Roger Francis Shipton (5 August 1936 – 18 January 1998) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

and served in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

from 1975 to 1990, representing the Melbourne seat of Higgins.

Early life

Shipton was born in Melbourne on 5 August 1936. He graduated

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

and was president of the Victorian Law Students' Society. Prior to entering parliament he was chief legal officer of chemical manufacturer ICI Australia.

Politics

Shipton was a delegate to the Victorian state council of the Liberal Party from 1962 and served on the state executive from 1973 to 1976. In 1975 he succeeded former Prime Minister Sir

John Gorton Sir John Grey Gorton (9 September 1911 – 19 May 2002) was an Australian politician who served as the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1968 to 1971. He led the Liberal Party during that time, having previously been a l ...

as the

member of the

Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members of the ...

for the

Division of Higgins The Division of Higgins is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria for the Australian House of Representatives. The division covers in Melbourne's inner south-eastern suburbs. The main suburbs include , , , , , , , , and ; along with part ...

. Unlike his predecessors in that electorate, Gorton and

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until his presumed death in 1967. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party. Holt was born in S ...

, who had both served as

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, he was never promoted to cabinet, though he did serve in the opposition shadow ministry from 1983 to 1985. In the lead up to the 1990 Federal Election it was suggested that he would stand aside to allow John Elliott to take his seat, and the leadership of the Federal Liberal Party, but he declined to make way for Elliott and remained the member for Higgins. Despite his stand he was successfully challenged for pre-selection by future Treasurer

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with support from

Michael Kroger Michael Norman Kroger (born 30 May 1957) is a former Australian lawyer. He was president of the Victorian Liberal Party from 1987 to 1992 and from 2015 to 2018, and is considered a member of the conservative faction. Early life Kroger was educ ...

. He retired from parliament after being defeated. He died in 1998 due to complications following heart surgery.

Personal life

Shipton's son James became chairman of the

Australian Securities & Investments Commission The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is an independent commission of the Australian Government tasked as the national corporate regulator. ASIC's role is to regulate company and financial services and enforce laws to pro ...

(ASIC). He was also the godfather of

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

lead singer

David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again fro ...

References

1936 births 1998 deaths Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Higgins Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Melbourne Law School alumni 20th-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian lawyers {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub