Tony Staley
{{Short description|Australian politician and businessman (1939–2023)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Tony Staley
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}}
| image =Tony Staley 1974 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Staley in 1974
| office = President of the Liberal Party of Australia
| leader = John Howard
| predecessor = Ashley Goldsworthy
| successor = Shane Stone
| term_start = 28 August 1993
| term_end = 1 July 1999
| constituency_MP1 = Chisholm
| parliament1 = Australian
| majority1 =
| predecessor1 = Wilfrid Kent Hughes
| successor1 = Graham Harris
| term_start1 = 19 September 1970
| term_end1 = 19 September 1980
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1939|5|15}}
| birth_place = Horsham, Victoria, Australia
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2023|5|3|1939|5|15}}
| death_place = Melbourne, Australia
| spouse =
| party = Liberal
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = University of Melbourne
| occupation =
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Anthony Allan Staley {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}} (15 May 1939 – 3 May 2023)[https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/death-notices/staley-anthony-allan-tony/6053297/ Staley, Anthony Allen (Tony)] was an Australian politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he held the Victorian seat of Chisholm from 1970 to 1980 and served as Minister for the Capital Territory (1976–1977) and Minister for Posts and Telecommunications (1977–1980) in the Fraser government. He later served as national president of the Liberal Party from 1993 to 1999.
Early life
Staley was born on 15 May 1939 in Horsham, Victoria.{{cite news|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fallmps%2FGY5%22|title=Biography for STALEY, the Hon. Anthony Allan|publisher=Parliament of Australia|accessdate=7 June 2022}} He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne.{{cite news|url=https://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/greatscot/2007mayGS/52.htm|title=Australia Day Honours 2007|publisher=Scotch College|accessdate=7 June 2022}} He completed the degree of Bachelor of Laws at the University of Melbourne.
Parliament
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2023}}
Staley was elected to parliament at the 1970 Chisholm by-election, which followed the death of the incumbent Liberal MP Wilfrid Kent Hughes. He was the Member for Chisholm from 1970 to 1980 and was Minister for the Capital Territory from February 1976 to December 1977 in the Fraser Government and then Minister for Post and Telecommunications until his retirement from Parliament.
Subsequent activities
He later served as Federal President of the Liberal Party of Australia. In May 1994 when Liberal Leader John Hewson called a leadership spill, Staley as Liberal President caused controversy when he withdrew his support for Hewson saying they could not win with Hewson sadly. The controversy was due to the expectation that the organizational wing of the party which Staley was in charge of as president did not interfere with the parliamentary party in selecting the leader. In the subsequent leadership spill, Hewson was defeated by Alexander Downer but it was expected that Staley would not have survived as party president if Hewson had won the spill. He did continue on in the position and supported John Howard's bid to become Leader of the Opposition and ultimately Prime Minister.{{cite news|title=Liberals' serial grub at the heart of a sorry affair|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/07/1019441500532.html|accessdate=3 October 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=8 May 2002}}
Personal life and death
In 1990, Staley was involved in a serious road accident, which left him needing to use calipers to walk.{{cite news|last1=Crabb|first1=Annabel|title=No apology from Labor over 'deformed' slur at Liberal elder|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/05/05/1019441460014.html|accessdate=3 October 2017|work=The Age|date=6 May 2002}}
Staley died in Melbourne on 3 May 2023, at the age of 83.[https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/former-liberal-party-federal-president-tony-staley-dies-aged-83/video/8bcd546ae6f566ab90669526488b2057 Former Liberal Party federal president Tony Staley dies aged 83]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/greatscot/2007mayGS/52.htm Great Scot article]
- [http://www.websterworld.com/websterworld/aust/s/staleytony192.html Webster World Encyclopedia of Australia]
- [http://www.staleyfamily.com.au/data/descendants/rr01/rr01_081.htm The Staley Family in Australia]
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | rows=2 | before= Eric Robinson }}
{{s-ttl | title= Minister for the Capital Territory | years=1976–1977 }}
{{s-aft | after= Robert Ellicott }}
{{s-ttl | title= Minister for Post and Telecommunications | years=1977–1980 }}
{{s-aft | after= Ian Sinclair }}
{{s-par|au}}
{{succession box | title=Member for Chisholm | before=Wilfrid Kent Hughes | after=Graham Harris | years=1970–1980}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Ashley Goldsworthy}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the Liberal Party of Australia|years=1993–1999}}
{{s-aft|after=Shane Stone}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staley, Tony}}
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Chisholm
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne
Category:Officers of the Order of Australia
Category:People from Horsham, Victoria
Category:University of Melbourne alumni
Category:Australian MPs 1969–1972
Category:Australian MPs 1972–1974
Category:Australian MPs 1974–1975
Category:Australian MPs 1975–1977
Category:Australian MPs 1977–1980
{{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub}}