Ken Smith (Australian politician)
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The Honourable Ken Smith |
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| Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly | |
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In office 21 December 2010 – 4 February 2014 |
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| Deputy | Christine Fyffe |
| Preceded by | Jenny Lindell |
| Succeeded by | Christine Fyffe |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Bass |
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In office 30 November 2002 – 29 November 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Seat created |
| Succeeded by | Brian Paynter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
30 December 1944 Ormond, Victoria |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Plumber |
Kenneth Maurice "Ken" Smith (born 30 December 1944) is an Australian politician who was the member for Bass in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2014. He was Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 21 December 2010 to 4 February 2014.
Smith was a plumber before he entered the Parliament of Victoria in 1988, winning the Legislative Council seat of South-Eastern Province for the Liberal Party. During his time in the Legislative Council, Smith served on the backbench, although after being returned at the 1996 election he served as government Whip. When the Kennett government lost power in 1999, Smith continued on as Opposition whip.
The redistribution prior to the 2002 election abolished his upper house province, and Smith decided to contest the new Lower House seat of Bass—basically a reconfigured Gippsland West. He faced Susan Davies, the independent MP for Gippsland West. While the election was a disaster for the Liberals, Smith provided them with their only gain, winning the seat after Davies was overtaken by Labor on the primary vote. Had Davies finished second on the first count, she would have likely picked up enough Labor preferences to retain this ancestrally Liberal seat.
Smith served as Shadow Minister for Gaming and Shadow Minister for Fisheries.
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