Nazih Halim Elasmar (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: نزيه حليم الأسمر) (born 16 April 1953), is a former

Lebanese-Australian , langs = Australian English, Lebanese Arabic, Standard Arabic, French, Armenian , rels = Majority: Christian: Maronite Catholic, Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Protestant (55%), Minority: Islam: Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Alawite (37%), ...

politician and was a member of the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative C ...

for the Labor Party between 2006 and 2022. In 2006 Victorian state elections, Elasmar was elected to the

Northern Metropolitan Region Northern Metropolitan Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was create ...

. He was previously the mayor of the

City of Darebin The City of Darebin is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of and in June 2018 Darebin had a population of 161,609. Municipal offices are located at 350 High Street, Preston. Dar ...

in 1997. In June 2020, Elasmar was elected as the President of the Victorian Legislative Council, succeeding

Shaun Leane Shaun Leo Leane (born 20 August 1963 in Oakleigh, Victoria) is a Labor Party politician and a current member for the Eastern Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Legislative Council, having been first elected in 2006. Leane has served as a ...

who was appointed to cabinet. In October 2021, Elasmar was accused in the

Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is Victoria's anti-corruption agency with jurisdiction over the public sector. It does this by: * investigating serious corruption and police misconduct * informing the public sector, ...

(IBAC) hearings for

branch stacking A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' twig'' usuall ...

and paying for people's memberships, which is not allowed in the Labor Party. In December, during preselection, Elasmar was moved down into unwinnable positions on the Legislative Council ballot for the November 2022 election. He subsequently chose not to contest the election and gave his valedictory statement on 21 September 2022. Elasmar was born in Lebanon and came to Australia at the age of 20. He is married with three children.

References

General citations

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External links

Parliamentary voting record of Nazih Elasmar at Victorian Parliament Tracker
1953 births Living people Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Presidents of the Victorian Legislative Council Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Mayors of places in Victoria (Australia) Victoria (Australia) local councillors Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Centenary Medal Lebanese emigrants to Australia 21st-century Australian politicians {{Australia-mayor-stub