Neil Angus
{{short description|Australian politician (born 1961)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Neil Angus
| honorific-suffix =
| image = File:Angus 2022 b.jpg
| constituency_MP = Forest Hill
| parliament = Victorian
| term_start = 2 December 2010
| term_end = 26 November 2022
| predecessor = Kirstie Marshall
| successor = Seat abolished
| profession = Accountant
| education = Carey Baptist Grammar School
| alma_mater = Swinburne University of Technology
Edith Cowan University
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1961|3|24}}
| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| party = Liberal Party
| website = {{url|neilangus.com}}
| }}
Neil Andrew Warwick Angus (born 24 March 1961) is a former Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Forest Hill. He was elected in 2010, and reelected in the 2014 and 2018 elections, before being defeated at the 2022 Victorian state election. While in Parliament, Angus variously held the shadow portfolios of Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Consumer Affairs, and Assistant Treasurer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/members-search/list-all-shadow-parl-secs|title=List all Shadow Parl. Secs.|website=Parliament.vic.gov.au|access-date=4 April 2022}}
Early life and education
Angus underwent his high school education at Carey Baptist Grammar School. His tertiary education includes a Bachelor of Business in Accounting from Swinburne University of Technology, and a Graduate Certificate in Financial investment from Edith Cowan University.
Angus worked as a Registered Company Auditor from 1992-2010 and a Certified Fraud Examiner from 2005–2012.
Politics
Angus finished runner-up to Alan Tudge in the Liberal preselection ballot for the Division of Aston prior to the 2010 federal election.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/former-liberals-staffer-preselected-for-aston-20090920-fwrv.html|title=Former Liberals staffer preselected for Aston|newspaper=The Age|first=Katharine|last=Murphy|date=21 September 2009|access-date=12 June 2021}}
=State parliament=
Angus was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018.
He served as a Shadow Minister from 2018 to 2021, but was dropped from the shadow minister on Matthew Guy’s return to the Liberal leadership.{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/members-search/list-all-members/details/22/89|title=Member Profile - Mr Neil Angus|website=Parliament.vic.gov.au|access-date=4 April 2022}}
In 2022, Angus was the only member of the Legislative Assembly who was not vaccinated against COVID-19, stating in late 2021 that he was ‘unwilling’ to have the vaccine, despite scientific consensus and official support from the Liberal opposition for vaccinations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/unvaccinated-victorian-mps-set-to-be-banned-from-voting-and-entering-parliament-20211008-p58ya6.html|title=Victorian MPs set to defy 'undemocratic' vaccine mandate as opposition declares support|website=Amp.theage.com.au|access-date=4 April 2022}} Seeking preselection ahead of the 2022 election, Angus lobbied Liberal Party members to postpone the vote, to avoid him being excluded from it after unvaccinated people were banned from attending.{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/forest-hill-mp-neil-angus-makes-plea-to-liberal-party-over-preselection-vote/news-story/d5d0cd67402b431423b68a71c13a7011?amp&nk=e3e6c8459eab428c5c06bee7d978bbc0-1647855058|title=Forest Hill MP Neil Angus makes plea to Liberal party over preselection vote|website=Heraldsun.com.au|access-date=4 April 2022}}
At the 2022 Victorian state election, Angus ran for the newly created seat of Glen Waverley after his seat, Forest Hill, was abolished in the 2021 redistribution. He was defeated by Labor’s John Mullahy.{{Cite web |title=Glen Waverley (Key Seat) - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results |url=https://abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2022/guide/glen |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}
In 2023, Angus sought a return to state parliament, nominating for Liberal preselection to fill a vacancy in the Legislative Council, following the announced retirement of Matthew Bach, {{Cite web |last=Carmody |first=Rachel Eddie, Annika Smethurst, Broede |date=2023-09-13 |title=Former MP who defied vaccine mandate joins Liberal preselection race |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/former-mp-who-defied-vaccine-mandate-joins-liberal-preselection-race-20230913-p5e48p.html |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=The Age |language=en}} however was unsuccessful.{{cite web| url = https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8446081/victorian-liberals-pick-newcomer-for-upper-house-spot/ | title = Victorian Liberals pick newcomer for upper house spot | first = Callum | last = Godde | author-link = | date = 3 December 2023 | newspaper = The Canberra Times | access-date = 7 June 2024}}
Personal life
Neil is married, has four children, and three grandchildren.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}
References
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{{s-bef|before=Kirstie Marshall}}
{{s-ttl | title=Member for Forest Hill | years=2010–2022}}
{{s-aft|after=Seat abolished}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Angus, Neil}}
Category:Politicians from Melbourne
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Category:People educated at Carey Baptist Grammar School
Category:Swinburne University of Technology alumni