers". The Canberra Times.
- ^ Carr, Adam (2008). "Australian Election Archive". Psephos, Adam Carr's Election Archive. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ "Right to life - political force or failure?". The Canberra Times. 12 November 1980.
- ^ Davidson, Gay (25 February 1981). "Wait, Sir Phillip, until the IAC report is through Cabinet". The Canberra Times.
- ^ Chalmers, Rob (2011). "A New Home". Inside the Canberra Press Gallery: Life in the Wedding Cake of Old Parliament House. ANU Press.
Lynch told me that in one long Cabinet discussion about what do to about protection cuts, Fraser asked, 'But what about Marshall [Baillieu]?' As well as being a member of one of Victoria's best-known and wealthiest families, Marshall Baillieu was the Liberal member for La Trobe, an electorate where TCF was an important employer. Lynch thought this reaction of Fraser's was pathetic, but nevertheless Fraser prevailed and the recommendations of the commission were greatly watered down—much to the relief of the majority of members of the house.
- ^ Kitne, Damon (13 September 2014). "In Baillieu we trust: portrait of a family's legacy". The Australian. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Schlesinger, Larry (23 December 2016). "Stockland buys Baillieu's Minta Farm for up to $200 million". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Medew, Julia (7 March 2012). "Disrespect all round as Premier's cousin weighs in". The Age. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Medew, Julia (7 March 2012). "Baillieu apologises for giving the finger". The Age. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Carbone, Suzanne (2 May 2012). "Abbott hails venue Kennett didn't build". The Age. Retrieved 2 August 2020.