Liza Harvey

Liza Mary Harvey (née Browne; born 25 October 1966) is an Australian politician who has been a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia since 2008, representing the seat of Scarborough. She was a minister in the government of Colin Barnett, and in 2016 was appointed deputy premier, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She became Leader of the Opposition after being elected unopposed to replace Mike Nahan as state Liberal leader on 13 June 2019. On 22 November 2020, she resigned as Liberal leader and was replaced by Zak Kirkup.


Liza Harvey

34th Leader of the Opposition
in Western Australia
In office
13 June 2019  24 November 2020
PremierMark McGowan
DeputyBill Marmion
Preceded byMike Nahan
Succeeded byZak Kirkup
Member of the Legislative Assembly
of Western Australia
for Scarborough
Assumed office
6 September 2008
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded by
Party leadership positions
Leader of the Liberal Party
of Western Australia
In office
13 June 2019  22 November 2020
DeputyBill Marmion
Preceded byMike Nahan
Succeeded byZak Kirkup
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
of Western Australia
In office
16 February 2016  13 June 2019
LeaderColin Barnett
Mike Nahan
Preceded byKim Hames
Succeeded byBill Marmion
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
in Western Australia
In office
17 March 2017  13 June 2019
LeaderColin Barnett
Mike Nahan
Preceded byKim Hames
Succeeded byBill Marmion
Ministerial offices
16th Deputy Premier of Western Australia
In office
16 February 2016  17 March 2017
PremierColin Barnett
Preceded byKim Hames
Succeeded byRoger Cook
Minister for Police and Road Safety
In office
29 June 2012  17 March 2017
PremierColin Barnett
Preceded byRob Johnson
Succeeded byMichelle Roberts
Minister for Women's Interests
In office
21 March 2013  17 March 2017
PremierColin Barnett
Preceded byRobyn McSweeney
Succeeded bySimone McGurk
Minister for Small Business and Tourism
In office
21 March 2013  8 December 2014
PremierColin Barnett
Preceded bySimon O'Brien (Small Business)
Colin Barnett (Tourism)
Succeeded byJoe Francis(Small Business)
Kim Hames (Tourism)
Minister for Training and Workforce Development
In office
8 December 2014  17 March 2017
PremierColin Barnett
Preceded byKim Hames
Succeeded bySue Ellery
(Education and Training)
Personal details
Born
Liza Mary Browne

(1966-10-25) 25 October 1966
Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)
Hal Harvey
(m. 1996; wid. 2014)
Children3
EducationMercedes College
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia
OccupationCustomer service advisor
(Qantas)
ProfessionBusinesswoman
Politician

Early life

Harvey was born in Manjimup, Western Australia, to Jill Annette (née Randell) and Eugene Michael Browne.[1] Her mother was a descendant of George Randell, an early settler of Western Australia.[2] Harvey attended primary schools in Perth and Port Hedland, and secondary school at Mercedes College, Perth.[1] She went on to study science at the University of Western Australia. Harvey worked for Qantas between 1989 and 2000, holding positions in customer service and at the Qantas Club. She also helped to run a recreational fishing business with her husband, and was involved with various local business associations.[3]

Politics

Harvey entered parliament at the 2008 state election. She won the newly created Scarborough (a notionally Liberal seat) with 55.2 percent of the two-party-preferred vote.[4] In December 2010, Harvey was made parliamentary secretary to Simon O'Brien, in his capacity as the Minister for Small Business. She was elevated to the ministry in June 2012, replacing Rob Johnson as Minister for Police and Minister for Road Safety. After the 2013 state election, Harvey was additionally made Minister for Small Business and Minister for Women's Interests. In a ministerial reshuffle in August 2013, she lost the small business portfolio to Joe Francis, but was made Minister for Tourism instead. In another reshuffle in December 2014, she took over from Kim Hames as Minister for Training and Workforce Development, with Hames taking on the tourism portfolio.[5]

In December 2015, Kim Hames announced his intention to resign as deputy leader of the Liberal Party (and to retire from parliament at the 2017 state election).[6] Harvey was elected as his replacement unopposed in February 2016, and was sworn in as deputy premier a few days later, becoming the first woman to hold either position.[7] In January 2017, Harvey confirmed that she would stand for the Liberal leadership once Colin Barnett retired. However, on 21 March former treasurer Mike Nahan was elected unopposed as the new leader of the party with Harvey continuing as his deputy.

Leader of the Opposition

Nahan resigned as leader on 13 June 2019, and Harvey was elected his successor unopposed.[8] She was the second woman to serve as WA opposition leader after Carmen Lawrence.

Harvey called for WA to open its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was widely criticised for that position, including by some in her own party.[9] Due to poor opinion polling, Harvey resigned as Liberal leader on 22 November 2020 and was replaced by Zak Kirkup.[10]

Personal life

Harvey married her husband, Hal Lewis Harvey, in 1996. He had one daughter from a previous relationship, and they had a son and a daughter together.[1] Her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011, and died from the disease in 2014, aged 55.[11]

See also

References

  1. Liza Mary Harvey – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  2. Inaugural Speech: Mrs Liza Harvey MLA (Member for Scarborough), Hansard (Legislative Assembly), 25 November 2008.
  3. Black, David and Phillips, Harry (2012). Making a Difference: Women in the Western Australian Parliament 1921–2012 (PDF). Parliament House, Perth, Western Australia: Parliament of Western Australia. pp. 481–486.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Scarborough (Key Seat), Western Australian State Election 2008, Antony Green's Election Guide. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  5. Hon. Liza Mary Harvey MLA – Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  6. Jessica Strutt, "Health Minister Kim Hames to resign as Deputy Premier of WA in February", ABC News, 10 December 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  7. "Liza Harvey replaces Kim Hames as WA's new deputy leader", WAtoday, 15 February 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  8. Gubana, Benjamin (13 June 2019). "WA Liberals elect first female leader as Liza Harvey takes over from Mike Nahan". ABC News. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  9. "Liza Harvey's unpopular WA border calls have left fellow Liberals bewildered and confused". www.abc.net.au. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  10. Kagi, Jacob; Weber, David (22 November 2020). "WA Opposition Leader Liza Harvey announces decision to step aside, citing Liberal Party election strategy". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  11. Liam Ducey, "WA fishing icon Hal Harvey loses battle with pancreatic cancer", WAtoday, 28 October 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
Parliament of Western Australia
New seat Member for Scarborough
2008–present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Kim Hames
Deputy Premier of Western Australia
2016–2017
Succeeded by
Roger Cook
Preceded by
Rob Johnson
Minister for Police
2012–2017
Succeeded by
Michelle Roberts
Preceded by
Rob Johnson
Minister for Road Safety
2012–2017
Succeeded by
Michelle Roberts
Preceded by
Simon O'Brien
Minister for Small Business
2013
Succeeded by
Joe Francis
Preceded by
Robyn McSweeney
Minister for Women's Interests
2013–2017
Succeeded by
Simone McGurk
Preceded by
Colin Barnett
Minister for Tourism
2013–2014
Succeeded by
Kim Hames
Preceded by
Kim Hames
Minister for Training and Workforce Development
2014–2017
Portfolio abolished
Preceded by
Mike Nahan
Leader of the Opposition
2019–present
Succeeded by
Zak Kirkup
Party political offices
Preceded by
Mike Nahan
Leader of the Liberal Party in Western Australia
2019–2020
Succeeded by
Zak Kirkup
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