From councillor to parliament

Lyn Allison: the former Democrat leader and Victorian Senator from 1996 to 2008 was also a councillor in Port Melbourne from 1992-1994 when Jeff Kennett sacked all 210 Victorian councils.

Neil Andrew: the former member for Wakefield in SA form 1983 to 2004. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2004 and previously was the Chief Government Whip from 1997 to 1998. He served on the Waikerie council from 1976 to 1983.

John Aquilina: the Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier in NSW, was elected Mayor of Blacktown at the age of 27. After 4 years as Mayor he was elected as the Member for Blacktown in 1981.

Lidia Argondizzo: the former ALP member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing Templestowe Province from 2002 to 2006, was elected as a councillor in the City of Northcote in 1987. In 1989 she was elected mayor of the City of Northcote and continued as a councillor until 1993.

Alan Ashton: a former Bankstown City Councillor from 1977-1983 and 1987-1995 where he was Deputy Mayor for 3 years. Alan was elected as Member for East Hills in 1999 and was appointed Labor's Deputy Whip in 2003.

Bruce Atkinson: he was a councillor of the City of Nunawading for 17 years, including 2 terms as Mayor 1981-1982 and 1990-1991, prior to his election as a Liberal Member to Victoria's upper house in 1992 where he continues to serve.


Greg Barber: he was elected to the City of Yarra in 2002, and from 2003-2004 was Mayor, an Australian-first for the Greens. Since 2006 he has been the Greens representative in the Northern Metropolitan upper house region in the Victorian Parliament.

Bill Baxter: was elected to the Nathalia Shire Council in 1970 and in 1973 he was elected as a Nationals MP for the safe Legislative Assembly seat of Murray Valley. He served as Minister for Roads and Ports in the Kennett government.

Denver Beanland: was Deputy Mayor of Brisbane City Council before winning the Queensland state seat of Toowong in 1986 for the Liberal Party. He then moved on to the seat of Indooroopilly which he now holds for the CLP.

Lex Bell: Independent MP for Surfers Paradise from 2001-2004 and served on the Gold Coast City Council for 16 years from 1985–2001, including an extended period as mayor from 1988 until 1994.

Craig Bidlstein: a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly, he represented Mildura from 1988 to 1996 when he was defeated by Russell Savage. A former journalist, which included a position as chief political writer for the now defunct The News, he was also a Mildura City Councillor from 1986-1987.

Peter Black: went from long-serving mayor of Broken Hill to be NSW Labor's big drinking member for Murray Darling from 1999 to 2007.

Chris Bowen: served 9 years on Fairfield Council from 1995 until 2004 when he won the Federal NSW of Prospect and is now a senior Minister in the Rudd Government. Was mayor in 1998 and 1999.

Lionel Bowen: he was several times Mayor of Randwick before moving on to be Federal MP for Kingsford-Smith. He served in the Whitlam cabinet and then became Bob Hawke's deputy from 1983 until 1990.

Helen Buckingham: served as Mayor of Whitehorse in Melbourne's east from 1998-99, she became a state upper house member for Labor in Victoria.

Paul Calvert: from 1976-1988 he was a councillor in Clarence, Tasmania, which included a stint as Mayor from 1983-1987. In 1987 he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Liberal, a role he served until resigning in 2007. Regarded as a solid Senate President during the Howard years.

David Campbell: he was an Alderman on the Council of the City of Wollongong from 1987-1999, including a stint as Lord Mayor from 1991 to 1999. He was elected as Labor's Member for Keira in March 1999 and is the uninspiring Police Minister in the stale NSW Government.

Bruce Chamberlain: he was a councillor for 4 years with Hamilton City Councillor before entering the Victorian Parliament as a Liberal in 1972. Served as a speaker during the Kennett years.

Stephen Chaytor: he was a Campbelltown councillor and became the MP for Macquarie Fields. In 2006 he was suspended as a Labor candidate for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.

Vini Ciccarello: a mayor of Norwood, SA for seven years, the Labour Party member first won the seat of Norwood in 1997 and has remained in Parliament ever since.

Richard Colbeck: an Alderman for the Devonport City Council from 1999-2002, he became a Liberal member of the Australian Senate in February 2002.

Stephen Conroy: the Communications Minister in the First Rudd Ministry was first elected as a Victorian Labor senator in 1996 after starting out on Footscray City Council.

Robin Cooper: In 1972 he was elected to Mornington Shire Council and was Shire of Mornington president in 1980. In 1985 was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the Liberal member for Mornington and was appointed a parliamentary secretary in 1996 in the Kennett Government. He retired from parliament at the 2006 state election.

Peter Crisp: formally a Wentworth, NSW Shire Councillor, since 2006 has been a member of the Legislative Assembly for Mildura and a member of The Nationals.

Janice Crosio: an Alderman with Fairfield City Council 1971-1980, where she was deputy Mayor 1972 and became the first female Mayor from 1974-1975 and again from 1977-1980. Served as Labor's Member for Prospect in the NSW Parliament from 1990 until October 2004.

Michael Crutchfield: elected a councillor in Geelong after Kennett's commissions finished their business in 1995 and was major in 2000-01. Has represented Labor in the Victorian state seat of South Barwon since 2002.

Nita Cunningham: Labor Member for Bundaberg in the Queensland Parliament who was Mayor of Bundaberg City Council from 1991 until 1998.

Alan Eggleston: has been a Liberal member of the Senate since July 1996, representing WA, and was on Port Hedland council from 1988-96 and as Mayor from 1993-1996.

Graham Edwards: represented Labor in the Federal seat of Cowan from 1998 until 2007. A Vietnam veteran who lost both legs in action, he was first elected to council in WA's City of Stirling in 1981.

Nazih Elasmar: elected one of Labor's Victorian Legislative Council members for the safe Northern Metropolitan Region in the 2006 election and was previously mayor of the City of Darebin in 1997.

Martyn Evans: a Fedeal Labor MP in the South Australian seat of Bonython from 1994 until 2004, he was a member of the Elizabeth City Council from 1975-1984 and served as Mayor from 1981-1984.

Dawn Fardell: was elected to Dubbo City Council in 1999 and served until 2005. She has been the NSW state member for Dubbo in the Legislative Assembly since 2004.

Steve Fielding: elected to Knox City Council in 2003 and then in 2004 rode a series of flukey preference deals to become Family First's Victorian Senator.

Joel Fitzgibbon: he was a member of the Cessnock City Council from 1987-1995. He was appointed Minister for Defence when Labor won office at the 2007 federal election but resigned on June 4, 2009 after admitting he had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

John Forrest: Federal member for Mallee in Victoria since March 1993, he was also a member of Swan Hill council for 3 years. At 2004 election, he was re-elected to the position of Chief Whip of The Nationals and held this position until August 11, 2006.

Robert Furolo: the NSW Member for Lakemba since 2008. He was first elected to Canterbury Council in 1999 and had been the popularly elected mayor since 2004. He was re-elected Mayor in 2008, and since October 2008 he has been a Labor Party member of the representing the electorate of Lakemba.

Geoff Gallop: a Rhodes Scholar and City Councillor at Fremantle from 1983-1986. In 2001 he led the Labour Party to victory and became Premier of WA, which lasted 2 terms before resigning in 2006 because of health issues.

Joanna Gash: a lower house Liberal member since 1996, representing the Division of Gilmore in NSW, and a former Sunday school teacher. Gash was also an Alderman with the Wingecarribee Shire Council.

John Goss: Alderman in Brisbane City Council from 1982-1989, he then became member for Aspley in the Queensland Parliament from 1989-2001.

Brian Greig: a former Democrat Senator for Western Australia from 1999-2005, he served as a councillor for the WA town of Vincent from 1995-1999.

Alan Griffin: a member of Springvale City Council from 1991-1993, he then became a Labor Party member in March 1993 and represented the Division of Corinella, Victoria from 1993–1996 and then the Division of Bruce, Victoria, since March 1996. In the Rudd cabinet his role was as Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Jill Hall: Councillor of Lake Macquarie City Council from 1991 - 1995 which included a stint as deputy Mayor from 1993 - 1994. Since the 1998 election, she has represented Shortland, New South Wales, and she was a Deputy Opposition Whip from 2004 until 2007.

Shelley Hancock: served on Shoalhaven City Council for 16 years, during which, she was elected as Deputy Mayor from 2000-2001. Hancock has represented the South Coast for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2003. Shelley was also a school teacher for 26 years at Ulladulla High School in NSW.

Pauline Hanson: the former fish and chip shop owner, Liberal party member and One Nation leader began her move into parliament following a stint as a councillor for the City of Ipswich.

Colleen Hartland: she previously worked as a cook in Parliament during the Cain/Kirner years. Elected as Councillor for Sheok Ward in the Maribyrnong City Council in 2003, and served until 2005. She won a seat for the Greens in the Western Metropolitan Region in the 2006 State election.

Bill Heffernan: a Liberal Senator for New South Wales since 1996, he once served on the Junee Shire Council from 1981-1996. He also was the President of the Liberal Party of NSW from 1993-96.

Thomas Herzfeld: elected as a representative in local government for Mundaring in WA, he was later elected, representing the Liberals, to the West Australian State Parliament in 1977 and served two terms until an election loss in 1983.

Howard Hobbs: Nationals MP for Warrego in south west Queensland, he was a councilor from 1975-1980 and chairman of Tambo Shire Council from 1980-87.

Kay Hull: alderman in Wagga Wagga City Council from 1991-1998 included a stint as Deputy Mayor from 1995-1998. She was first elected to the House of Representatives for Riverina, New South Wales in 1998.

John Hyde: went from a journalist at The West to Mayor of Perth's Vincent council to state member in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the seat in 2001.

John Hyde: he was a councillor and deputy-President of the Shire of Dalwallinu and then won the federal seat of Moore in 1974, holding it until he was defeated in 1983.

Harry Jenkins: a councillor for Whittlesea Shire Council from 1979-1986, which included a stint as President from 1984-1985 He has been a Labor member since 1986 representing the Division of Scullin, Victoria and in 2007 became the 28th Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Virginia Judge: was elected to Strathfield Council in 1995 and served until 2004 which included a stint as Mayor from 2001-2003. She has been a Labor MP for Strathfield in the NSW Paliament since 2003 and is the Minister for the Arts.

Marlene Kairouz: previously was a councillor for the City of Darebin, from 1998-2008 which included two stints as Mayor from 2001-02 and from 2006-07. She has been a Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2008 when she was elected at the 2008 Kororoit by-election.

Peter King: a Rhodes Scholar, he was a member of the Woollahra Municipal Council and was Mayor from 1990-1991. He was a Liberal Party member from 2001 to 2004, representing the seat of Wentworth, New South Wales. In 2003 he was challenged for his Liberal endorsement in Wentworth by Malcolm Turnbull, which he subsequently lost. In response he ran as an independent in the 2004 election and received 18% of the primary vote. He was then banned from the Liberal Party for ten years for running against a preselected Liberal party member.

Carl Kirkwood: he was a Preston city councillor from 1963-1974 which included a stint as mayor from 1968-1969. The Labour party member represented Preston, Victoria from May 1970 until August 1988.

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 had previously held senior positions including Deputy Premier of Tasmania from 2006-2008.

Lynne Kosky: a senior Labour minister in Victoria since 1993, she has represented the electoral district of Altona since 1996. On January 18, 2010, she announced her intention to retire stating "significant health problems in her family" as the reason. She was elected to the City of Footscray council in 1986, and went on to become Mayor in 1988.

Mark Latham: in 1987 he was elected to the City Council of Liverpool, in Sydney which included a stint as mayor from 1991 to 1994. He went on to become the Labour leader and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005 when he retired following his 2004 election defeat citing life-threatening illness and family concerns.

Michael Leighton: was a councillor in the Ivanhoe Ward for the City of Heidelberg from 1980-1982. In 1988, he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as the Labor member for Preston until his retirement in 2006.

Peter Lindsay: he has been a Liberal Party member since March 1996, representing the Division of Herbert, Queensland and previously was a councillor with the Townsville City Council 1985-1996. In January 2010, he announced he would not contest the next Federal election.

Peter Lockwood: he served on Knox City Council from 1993–94 and 2000–2003. He was a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2006.

Hurtle Lupton: a councillor for the City of Knox from1973-1993 including three stints as Mayor from 1979-80, 1981-82, and 1989-90. A member of the Liberal Party he represented Knox from 1992-2002.

Ian Macdonald: a Liberal member of the Senate since July 1990, representing Queensland. He was also a Councillor in the Burdekin Shire Council from 1979-90.

Ted Mack: referred to as the "father of the independents" he was Mayor of North Sydney from 1980-1988, and held the seat of North Shore as an independent from 1981-1988. He then spent 2 years out of the game only to return and win the federal seat of North Sydney in 1990.

Judy Maddigan: former mayor of Moonee Valley to speaker of the Legislative Assembly for the Bracks Government in Victoria from 2003-2005.

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, she has since been a councillor for Monash City Council.

Leo McLeay: a Labor Party member from 1979 to 2004, first representing the Division of Grayndler, NSW from 1979-1993 and then the Division of Watson, NSW when he was the Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1989-1993. He was also a member of the Marrickville Municipal Council from 1971-1977.

Terry Martin: first elected to council in 1985, he became Mayor of the City of Glenorchy, Tasmania from 1990-2005. In 2004 he became the Member for Elwick in the Tasmanian Legislative Council.

Julian McGauran: the conservative Senator for Victoria once served on Melbourne City Council from 1985-1988. His brother Peter was the Minister for Agriculture under the Howard government.

Jan McLucas: was elected as a Cairns City Councillor in 1995, and entered then went on to become a Labor Senator for Queensland in July 1999.

Alex McTaggart: was Mayor of Pittwater Council and was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Pittwater from 2005 - 2007, something which is no longer allowed in Queensland and was never allowed in Victoria.

Alison Megarrity: was a councillor of the City of Liverpool Council from 1994-999. She has represented Menai for the Australian Labor Party since 1999.

James Merlino: was elected councillor 1997 and re-elected in March 2000 including his role as deputy Mayor from 2001-2002, for the Shire of Yarra Ranges, Billanook Ward. Since 2002 he was the member for Monbulk in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the Labor Party.

Jenny Mikakos: a member of the Labor Party and since 1999 has represented for the Jika Jika Province and then the Legislative Council for Northern Metropolitan, Victoria.

Clover Moore: in March 2004 she became the first publicly elected female, and 82nd, Lord Mayor of Sydney. Since 2007 she has been a member of the NSW Parliament representing Sydney but has been in paliament since 1988 when she won the seat of Bligh.

John Murphy: Federal ALP member for Murphy since 1988, he used to be on Drummoyne Council in Sydney's inner west (now called Canada Bay) serving from 1995-1998.

Sang Nguyen: was a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from May 1996 until November 2006, representing Melbourne West Province. In 1988, Nguyen was elected to the City of Richmond council and then in 1991 became Mayor. He continued on as a councillor until 1994.

Tim Nicholls: a Brisbane City Councillor for the Hamilton ward from 2000-2006, he moved on to serve the Queensland Liberals in the seat of Clayfield.

Gavan O'Connor: was a Labor Party member from 1993 to November 2007 representing for Corio in Victoria, which included a stint as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. He was also a member of Colac City Council from 1989-1992.

John Pandazopoulos: he was elected to the City of Berwick Council in 1987, and was Mayor from 1990-1991. In 1992 he was was elected to the Victorian Parliament as Member for Dandenong.

Chris Pearce: a Liberal member since July 2001, representing the Division of Aston, Victoria, and was previously a councillor with the Knox City Council from 1997-2000.

Paul Pearce: a councillor from 1983-2004 including the role of Mayor of Waverley Municipal Council from 1997-2004. He has been a Member of Coogee in the NSW parliament since 2003.

Michael Pengilly: the former mayor of Kangaroo Island, and 2006 went on to be the Liberal member for the seat of Finniss in the South Australian parliament.

Greg Piper: the independent councillor was first elected to the council in 1991 and served as deputy Mayor until 2000. Elected as the Mayor of Lake Macquarie in March 2004, he subsequently successfully re-contested the position of Mayor in September 2008. He was elected as the State Member for Lake Macquarie on the 24 March 2007.

Roger Price: since 1984 he has represented the Division of Chifley,Sydney, New South Wales, for the Labor Party. He was also an Alderman on Blacktown City Council from 1981 until 1987 where he served as deputy mayor in 1984-1985.

Geoffrey Prosser: he was a Liberal member, representing the Division of Forrest, Western Australia from 1987 until the 2007 election. He was a member of the Bunbury City Council from 1979-1985.

Gary Punch: was an Alderman of Hurstville Municipal Council from 1977-1983 and was elected mayor in 1978 at the ripe old age of 21. He went on to become the Labour Member for Barton in NSW from 1983-1996.

Don Randall: he was a Liberal member representing the Division of Swan, Western Australia, from 1996-1998, and has also represented the Division of Canning, Western Australia, since November 2001. He was a member of the Belmont City Council from 1993-1996.

Russell Savage: a former senior sergeant with Victoria Police, in 1990 he entered local politics as a councillor for the Shire of Mildura council, until 1995. In the 1996 Victorian state elections, he ran as an independent in Mildura and won. Savage survived another election before he lost his seat in the 2006 Victorian State election.

