Tim Pallas
Tim Pallas MP | |
|---|---|
| Treasurer of Victoria | |
| Assumed office 4 December 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Michael O'Brien |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Werribee | |
| Assumed office 29 November 2014 | |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Tarneit | |
| In office 25 November 2006 – 29 November 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Mary Gillett |
| Succeeded by | Telmo Languiller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 January 1960 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Alma mater | Australian National University |
| Occupation | Trade union official |
| Website | timpallas |
Timothy Hugh Pallas (born 7 January 1960) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006, representing the electorate of Tarneit until 2014 and Werribee thereafter. He has served as Treasurer in the Andrews ministry since December 2014. Pallas previously served as Minister for Roads and Ports and Minister for Major Projects in the Brumby ministry until 2010.
Before politics
Pallas, a former trade union official with the National Union of Workers, was the chief of staff to Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks before entering politics. [citation needed]
Political career
He first contested the open preselection for the federal seat of Melbourne Ports in 1998, but was defeated by Michael Danby.
In 2005, Pallas challenged incumbent backbencher Mary Gillett for preselection in the safe seat of Tarneit, and with Bracks' backing, was successful. He was easily elected at the 2006 state election, and was immediately appointed to Cabinet, being assigned the roads and ports portfolio.
In 2010, Pallas courted controversy when whilst launching a road safety campaign he called Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton a "dickhead". Hamilton had been caught by police engaging in an act of 'hoon driving' in a $160,000 Mercedes on the previous Friday night.[1]
During his ministry, he implemented a number of measures to improve traffic flow on the major Victorian freeways including the Monash CityLink West Gate Upgrade. In February, he launched a $5 million study into traffic flow along Hoddle Street between CityLink and the Eastern Freeway.[2] The study had been previously announced in the Victorian Transport Plan in 2008.[3] In March, he approved a ban on trucks using the right-hand lane on busy sections of three-lane freeways.[4][5][6] The RACV had campaigned for the ban for two years, attracting support from an "overwhelming 83% of motorists [it] surveyed".
He was appointed Treasurer in 2014 after the election of the Andrews Labor Government in November 2014. His first budget in May 2015 provided for the biggest spend on education in Victoria's history.
References
- ^ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/new-road-safety-campaign/story-e6frf7jo-1225846731084
- ^ Unattributed (13 February 2010). "$5m to study Hoddle St chaos". Herald Sun. p. 22.
- ^ Peter Rolfe (7 December 2008). "Plan for Hoddle express". Herald Sun. p. 3. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ Lucas, Clay (4 March 2010). "Trucks banned from freeway lane". The Age. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- ^ Gardiner, Ashley (4 March 2010). "Trucks told to keep left". Herald Sun. p. 11. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- ^ Farago, Peter (4 March 2010). "Truckies face fines if they're caught driving in fast lane – Right now wrong". Geelong Advertiser. p. 4. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
External links
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