Lin Powell
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = The Hon
|name = Lin Powell
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|office = Speaker of the Queensland Parliament
|term_start = 2 December 1987
|term_end = 5 July 1989
|predecessor = Kev Lingard
|successor = Kev Lingard
|constituency = Isis
| constituency_AM1 = Isis
| assembly1 = Queensland Legislative
| term_start1 = 7 December 1974
| term_end1 = 31 July 1989
| predecessor1 = Jim Blake
| successor1 = Bill Nunn
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|3|10|df=y}}
|birth_place = Maryborough, Queensland
|death_date =
|death_place =
|restingplace =
|birthname = Lionel William Powell
|nationality = Australian
|party = National Party
|otherparty = Independent
|spouse =
| occupation = Schoolteacher
| relations =
}}
Lionel William "Lin" Powell (born 10 March 1939) is a former Australian politician. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Isis.
Early life
Powell was born in Maryborough to Lionel Mitchell Powell and Helen Irene, née West. Lin Powell is a great-grandson of Native Police officer Walter David Taylor Powell.{{cite web|url=https://www.cardwellhistory.com.au/twist-of-fate/|title=Twist of Fate|last1=Powell|first1=Lin|date=15 April 1853|accessdate=24 December 2017}} He was educated at state schools in Bundaberg and then at Brisbane State High School. After studying at Kelvin Grove Teachers College and the University of Queensland, he became a schoolteacher. He taught at Stafford, Cairns and Bundaberg and was a school principal at Lyndhurst, Cooloolabin, Forest Station and Cattle Creek Valley.
Politics
A long-time member of the National Party, he was secretary of the Mundubbera branch from 1965 until his election as president in 1967, serving until 1970. In 1974, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Isis. Promoted to the front bench as Minister for Education in 1982, he was briefly Leader of Government Business in the House in 1987 before being elected Speaker in December, immediately after Joh Bjelke-Petersen's ousting by Mike Ahern.{{cite web
|last=Queensland Parliament
|authorlink=Queensland Parliament
|title=Powell, Lionel William (Lin)
|year=2012
|url=https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3229813721
|accessdate=22 December 2018
|url-status=live
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222085339/https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3229813721
|archivedate= 22 December 2018
}}
On 3 May 1989, Powell resigned from the National Party and declared himself an independent. He continued as Speaker until 5 July 1989, when the government voted against him on a matter of privilege; his resignation prompted scenes of chaos in the chamber. He remained a Member of Parliament until his sudden resignation on 31 July 1989; he was urged to form a new Conservative Party but declined. He ran for Isis as an independent at the 1989 election, but without success.
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Claude Wharton}}
{{s-ttl|title=Leader of the House of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland|years=1987}}
{{s-aft||after=Brian Austin}}
{{s-par|au-qld}}
{{s-bef|before=Kev Lingard}}
{{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Legislative Assembly|years=1987–1989}}
{{s-aft|after=Kev Lingard}}
{{s-bef|before=Jim Blake}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Isis | years=1974–1989}}
{{s-aft|after=Bill Nunn}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Lin}}
Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Queensland
Category:Independent members of the Parliament of Queensland
Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Category:People educated at Brisbane State High School
Category:Speakers of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
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