Don Maisey

Maisey was born on 6 May 1915 in Goomalling, Western Australia.{{cite news|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Parliamentarian/KLJ|title=Maisey, Donald William|work=Parliamentary Handbook|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=24 August 2024}} He was the son of Albert Maisey, a farmer from Dowerin who served as chairman of the Dowerin Road Board.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202723676|title=Don Maisey To Run For Moore|newspaper=The Beverley Times|date=31 October 1963}}

Maisey began his education at Dowerin State School and later boarded at Wesley College, Perth. After leaving school he returned to the family property at Dowerin. He was active in the Wheatgrowers' Union and the Primary Producers' Association, which later merged to form the Farmers' Union of Western Australia. He was elected vice-president of the wheat section of the Farmers' Union in 1950, becoming president of the wheat section the following year. He also served as a general vice-president and as a director of the union's newspaper, the Farmers' Weekly.

In 1953, Maisey was elected as a growers' representative on the Australian Wheat Board (AWB), serving from 1954 to 1963. He was also a Western Australian representative on the Australian Wheatgrowers' Federation and served as national president in 1954 and 1959. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Commonwealth Wheat Research Council and successfully negotiated with the state government to establish a fund for research on soil fertility. He was an advocate for increased sales of Australian wheat to Asian markets and in 1961 participated in an AWB trade mission to China which secured a significant contract.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/201863833|title=Sell China wheat, board man urges|newspaper=The Beverley Times|date=15 November 1962}}

In October 1963, Maisey won Country Party preselection for the House of Representatives seat of Moore. He retained Moore for the Country Party at the 1963 federal election, following the retirement of the incumbent MP Hugh Leslie. He was re-elected in 1966 despite the Liberal Party targeting the seat.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/106946500|title=CP Incumbent Target of Fate and the Parties|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=16 November 1966}}

Maisey was a prominent opponent of the Gorton government's tariff policies, along with Bert Kelly, and in 1969 published How Tariffs Hit the West, a short pamphlet arguing that "tariffs discriminated heavily against Western Australia and that protected goods produced in the eastern states were being dumped in Western Australia to the cost of local manufacturers".{{cite book |first=Peter S.|last=Golding |title=Black Jack McEwen: Political Gladiator |year=1996 |publisher=Melbourne University Press |isbn=0522847188|page=249}} His views brought him into conflict with protectionist Country Party leader John McEwen in 1969, who he publicly criticised over tariff policies and support of wheat quotas.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107899645|title=A member who says what he thinks|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=24 October 1969}} He further accused McEwen of failing to protect the interests of wheatgrowers in the International Grains Agreement negotiations over the international minimum price for wheat.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136944246|title=M.P. attacks C.P. leader|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=16 July 1969}} Athol Thomas of The Canberra Times observed that Maisey was "recognised by West Australians as their most outspoken federal representative", while Don Whitington stated that it had been "a long time since a member of the Country Party attacked his own leader as trenchantly".{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/263031535|title=Electioneering and a cup of tea|first=Don|last=Whitington|newspaper=Australian Jewish News|date=15 August 1969}}

Maisey lost his seat to the Liberal candidate John Hyde at the 1974 election. He remained involved in politics and in 1975 unsuccessfully sought an injunction against Country Party state MPs in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, who had sought to re-enter a coalition with the state Liberal Party in defiance of the Country Party organisation.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110640764|title=Move to keep CP out of WA coalition fails|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=4 June 1975}}

Maisey married Dorrie Wiltshire in 1935.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240108713|title=Wedding|newspaper=The Weekly Gazette|location=Goomalling|date=23 August 1935}} They were divorced in 1970.{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107918335|title=MP divorced|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=8 April 1970}}

Maisey died on 20 April 2005, aged 89.

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|au}}

{{succession box | title=Member for Moore | before=Hugh Leslie| after=John Hyde| years=1963–1974}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maisey, Don}}

Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia

Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Moore

Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives

Category:1915 births

Category:2005 deaths

Category:People from Dowerin, Western Australia

Category:People educated at Wesley College, Perth

Category:Farmers from Western Australia

Category:Australian MPs 1963–1966

Category:Australian MPs 1966–1969

Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972

Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974

{{Australia-National-politician-stub}}