Graham Watt
{{short description|Politician}}
{{for|the British construction administrator|Graham Clive Watts}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Graham Watt
| honorific-suffix =
| constituency_AM = Burwood
| image = File:Graham Watt MP b.jpg
| assembly = Victorian Legislative
| term_start = 27 November 2010
| term_end = 24 November 2018
| predecessor = Bob Stensholt
| successor = Will Fowles
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|8|18}}
| birth_place = Norseman, Western Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| constituency =
| party = Liberal Party
| parents = Graham Jack Watt Yvonne Karen Watt
| spouse = Rachel Carling-Jenkins
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = Edith Cowan University
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| footnotes =
| website = [http://grahamwatt.com.au grahamwatt.com.au]
}}
Graham Travis Watt (born 18 August 1976) is an Australian politician. He was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2010 to 2018, representing the seat of Burwood.{{cite web |title=Watt, Graham|work=re-member |publisher=Parliament of Victoria|url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/id/1701|accessdate=2011-12-19}} He is a member of the Liberal Party.
Early life
As a child, Watt was a represented his state in athletics. In 2004, he walked a hundred miles in 24 hours, to become an Australian centurion, something achieved by only 48 people on Australian soil, at that time.{{Cite web|url=http://www.centurions.org.au/centprofiles/48%20graham%20watt.pdf|title=Australian Centurions - Graham Watt|website=centurions.org.au}}
Watt graduated from Edith Cowan University, obtaining a Bachelor of Business, and majoring in Finance and Economics.
Before election to parliament he worked variously as the owner of a mobile phone retail store and a carpet cleaning business.
Political career
Watt ran for the Liberal Party in 2002 and 2006 in the electoral district of Northcote, losing to Mary Delahunty in 2002{{Cite web |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/state2002TCPbyVCNorthcoteDistrict.html |title=State Election 2002: Northcote District Two Candidate Preferred Results by Voting Centre - Victorian Electoral Commission |access-date=31 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731123555/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/state2002TCPbyVCNorthcoteDistrict.html |url-status=dead }} and Fiona Richardson in 2006.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/state2006resultNorthcoteDistrict.html |title=State Election 2006: Northcote District results summary - Victorian Electoral Commission |access-date=31 July 2018 |archive-date=31 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731123925/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/state2006resultNorthcoteDistrict.html |url-status=dead }}
In 2009 he was preselected as the Liberal candidate for the electorate of Burwood, which he won at the 2010 Victorian election, defeating the sitting Labor member Bob Stensholt.{{cite web|url=http://whitehorse-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/state-election-burwood-back-in-liberal-hands/ |title=STATE ELECTION: Burwood back in Liberal hands |accessdate=19 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008013201/http://whitehorse-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/state-election-burwood-back-in-liberal-hands/ |archivedate=8 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}
He was re-elected in the 2014 Victorian election with 50.1% of the primary vote and 53.17% of the 2 candidate preferred vote.
In 2015, Watt was criticised for being the only member of the Victorian Parliament to not stand to applaud domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty when she addressed the parliament in an historic joint sitting. {{Cite web |title=He refused to stand for Rosie Batty - now this MP might lose his seat |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/he-refused-to-stand-for-rosie-batty--now-this-mp-might--lose-his-seat-20161205-gt4e8s.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=amp.theage.com.au}} {{Cite web |title=Labor minister lashes Graham Watt over refusal to stand after Rosie Batty address |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/labor-minister-lashes-graham-watt-over-refusal-to-stand-after-rosie-batty-address-20151127-gl9hhg.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=amp.theage.com.au}}
Watt was subsequently defeated in the 2018 Victorian state election. {{Cite web |title=Burwood - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results |url=https://abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2018/guide/burw |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}
In 2022, Watt ran as a Liberal candidate again, this time in Melton, but was unsuccessful. {{Cite web |title=Melton (Key Seat) - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results |url=https://abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2022/guide/melt |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}
Personal life
In 2021, Watt married former DLP Member of Parliament Rachel Carling. {{Cite web |title=House and home: Ex-MPs tie the knot |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/house-and-home-ex-mps-tie-the-knot-20211024-p592pp.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=amp.theage.com.au}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- http://vic.liberal.org.au/team/GrahamWatt
- http://www.grahamwatt.com.au/
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{s-bef|before=Bob Stensholt}}
{{s-ttl | title=Member for Burwood | years=2010–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=Will Fowles}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watt, Graham}}
Category:Edith Cowan University alumni
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Category:People from Norseman, Western Australia
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria