Luke Simpkins
| Luke Simpkins | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Cowan |
|
|
In office 24 November 2007 – 2 July 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Graham Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Anne Aly |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Luke Xavier Linton Simpkins 8 June 1964 Sydney, New South Wales |
| Political party |
Liberal Party of Australia (2001–2017) Australian Conservatives (2017–present) |
| Children | Emily Simpkins, Rebecca Simpkins |
| Website | www |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1988–2002 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Royal Australian Corps of Military Police |
Luke Xavier Linton Simpkins (born 8 June 1964) is a former Australian politician. He has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives , representing the electorate of Cowan in Western Australia from 2007 till the Federal Election of 2016.
He was born in Sydney, and attended Sydney Boys High School from 1976–1981. In tertiary education, Simpkins has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Certificate in Security Management from Edith Cowan University. He was a member of the Australian Federal Police from 1986 to 1987, an army officer from 1988 to 2002, a security consultant 2003 to 2004 and 2007, and a ministerial adviser from 2005 to 2006. His army service included a stint as a cadet at the Royal Military College, Duntroon from 1988 to 1989, and as an officer in the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police from 1989 to 2002; when he resigned in 2002, he was a commissioned officer with the rank of major. Simpkins is also a former Australian and State representative in the sport of rowing, having won two national and six state championships.
Simpkins first attempted to enter politics in 2004, contesting the seat of Cowan at the 2004 federal election for the Liberal Party against veteran Labor incumbent Graham Edwards. He was defeated by Edwards, but received an unexpectedly strong vote, receiving a 8.2% primary vote swing towards him, with the result being unclear for several days.
Edwards retired at the 2007 election, and Simpkins won the seat against new Labor candidate Liz Prime with a 2.5% swing, one of only four pro-Coalition swings in Australia and the only new House seat won by the Liberal Party. He was re-elected with a 4.75% swing against former Lord Mayor of Perth Chas Hopkins at the 2010 election, and again with a slight swing against at the 2013 election.
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