Geoffrey Graeme Brock (born 1950)[1] is an Australian politician. He is an Independent member in the South Australian House of Assembly, representing the seat of Stuart since the 2022 South Australian state election. Prior to this, he represented the seat of Frome from the 2009 Frome by-election until a redistribution leading up to the 2022 state election.
Geoff Brock | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Regional Roads | |
| In office 24 March 2022 – 15 April 2024 | |
| Premier | Peter Malinauskas |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Minister for Veterans Affairs | |
| In office 24 March 2022 – 15 April 2024 | |
| Premier | Peter Malinauskas |
| Preceded by | Steven Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Joe Szakacs |
| Minister for Local Government | |
| In office 24 March 2022 – 15 April 2024 | |
| Premier | Peter Malinauskas |
| Preceded by | Josh Teague (as Minister for Planning and Local Government) |
| Succeeded by | Joe Szakacs |
| In office 26 March 2014 – 18 March 2018 | |
| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Gail Gago (as Minister for State / Local Government Relations) |
| Succeeded by | Stephan Knoll (as Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government) |
| Minister for Regional Development | |
| In office 26 March 2014 – 18 March 2018 | |
| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Gail Gago |
| Succeeded by | Tim Whetstone (as Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) |
| Member of the South Australian Parliament for Stuart | |
| Assumed office 19 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Dan van Holst Pellekaan |
| Member of the South Australian Parliament for Frome | |
| In office 17 January 2009 – 19 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Kerin |
| Succeeded by | Penny Pratt |
| Mayor of Port Pirie | |
| In office 12 May 2003 – January 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Ken Madigan |
| Councillor on the Port Pirie City Council | |
| In office May 1989 – January 2009 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Geoffrey Graeme Brock 1950 (age 73–74) Frankston, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Independent |
| Website | geoffbrock.com.au |
Brock has previously served as the Minister for Local Government, Minister for Regional Roads and Minister for Veterans Affairs in the Malinauskas Labor cabinet from 2022 to 2024. Brock was previously the Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Local Government in the Weatherill Labor cabinet from 2014 until Labor's defeat at the 2018 election.
Background
editBrock had worked in Port Pirie's lead smelter, which was eventually acquired by Nyrstar, since arriving in the town in 1976. He was first elected to the Port Pirie Regional Council (at that time a City Council) in 1989, and served on numerous community committees before being elected mayor in May 2003, defeating sitting mayor Ken Madigan by 3,297 votes to 2,173.[2][3] He retired from Nyrstar in September 2007, and he and his second wife Lyn have 12 grandchildren between them.
Political career
edit2009 Frome by-election
editBrock had a shock win at the 2009 Frome state by-election, defeating the Liberal candidate Terry Boylan.[4][5] He had a high local profile prior to the election, having served for almost six years as council mayor. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon also campaigned for Brock.[6][7][8]
On 23.6 percent of the primary vote and 51.7 percent of the two-candidate-preferred vote, Brock's election depended on preferences from Labor, Nationals SA, and the SA Greens, the former two having placed him second on their how-to-vote card. His own how-to-vote card saw him preference the Nationals, Labor, Liberal, Greens, and One Nation, in that order.[9] The by-election was closely contested, with the result being uncertain for over a week. Initial reports suggested a slight swing to the Liberal candidate Terry Boylan on the two-party-preferred count against Labor, with Brock close behind Labor. By 21 January 2009, both the ABC's Antony Green and the state electoral office were indicating a 2-point swing against the Liberals toward Labor on 51.4 percent, but not enough to lose the seat.[10][11][12] Liberal leader Martin Hamilton-Smith claimed victory on behalf of the party.[13][14][15]
However, the result hinged on the performance of Brock against Labor in the competition for second place. Brock won the primary vote in the Port Pirie area and picked up enough National and Green preferences to overtake the Labor candidate for second place by 30 votes. He then picked up enough Labor preferences to take the seat off the Liberals on a two-candidate-preferred vote of 51.7 percent (a majority of 665 votes), despite a slight improvement in the Liberal vote since the previous count.[16][17]
Parliamentary service
editAt the 2010 election, Brock increased his primary vote to 37.7 percent and two-candidate vote to 57.5 percent. Labor won from the Liberals the two-party-preferred vote on 50.1 percent. At the 2014 election, Brock increased his primary vote to 45.2 percent and two-candidate vote to 58.8 percent. The election resulted in a hung parliament with 23 Labor seats, 22 Liberal seats, and two independents. The balance of power was held by crossbench independents Brock and Bob Such.[18] Such did not indicate who he would support in a minority government before he was diagnosed and hospitalised with a brain tumour and took medical leave one week after the election. University of Adelaide Professor and political commentator Clem Macintyre said Such's situation virtually guaranteed Brock would side with Labor. With 24 seats required to govern, Brock backed Labor. Macintyre said:[19]
If Geoff Brock had gone with the Liberals, then the Parliament would have effectively been tied 23 to 23, so once Bob Such became ill and stepped away then Geoff Brock, I think had no choice but to side with Labor.
