Damian Hale

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Damian Hale

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| constituency_MP = Solomon

| parliament = Australian

| majority =

| predecessor = Dave Tollner

| successor = Natasha Griggs

| term_start = 24 November 2007

| term_end = 21 August 2010

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|12|28}}

| birth_place = Ipswich, Queensland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Australian

| party = Australian Labor Party

| relations =

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Australian rules footballer

| profession =

| religion =

| signature =

| website =

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}}

Damian Francis Hale (born 28 December 1969) is a former Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Solomon from 2007 to 2010. He moved to the Northern Territory in 1974 and grew up in Maningrida, Katherine and Darwin, with his teacher parents, Bob and Bev Hale.

While growing up he was actively involved in sports, representing the Northern Territory in rugby league and Australian rules football.{{Cite web |url=http://www.alp.org.au/people/nt/hale_damian.php |title=ALP Profile |access-date=14 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611215209/http://www.alp.org.au/people/nt/hale_damian.php |archive-date=11 June 2007 |url-status=dead }} He later coached St Mary's Football Club to three premierships (2003-5{{cite web |title=Northern Territory Football League - Premiership Placings 1971/2 to 2006/7 |author=Rex Nixon |date=2007-10-19 |accessdate=2007-12-21 |url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/ntfl_(darwin)_part_2.htm |publisher=Full Points Footy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607145153/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/ntfl_(darwin)_part_2.htm |archive-date=7 June 2011 |url-status=usurped }}) in the Northern Territory Football League. He has five children.

Hale won the marginal seat of Solomon for the Australian Labor Party at the 2007 Australia federal election, defeating sitting Country Liberal Party member Dave Tollner.{{cite news | title=Labor wins Solomon | publisher=ABC | date=11 December 2007 | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/11/2115250.htm| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718003051/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/11/2115250.htm| url-status=dead| archive-date=18 July 2012}} Hale won an extremely close preselection process which included a letter of support from Labor leader Kevin Rudd despite Rudd having never met Hale.[http://bulletin.prev01.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=224884&print=true Black and white labor]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; The Bulletin; 1 February 2007

In June 2007 Hale was involved in an altercation with Fremantle Football Club player Chris Tarrant in a popular Darwin nightspot. Hale received a black eye when he was struck by Tarrant after intervening when the inebriated Tarrant exposed his buttocks to a female colleague of Hale.[https://archive.today/20121231065754/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/18/1954855.htm Tarrant investigated over nightclub scuffle]; ABC News (Australia); 18 June 2007[http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=12&ContentID=31809 Tarrant faces fine, ban]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; The West Australian; 19 June 2007

Hale contested the 2016 Northern Territory election in the seat of Blain, which had been vacated by Nathan Barrett. He finished first on the primary vote, ahead of former Country Liberal Party Chief Minister Terry Mills, who ran for his old seat as an independent. However, despite the massive Labor wave that swept through Darwin/Palmerston, Mills defeated Hale on CLP preferences.{{cite news | url=http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/lynne-walker-closing-gap-after-recount/news-story/fc25190f0dda0e44097c1a1a82afbd82?nk=684e0febd8e184ebc43707da2c2aa910-1473557741 | title=Lynne Walker closing gap after recount | work=Northern Territory News | date=5 September 2016 | accessdate=11 September 2016}}