Ted Baillieu

The Honourable Ted Baillieu MLA
46th Premier of Victoria Elections: 2010
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 December 2010
Deputy	Peter Ryan
Preceded by	John Brumby
Leader of the Opposition of Victoria Elections: 2006, 2010
In office 8 May 2006 – 2 December 2010
Deputy	Louise Asher
Preceded by	Robert Doyle
Succeeded by	Daniel Andrews
Member of the Victorian Parliament for Hawthorn
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 September 1999
Preceded by	Phil Gude
Personal details
Born	31 July 1953 (1953-07-31) Melbourne, Victoria
Political party	Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Robyn Jubb
Children	Eleanor
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Profession	Architect
Website	Personal website Parliament website

Edward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA (born 31 July 1953) is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn. He has been the leader of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia since May 2006 and Premier of Victoria since 2 December 2010 after the Liberal/Nationals Coalition defeated the Brumby-led Labor Party government with 45 seats to 43 in the Legislative Assembly.

Early life

Baillieu is the youngest son of Darren and Diana Baillieu. He is also the younger brother of solicitor Ian Baillieu, former ABC presenter Fiona Baillieu, author David Baillieu, former journalist and Portsea activist Kate Baillieu (the widow of state Liberal politician Julian Doyle) and Olympic oarsman and America's Cup yachtsman Will Baillieu.

Baillieu was raised in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak, educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne (where he graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Architecture) degree and was an architect by profession before entering the Victorian Parliament.

He is a descendant from the Baillieu family dynasty of French Belgian ancestry.

Early career

Baillieu worked as an architect and for a time joining the family real estate firm Baillieu Knight Frank. The Labor Party ran an election advertisement campaign in 2006 and 2010 claiming he profited from Liberal government policies. Baillieu also was employed by Tourism Victoria from 1998 to 1999 before entering politics.

Political career

Baillieu joined the Carlton branch of the Liberal Party in 1981 because of his frustration at the power of unions on building sites. By 1987 he was Vice-President of the Victorian Liberal Party and President in 1994. At Jeff Kennett's insistence, Baillieu nominated for Liberal Party preselection for the State seat of Hawthorn at the 1999 election, to replace the retiring member Phil Gude. Baillieu was successful. It was at this election that Steve Bracks unexpectedly led the Australian Labor Party to victory, with the support of three country independents, one a former Labor supporter and the other two conservatives.

Since his entry into Parliament, Baillieu has been a permanent member of the Liberal Party frontbench. He has served as Shadow Minister for Tertiary Education and Training (1999–2001), Gaming (July 2000 – August 2002) and Planning (September 2001 – May 2006).

Liberal Party leadership

Baillieu was elected unopposed as the Opposition Leader of Victoria on 8 May 2006 by the Liberal Party room, replacing Robert Doyle, who resigned his position on 4 May 2006.

After Doyle's resignation, speculation mounted that former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett would return to politics and the position of Liberal Party Leader in order to lead the party into the 2006 state election which was held on 25 November 2006. However on the morning of 5 May 2006, Baillieu in announcing his candidacy for the party leadership revealed that Kennett would withdraw from the leadership race and throw his support behind Baillieu. Later that afternoon, Baillieu's only other challenger for the position, Shadow Minister for Transport Terry Mulder also withdrew from the race.

Six months after assuming leadership of the Liberals, Baillieu lead the campaign in the 2006 election. The Labor party, keen to exploit Baillieu's wealth, dubbed him, Ted the Toff from Toorak.

Throughout the campaign, media stories about Baillieu's extensive blue chip share portfolio, at the time estimated to be worth almost $4 million, raised questions about conflicts of interest. Baillieu's handling of the issue and his refusal to place his investments in a blind trust was thought to have hurt the Liberal Party during the campaign. On 25 November 2006, the Liberal Party lost the state election under Ted Baillieu's leadership, though gaining an extra 6 of the 88 lower house seats.

In a speech at the State Council of the Victorian Liberal Party, Ted Ballieu opposed the push by John Howard for nuclear reactors in Victoria.

An online campaign against Baillieu by senior Liberal Party members was uncovered and made public, with Baillieu promising to root out the disloyal elements in his party. The media suspected that forces loyal to former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello and former State Party President Michael Kroger had attempted to undermine Baillieu.

In February 2008, at a joint news conference it was announced that the Victorian Nationals and Liberals would join in a new Coalition agreement forged between Leaders Ted Baillieu and Peter Ryan. As part of the arrangement, both parties agreed to hold joint party meetings, develop joint policies, allocate five shadow cabinet positions to the Nationals, abolish three-cornered contests (unless otherwise agreed) and run joint legislative council tickets in the non-metropolitan Regions.

In 2008, Baillieu declared his support for abortion law reform in Victoria.

Premier of Victoria

Baillieu as Leader of the Opposition contested the 2010 Victorian state election as the alternative Premier of Victoria and Nationals Leader Peter Ryan as the alternative Deputy Premier. Baillieu focused during the election campaign mainly on the policies of health, law and order, government expenditure and the longevity and the ability of the incumbent Labor government to deliver during a record fourth term for Labor. Until election eve, polling indicated a tight Labor government re-election. The final Newspoll saw a two party preferred figure of 48.9 percent for Labor and 51.1 percent to the Liberals and Nationals.

Two days after the election, on Monday 29 November, Premier John Brumby conceded defeat after it became clear that his government had lost its majority to the opposition. The Coalition won 45 seats to Labor's 43, with a parliamentary majority of just one seat with the appointment of Ken Smith as Speaker. On 2 December, Baillieu was sworn in as the 46th Premier of Victoria, along with 22 of the Baillieu/Ryan government ministers.

Personal life

Baillieu is of French Belgian ancestry, his great-great-great-grandfather, Étienne Lambert Baillieux (1773–1816) having migrated to England from Liège, Belgium. The current Baron Baillieu of Sefton in the Commonwealth of Australia and of Parkwood in the County of Surrey, James William Latham Baillieu, 3rd Baron Baillieu (b. 1950) is his third-cousin. Ted Baillieu is also the great-grandson of Victorian politician William Knox.

Baillieu is married to Robyn and has three children: Martha, Eleanor and Robert. He is a supporter of the Geelong Football Club where he is a joint convener of 'We Are Geelong Supporters' (WAGS). Baillieu is a regular Sunday morning swimmer with the Brighton Icebergs. He regularly enters the Pier to Pub swim organised by the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club. He also plays golf and basketball.

In December 2010, Baillieu underwent surgery at the Epworth Hospital to remove a kidney stone.

Baillieu is a member of the following organisations:

• Australian Institute of Architects
• Geelong Football Club
• Melbourne Cricket Club
• Melbourne Rugby Union Football Club
• Melbourne Savage Club
• Melbourne Victory FC
• Rotary Club of Glenferrie
• Royal Melbourne Golf Club
• Sorrento Golf Club
• Ted is a member of the Patrons Council of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria.

See also

• Victorian state election, 2014

External links

• Liberal Party biography

Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Phil Gude	Member of the Legislative Assembly for Hawthorn 1999–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Robert Doyle	Leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria 2006–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Robert Doyle	Leader of the Opposition of Victoria 2006–2010	Succeeded by Daniel Andrews
Preceded by John Brumby	Premier of Victoria 2010–present	Incumbent