Brock accepted the cabinet positions of Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Local Government in the Weatherill Ministry.[20] In return, Brock agreed to support the Labor government on confidence and supply while retaining the right to otherwise vote on conscience.[21] A few months later, Labor achieved majority government when Nat Cook won the 2014 Fisher by-election which was triggered by the death of Such. Despite this, Weatherill kept Brock and another independent minister Martin Hamilton-Smith in cabinet, giving the government a 26 to 21 parliamentary majority.[22]
Brock held the ministerial portfolios until Labor lost government in the 2018 election. He retained the seat of Frome with a small increase in his primary vote.
A redistribution in 2020 transferred parts of seat of Frome to the seat of Stuart. In the areas transferred from Frome to Stuart, including Port Pirie where Brock was based in, Brock had polled 65% of the first preference vote and 75% after preferences in the 2018 election, while the rest of Frome was dominantly Liberal Party voting.[23] It was no longer feasible for Brock to contest Frome with the new boundaries, so instead, he decided to contest for the seat of Stuart at the 2022 election.[24] Brock was successful in his transfer, defeating incumbent member and Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan.[25]
Labor won a majority government at this election. Despite this, Brock was appointed to the Malinauskas Labor ministry as the Minister for Local Government for the second time, as well as Minister for Regional Roads and Minister for Veterans Affairs.[26] He said he had not expected a ministerial position, and the offer by new Premier Peter Malinauskas two days before the swearing-in ceremony came as "a heck of a shock". He emphasised that "he was not a Labor minister, but would vote with cabinet on decisions made by it", and Malinauskas said that Brock's independent would be "maintained and utterly respected". Brock was one of the two regional cabinet ministers, the other being Clare Scriven.
In April 2024, Brock resigned from Cabinet, citing health reasons. He remains the member for Stuart, and announced his intention to contest the next state election in 2026.[27][28]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Watson, Callie (21 March 2014). "Geoff Brock — from humble beginnings to SA's independent kingmaker". The Advertiser. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Shock results in local govt elections in SA". ABC Online. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "New mayors elected". Local Government Association of SA. 13 May 2003. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Pepper, Chris; Crouch, Brad; Castello, Renato; Kyriacou, Kate (25 January 2009). "Shock Frome loss rocks SA Liberals". The Advertiser. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Brock claims victory in Frome by-election". ABC Online. 24 January 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Deals put former SA premier's seat on line: The Australian 14/1/2009". Archived from the original on 20 January 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
- ^ Independents unite to support Brock in bid for by-election glory: Flinders News 15/1/2009 Archived 15 July 2012 at archive.today
- ^ Greens to run open ticket in Frome: The Independent 14/1/2009
- ^ ABC Antony Green's Frome by-election Results blog
- ^ "Frome by-election goes down to the wire". ABC Online. 18 January 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Green, Antony. "Frome By-election Results". ABC Online. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Emmerson, Russell; Pepper, Chris (18 January 2009). "Liberals confident they'll hold Outback seat of Frome". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 20 January 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Liberals claim victory in Frome". Poll Bludger (Crikey). 21 January 2009. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009. This article reproduces the original Liberal press release, no longer available on the SA Liberal site.
- ^ Frome one loss to another: Independent Weekly 30/1/2009
- ^ Frome, a lost moment for the Libs: Independent Weekly 30/1/2009
- ^ Pepper, Chris (25 January 2009). "Shock Frome loss rocks SA Liberals". The Advertiser. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Peace plea as Nationals take revenge on Liberals at polling booth: The Australian 31/1/2009". Archived from the original on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
- ^ "Independents Bob Such, Geoff Brock likely to hold balance of power as hung parliament looms". ABC.net.au. 16 March 2013.
- ^ By-election for Bob Such's seat of Fisher expected to put pressure on Weatherill Government: ABC 13 October 2014
- ^ "Cabinet of South Australia". Premier.sa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015.
- ^ "Labor to form minority government with support of independent Geoff Brock". ABC. 23 March 2014.
- ^ "Fisher by-election win for Labor gives Weatherill Government majority in SA". ABC. 13 December 2014.
- ^ "New State Electoral Boundaries for South Australia Finalised". Antony Green's Election Blog. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Electoral redistribution in regional South Australia means popular MPs will go head-to-head in 2022". ABC News. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan loses seat". ABC News. 19 March 2022.
- ^ "New South Australian cabinet sworn in, with independent Geoff Brock making surprise comeback". ABC News. 24 March 2022.
- ^ "Independent MP Dan Cregan to join SA Labor cabinet as minister's resignation triggers reshuffle". ABC News. 11 April 2024.
- ^ "Minister Geoff Brock resigns from cabinet for health reasons, triggering first reshuffle". The Advertiser. 11 April 2024.
External links
edit- GeoffBrock.com.au official website
- "Brock, Geoff". Members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- The other side of Geoff Brock: A biography by 'The Recorder' 26/2/2009
- Frome MP Geoff Brock not aligned to any party: ABC Video 3/2/2009