From Parliament to Council

Dick Adams: one of the few politicians who has served at all three levels. Started out as as a Labor state member in Tasmania representing Franklin from 1979 until 1982 then spent 20 years serving as the Federal Member for Lyons from 1993 until 2013, when he was defeated. Then won a seat on the Northern Midlands council in Tasmania in 2014 where he has served ever since, albeit with plenty of controversy along the way.

Robert Doyle: A former Victorian Liberal Opposition leader who represented the seat of Malvern from 1992 until 2005, then spent 10 years as Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 2008 until 2018 before resigning amidst sexual harassment allegations.

Steve Kons: served as Mayor of Burnie from 1997 to 1999 and as a Labor member with the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Braddon. He was Deputy Premier of Tasmania from 2006-2008 and then returned to serve as Mayor of Burnie and was last re-elected in 2022.

Craig Langdon: councillor City of Heidelberg (1988 – 1994), then Labor MP for Ivanhoe (1996 -2010), until beaten in pre-selection battle by Anthony Carbines before returning to serve on Banyule council in 2012 and rising again to be mayor before exiting in 2020, largely because he failed to submit a photograph in the right format for the ballot book.

Gladys Liu: the Federal Liberal member for Chisholm, whose connections to the CCCP were controversial when she served, is almost certain to be elected as a City of Melbourne Cr in 2024 thanks to the profile of footballer Anthony Koutoufides and the money of former Labor candidate Intaj Khan, who make up the Leadership ticket of Team Kouta with Gladys leading the separate council ticket.

Neil Lucas: Liberal upper house member for Eumemmerring in the Victorian Parliament from 1996-2002 and then elected to City of Casey in 2003 and served as mayor in 2004-05.

Denise McGill: councillor with the City of Oakleigh from 1987-1994 including a stint as Mayor from 1991-1992. A Liberal member for Oakleigh, Victoria from 1992 until August 1999, who then later returned as a City of Monash councillor.

Clover Moore: First won the state seat of Bligh in 1988 and then switched to the seat of Sydney in 2007. Was simultaneously elected Sydney Lord Mayor in 2004 but then left Parliament in 2012 after new legislation made her choose between the two roles. Re-elected Lord Mayor with a record majority in 2016, then returned again in both 2020 and 2024.

Belinda Neal: served on Gosford City Council in the early 1990s before being parachuted into a Senate vacancy and then later holding the marginal lower house seat of Robertson before being defeated at the 2010 election. Returned to local government in 2024 winning a spot on the Central Coast council.

Peter Lockwood: spent a brief period on City of Knox before Jeff Kennett sacked all Victorian councils in 1994 and was later elected state Labor MP for Bayswater in Victoria from 2002 until 2006. Later returned to serve two terms at City of Knox in Melbourne's outer east from 2012 until 2020 when he was defeated.

Wayne Phillips: spent 14 years on Diamond Valley council, then served as the Liberal member for Eltham for a decade until 2002 before returning to public office as a City of Banyule councillor since 2005, but was defeated at the 2020 council elections.

Gary Rowe: a Liberal MP who served during the Kennett years and later spent time as a mayor and Cr at City of Casey before the council was sacked. Was attempting a return at the 2024 Casey elections.

Phillip Ruddock: John Howard's Immigration Minister spent 43 years in the House of Representatives but this wasn't enough so he later returned as Mayor of Hornsby before bowing out at the 2024 local government elections aged 81.

Ryan Smith: served as a Minister in the Baillieu Government and the state member for Warrandyte from for 17 years until departing in a 2023 by-election before later attempting a return to politics as a councillor at City of Maroondah in the 2024 local government elections.

Mike Symon: was the Federal Labor member for Deakin from 2007 until 2013 and then served on City of Maroondah from 2014 until retiring at the 2024 election after moving to Queensland. Had multiple terms as mayor and was a good councillor.

# Check out this companion list of almost 200 former councillors who made it into state or federal Parliament.

Copyright © 2024 The Mayne Report. All rights reserved

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