Alby Schultz: he has been a Liberal member since October 1998, representing Hume, NSW. He was a member of the Cootamundra Shire Council for 8 years from1983-1991.

Patrick Secker: has been a Liberal member since October 1998, representing the Division of Barker, South Australia. He has had two stints as a councillor as a member of the Meadows District Council from 1981-1983 and the Mt Barker District Council from 1983-1992.

Jeff Seeney: Deputy Opposition Leader, Nationals MP for Callide, was Monto Shire Councillor from 1992-1998 and Deputy Mayor 1994-1997.

Bob Sercombe: a member of the Labour party, he represented the Division of Maribyrnong, Victoria from 1996 until his retirement at the 2007 federal election. He was a member of the Essendon City Council in 1983 and 1984.

Sid Sidebottom: he was elected to Federal Parliament as the Labor MP for Braddon which he held between 1998 and 2004 where he lost the seat being defeated by the Liberal candidate, Mark Baker, at the 2004 election. He regained it again in 2007 under the leadership of Kevin Rudd.

Bruce Skeggs: a councillor with Heidelberg Council which include a stint as Mayor from 1990-1991. He was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1973 to 1982, representing Ivanhoe, and representing Templestowe Province from 1988-1996. He was also the founding editor of TV Week.

Kelvin Thomson: He was elected as a Coburg councillor in 1981 and served two terms as deputy mayor until 1988. He was then elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Pascoe Vale and served in the Shadow Cabinet from 1992-1994. Since 1996 he has been a member of the Labor Party representing the Division of Wills in Victoria.

Richard Torbay: was elected to Armidale City Council in 1991 and was a Councillor 1991-1998. He was the Deputy Mayor 1992-1993, and Mayor 1995-1998. He has been an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since 1999, representing the Northern Tablelands.

Ian Trezise: a Geelong City Councillor from 1989-1993, he has been an Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 1999, representing the seat of Geelong.

Warren Truss: since 2007 he has been leader of the National Party. He has been a National Party member since March 1990, representing the Division of Wide Bay, Queensland, and was a councillor of the Shire of Kingaroy from 1976-1990.

Henry Tsang: was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1999 until his resignation in 2009. He was also elected to Council of the City of Sydney in 1991 and was the Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney until 1999.

Wilson Tuckey: he has been a Liberal member since October 1980, representing the Division of O'Connor in WA. He was a councillor in Carnarvon, WA in 1964–65, and a member of the Carnarvon Shire Council during the years 1969–1970, 1971–1973 and 1977–1979.

Mark Vaile: he was a member of the Greater Taree City Council from 1985-1993 which included a 3 year stint as deputy Mayor. The former Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister. The former member for Lyne from 1993 – 2008 was also the Trade Minister and was involved in the negotiation of the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Maria Vamvakinou: since 2001 she has represented the Division of Calwell, Victoria for the Labor Party and was the first Greek-born woman to be elected to parliament in Australia. She is also a member of its Socialist Left faction and served as a councillor on the Northcote City Council from 1990-1992.

Nick Wakeling: served as the local councillor for Friberg Ward with the Knox City Council from 2003 to 2005, and was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing Ferntree Gully for the Liberal Party. He was elected in November 2006.

John Watkins: member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, holding the seat of Ryde from 1999-2008 and then went on to become Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 2005-2008. He is also a former Alderman on Hunters Hill Municipal Council which he served from 1987-1991.

Peter Wellington: has been the incumbent independent MP for Nicklin in Queensland since 1998. He previously served as a Maroochy Shire Councillor for 4 years.

Kim Wilkie: was a Labor Party member 1998 to 2007, representing the Electoral Division of Swan, WA. Before entering politics, he was a member of South Perth City Council from 1993-1998.

Frank Wilkes: during the Second World War he served in the Australian Army as a radio operator. In 1954 he was elected to Northcote City Council, where he served until 1978. He was the Leader of the Labor Opposition in Victoria from 1977 to 1981.

Gerry Wood: a former mayor of the Northern Territory shire of Litchfield, he has been an independent member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 2001, representing the electorate of Nelson.

Richard Wynne: MP for Richmond and local government Minister in Victoria who was a councillor in the City of Melbourne from 1986-1991, including a term as Lord Mayor of Melbourne during 1990-1991.