Matt Brown (Australian politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honorable
| name = Matt Brown
| honorific-suffix = MP
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| order2 = Member for Kiama
| term_start2 = 27 March 1999
| term_end2 = 23 March 2011
| predecessor2 = Bob Harrison
| successor2 = Gareth Ward
| order1 = Minister for Police
Minister for the Illawarra
| term_start1 = 8 September 2008
| term_end1 = 11 September 2008
| predecessor1 = David Campbell
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|3|10|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| constituency =
| party = Labor Party
We Love Kiama Gerringong Jamberoo{{cite web |title=20211129-LG-Groups-of-Candidates.pdf |url=https://elections.nsw.gov.au/NSWEC/media/NSWEC/Registers/Register%20of%20Groups%20of%20Candidates/20211129-LG-Groups-of-Candidates.pdf}}
| spouse =
| profession = Solicitor
Academic
| signature =
| footnotes =
| website =
}}
Matthew James Brown (born 10 March 1972) is an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Kiama between 1999 and 2011. He was appointed Minister for Police and Minister for the Illawarra in the New South Wales Government on 8 September 2008 but resigned three days later after allegations of inappropriate conduct at a party in Parliament House occurring in June 2008.
Brown holds a Bachelor of Mathematics and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Wollongong. Prior to his election he worked as solicitor and as a lecturer at the university.{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/news/rees-minister-quits-over-simulated-sex/news-story/ddcf3385d4bc53b819270c79b3ccbc60|website=News.com.au|title=Nathan Rees minister Matt Brown resigns over simulated sex with MP|date=1 October 2009|first=Imre|last=Salusinszky|author-link=Imre Salusinszky|publisher=News Corp Australia|archivedate=18 December 2016|accessdate=18 December 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161218004608/http://www.news.com.au/news/rees-minister-quits-over-simulated-sex/news-story/ddcf3385d4bc53b819270c79b3ccbc60|url-status=live}}
Political career
Brown was elected as Member for Kiama in 1999, representing the Labor Party.{{cite NSW Parliament |name=Mr (Matt) Matthew James Brown (1972- ) |id=2147 |former=yes |access-date=22 October 2019}} He was sworn in as Minister for Housing and Tourism on 2 April 2007, and promoted to Minister for Police and Minister for the Illawarra on 8 September 2008. He resigned on 11 September 2008 after being accused of erotic dancing at a late-night party in his Parliament House office.{{cite news| last1 =Tibbits |first1 =Alex |last2=Smith|first2=Alexandra |title =New Rees Police Minister Matt Brown quits over sex antics | newspaper =The Sydney Morning Herald | publisher =Fairfax Media | date =11 September 2008 | url =http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nsw-police-minister-dumped-after-three-days/2008/09/11/1220857646762.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161218004517/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nsw-police-minister-dumped-after-three-days/2008/09/11/1220857646762.html?page=fullpage|archivedate=18 December 2016|accessdate=18 December 2016|url-status=live }} In 2010, he denied these allegations.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ive-never-danced-in-my-undies-says-outcast-labor-mp-matt-brown/story-e6freuy9-1225819430001|date=15 January 2010|first=Angela|last=Kamper|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|title=I've never danced in my undies, says outcast Labor MP Matt Brown}}
Partly due to the fallout from those allegations, Brown was heavily defeated at the 2011 state election by Liberal challenger Gareth Ward, suffering a swing of over 19 percent.
Brown had been suggested to run for the Federal seat of Throsby at the 2013 election but he decided against it.{{cite news|url=http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1490755/jones-confident-ahead-of-throsby-showdown/?cs=300|title=Jones confident ahead of Throsby showdown|date=10 May 2013|first=Kate|last=McIlwain|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045446/http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1490755/jones-confident-ahead-of-throsby-showdown/?cs=300|archivedate=4 March 2016|newspaper=Illawarra Mercury|publisher=Fairfax Media|accessdate=18 December 2016|url-status=live}}
Brown ran as a candidate for Kiama Council in the 2016 NSW Council Elections. He was elected to council along with his second running mate, Don Watson.{{cite web|url=http://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/the-council-of-the-municipality-of-kiama/councillor |title=NSW Electoral Commission - VTR Redirection Page |website=Vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2017-03-09}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{succession box | title=Member for Kiama | before=Bob Harrison | after=Gareth Ward | years=1999{{spaced ndash}}2011}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before= Sandra Nori|as= Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation }}
{{s-ttl |title= Minister for Tourism | years = 2007{{spaced ndash}}2008 }}
{{s-aft|after= Jodi McKay}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Matt}}
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Category:University of Wollongong alumni
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales