Mike Nahan

Nahan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1950 as one of 13 children and grew up on a small farm, later graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics from Western Michigan University. After arriving in Australia in the late 1970s, he received a doctorate in economics from the Australian National University having previously completed a master's degree in agricultural economics.{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=Western Australia|title=Maiden Speech| url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard%5Chansard.nsf/0/fa86f93f4f4903f1c8257584001f5bfb/$FILE/A38%20S1%2020081113%20p272d-308a.pdf | house=Legislative Assembly | date=13 November 2008 | pages=35–38 |speaker=Mike Nahan |position=Member for Riverton}}{{cite web | url=http://www.mikenahan.com.au/mdn-mikenahan-bio.php | title=About Mike Nahan | work=mikenahan.com.au | access-date=3 May 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610212307/http://www.mikenahan.com.au/mdn-mikenahan-bio.php | archive-date=10 June 2012 | url-status=dead }}

Nahan arrived in Western Australia in July 1982. He joined the Western Australian Public Service before moving to the Institute of Public Affairs, a libertarian think tank, as a policy director. Between 1995 and 2005 he was Executive Director of the IPA.{{cite web | url=http://ipa.org.au/people/mike-nahan | title=People & associates - Mike Nahan | publisher=Institute of Public Affairs | access-date=3 May 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326005335/http://ipa.org.au/people/mike-nahan | archive-date=26 March 2012 | url-status=dead }}

Nahan entered politics at the 2008 Western Australian state election when he defeated incumbent Labor MP Tony McRae for the seat of Riverton in southern Perth.

Nahan served as the Trustee of the Parliamentary Superannuation Board and was Chairman of the Economics and Industry Standing Committee in State Parliament from November 2008 to August 2012.{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament%5CMemblist.nsf/AllDocs/E73092562ED391E9C82574D00025C8B1?opendocument | title=Current Members - Hon. Dr Michael (Mike) Dennis Nahan MLA BEc, MS, PhD | publisher=Parliament of Western Australia | access-date=21 March 2013}} As part of the Economics and Industry Standing Committee, Mike Nahan presided over the Kimberley Ultramarathon Inquiry, an Inquiry set up to understand why five individuals received extensive burns. It was later determined that the fire was caused by an out of control prescribed burn being conducted by FESA, El Questro, the WA Police and the James Gino Salerno family, a cult residing around Kununurra.

After the Liberal/National government was reelected at the 2013 Western Australian state election, Nahan was promoted to cabinet as Minister for Energy, Finance, and Citizenship and Multicultural Interests by Premier Colin Barnett.

Nahan was appointed as the Treasurer of Western Australia on 14 March 2014 following the resignation of Troy Buswell.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-14/wa-cabinet-reshuffle/5321416|title=Cabinet reshuffle: Nahan and Nalder the winners after resignation of Troy Buswell|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=14 March 2014}} His first budget as Treasurer was delivered in May 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-08/wa-budget-2014-handed-down/5439454|title=WA budget 2014: Households set for financial pain as Government delivers slim surplus|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=8 May 2014|last1=O'Connor|first1=Andrew}}

As Treasurer of Western Australia, Nahan presided over the loss of the state's AAA credit rating in August 2014 when state debt was downgraded to AA1 (further downgraded to AA2 in February 2016),{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-08/moodys-downgrades-wa-credit-rating-aa1/7149196|title=Moody's downgrades WA credit rating as commodities prices plunge; fears of debt blowout|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=8 February 2016}} and an unemployment rate of 6.5% in March 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-04/wa-election-iberals-fiscal-attack-on-labor-opens-own-record/8324134|title=WA Liberals wield double-edged sword as they target Labor's election promise costings|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=4 March 2017|last1=O'Connor|first1=Andrew}}

The Liberal government was roundly defeated at the 2017 state election, suffering the worst defeat of a sitting government in Western Australian history. Notably, the Liberals' support in Perth almost melted. The Liberals were cut down to only nine seats in the capital, including Nahan's. Following the defeat, Barnett resigned as WA Liberal leader and returned to the backbench.

Two days after the election, outgoing minister Bill Marmion indicated that Nahan had the most support in the much-reduced Liberal party room to succeed Barnett.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-16/mike-nahan-firms-as-wa-opposition-leader/8359310|title=Mike Nahan firms as WA opposition leader|last=Perpitch|first=Nicholas|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|work=ABC News|date=16 March 2017}} He was elected unopposed as Liberal leader, and hence Leader of the Opposition, on 21 March, with outgoing Deputy Premier Liza Harvey remaining deputy leader.{{cite news|url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/state/2017/03/21/nahan-elected-new-wa-liberal-leader.html|title=Nahan replaces Barnett as WA Liberal leader|work=Sky News Australia|date=21 March 2017}}

Nahan has been compared to Ned Flanders, a character from The Simpsons, with The West Australian cartoonist Dean Alston drawing him in the style of the animated television show.{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-18/liberals-sell-own-ned-flanders-in-mike-nahan-to-wa-voters/9161346 |title=The challenge of selling 'Ned Flanders' |last=Strutt |first=Jessica |date=18 November 2017 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=26 February 2018 |language=en-AU}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-west-australian/20171208/281500751586919 |title=Ned's final cut |date=8 December 2017 |work=The West Australian |publisher=Seven West Media|access-date=26 February 2018}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/was-flanders-jokes-amid-budget-gloom/news-story/8cf23355be9c3b959ddd079845fe9df7 |title=WA's 'Flanders' jokes amid budget gloom |date=9 May 2014 |work=news.com.au |publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=26 February 2018}}

Nahan announced on 12 June 2019 he was stepping down from the parliamentary leadership of the Liberal Party.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-12/mike-nahan-quits-as-wa-opposition-leader-wa-liberal-party-leader/11204372|title=Mike Nahan quits as Opposition Leader two years after WA election wipe-out|last=Shine|first=Rhiannon|last2=Kagi|first2=Jacob|date=2019-06-12|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-12}} When asked who he will be backing as his replacement, he said it would be up to the Liberal party room to make that decision. Nahan also said that he had always planned to step down before the 2021 election, meaning that he never intended to take the Liberals into the campaign. He however disputed the suggestion that he was "warming the chair". His deputy, Harvey, was elected unopposed as party leader on 13 June 2019.{{cite news |last1=Gubana |first1=Benjamin |title=WA Liberals elect first female leader as Liza Harvey takes over from Mike Nahan |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-13/liza-harvey-new-wa-opposition-leader-after-mike-nahan-quits/11205306 |work=ABC News |date=13 June 2019 |language=en-AU}} He is only the fifth WA Liberal leader not to take the party into an election.

Soon after Harvey was elected his successor, Nahan became Shadow Minister for Planning in Harvey's shadow cabinet.

In March 2021, Nahan retired from Parliament, and did not seek re-election in his Riverton seat, which was gained by the Labor Party.{{cite web |title=WA election: Former Liberal MPs lash out as party takes stock amid poll wipeout |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-14/wa-liberal-party-blame-starts-as-party-takes-stock-of-election/13245658 |website=ABC Net}}

In 2018, Nahan revealed a substantial disputed liability, believed to be potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the United States Internal Revenue Service. Despite being a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since September 2008 and Treasurer in the Barnett Government for three years, this possible liability was only disclosed in 2018 during a debate over eligibility of dual citizens.{{Cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/opposition-leader-mike-nahan-claims-to-be-victim-of-us-tax-grab-ng-b88915081z|title=Nahan says US tax bill may be wiped|date=2018-08-01|work=The West Australian|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en-GB}}

During the debate, Nahan stated that he no longer held a U.S. passport but was unable to renounce his American citizenship until the debt was resolved. The issue arose in 2010 when the IRS changed the way in which it calculated liability from Australian superannuation recipients. Nahan is reported to be one many thousands of U.S. citizens caught up in the changes and is awaiting the outcome of several court cases in the United States where lawyers are confident that, if successful, his liability will be expunged.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/liberal-party-unrest-as-leader-admits-us-tax-battle/news-story/dde21750bd28be11b9f7023145c6de5f|title=Liberal Party unrest as leader admits US tax battle |website=www.theaustralian.com.au|language=en|access-date=2018-11-28}}{{Cite news|url=https://mikenahan.com.au/mediarelease/personal-explanation-by-opposition-leader-mike-nahan/|title=Personal explanation by Opposition Leader Mike Nahan|date=2018-08-01|work=Mike Nahan|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en-US}} For Liberal Party colleagues the issue raised further concerns about his ability to lead the decimated party in parliament to the 2021 Western Australian state election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-04/mike-nahan-dual-citizenship-irs-tax-dispute/10067274|title=Attack of the 'white ants' exposes a lack of guts among the Opposition ranks|date=2018-08-04|work=ABC News|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en-AU}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament%5CMemblist.nsf/WAllMembersFlat/Nahan,+Michael+(Mike)+Dennis WA Parliament biography]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140314060606/http://www.wapropertynews.com.au/mike-nahan-new-western-australian-treasurer-695 Mike Nahan new WA Treasurer]

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Category:1950 births

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

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Category:Leaders of the opposition in Western Australia

Category:American emigrants to Australia

Category:Western Michigan University alumni

Category:Australian National University alumni

Category:Treasurers of Western Australia

Category:Australian economists

Category:Politicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan

Category:Ministers for energy (Western Australia)

Category:21st-century Australian politicians