Philip Ross Lightfoot(11 August 1936 – 11 January 2024) was an Australian politician. He was aLiberalmember of theAustralian Senatefrom 1997 to 2008, representing the state ofWestern Australia.
Ross Lightfoot | |
|---|---|
 | |
| SenatorforWestern Australia | |
| In office 19 May 1997 – 30 June 2008 | |
| Preceded by | John Panizza |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 August 1936 Port Lincoln, South Australia,Australia |
| Died | 11 January 2024(aged 87) |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Occupation | Policeman, grazier |
Early life
editLightfoot was born inPort Lincoln,South Australiaand was educated at first theAdelaide,and thenKalgoorlieSchool of Mines. In the 1950s, he spent time as a weekend soldier, as a result ofnational service.Lightfoot joined theLiberal Party of Australiasoon afterwards. He worked as a mounted policeman between 1959 and 1962. In 1972, Lightfoot became a pastoralist and grazier, a line of employment he subsequently occupied for twenty years.
Politics
editWestern Australian parliament
editHis political career began in 1986, when Lightfoot won theseat of Murchison-Eyrein Western Australia'sLegislative Assembly.It was here that he first caused controversy, when he wrote toUnited States Secretary of StateGeorge Shultz,urging the US Government to dump subsidised wheat in Australia's international wheat markets in Russia and China. He later retracted the statement.
Lightfoot retired from the Legislative Assembly in 1989, but made a comeback in 1993, representing the North Metropolitan Region in theLegislative Council.While in state parliament, he also advocated for the secession of Western Australia from the rest of the country.
Federal parliament
editIn 1997, Western Australian SenatorJohn Panizzadied, and Lightfoot, having been selected to fill the vacancy, moved to federal politics.[1]He soon became a controversial figure within the party, and was rebuked byPrime MinisterJohn Howardfor telling the Senate that Aborigines in their native state were the lowest colour on the civilisation spectrum.[2]
Lightfoot was one of a small group of Liberal MPs willing to make a preference deal with controversial MPPauline Hansonand herOne Nationparty. However, this was to assist him in gaining re-election in 2001. His comments led to numerous moves to oust him from membership of his own party, but he hung on, as he was seen to represent a movement of rural conservatives in Western Australia.
Lightfoot was an active campaigner for the rights of white Zimbabwean farmers displaced by the regime ofRobert Mugabe.In 2002, he made the suggestion that some could be given residency in Australia, but denied that this should apply to black farm workers as well. This was due to Robert Mugabe's "Africa for Africans" policies and not allowing for the travelling rights of many oppressed peoples at that time.[3]
In 2003, Lightfoot was involved in an altercation on the floor of the House of Representatives during a visit byPresident of the United StatesGeorge W. Bush.Australian GreenssenatorsBob BrownandKerry Nettlewere attempting to hand Bush a letter from the wife ofMamdouh Habib,an Australian citizen who at the time was being held atGuantanamo Bay,Cuba, following his apprehension by United States forces in either (this is disputed) Afghanistan or Pakistan. Lightfoot physically blocked the path of the senators, elbowing Brown and reportedly telling Nettle to "Fuck off and die".[4]
On 17 March 2005,News Limitednewspapers reported that Lightfoot, while on a parliamentary tour to Iraq, smuggled US$20,000 into the country on behalf ofWoodside Petroleumas a donation for the Kurdish government, having been issued with apistolfor personal security. The newspapers published photographs of Lightfoot appearing with Kurdish militants wielding anAK-47.Lightfoot strenuously denied the allegations and threatened legal action against the newspapers carrying the story. Lightfoot denied handling the money personally, saying he merely witnessed the money changing hands. After speaking to Howard, Lightfoot issued a statement in which he said he felt "uncomfortable" having the gun with him and did not carry it personally. The newspapers in turn refused to retract the reports and accused Lightfoot of contradicting himself.
Who's Who in Australiareports Lightfoot as being a life fellow of theInternational Biographical Association,avanity presspublication.[5]
In April 2007, facing near-certain defeat in a preselection challenge by Liberal Party vice-presidentMathias Cormann,he announced he would retire at the end of his term in the Senate.[6]Cormann was subsequently preselected to replace Lightfoot, but then selected unanimously by the WA Liberal Party State Council to replaceIan Campbellin the Senate, after Campbell announced his surprise resignation in May 2007.Michaelia Cashinstead became Lightfoot's preselected replacement. Lightfoot retired from politics in 2008.
Lightfoot stated that he considered Cormann (although he stopped short of naming him) an "inappropriate person" to replace him. Lightfoot's main complaint was that there were "more appropriate people" to succeed him "who have served the party longer" and "who have been in the country longer".[7]
Death
editLightfoot died on 11 January 2024, at the age of 87.[8]
Notes
edit- ^"Former Senator Ross Lightfoot".Senators and Members of theParliament of Australia.Retrieved20 August2022.
- ^"AM Archive - Lightfoot defers book release".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^"The World Today Archive - Aust a safe haven for Zimbabweans?".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^"PM - Brown and Nettle ejected from Parliament".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^Who's Who in Australia, Information Group Australia Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia, 1997 page 970
- ^Former Liberal staffer wins preselection,The Age,29 April 2007.
- ^Carmody, Rebecca (27 April 2007)."Controversial Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot calls it a day".Stateline (TV program)-Western Australia.Retrieved12 May2014.
- ^"Phillip Lightfoot".The West Australian. 15 January 2024.Retrieved29 January2024.