Robert Doyle
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Robert Keith Bennett Doyle (born 20 May 1953) is an Australian politician who was the 103rd
Lord Mayor of Melbourne This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of the City of Melbourne, a local government area of Victoria, Australia. Mayors (1842–1902) Lord mayors (1902–1980) The title of "Lord Mayor" was conferred on the position of mayor by Kin ...
, elected on 30 November 2008 until he resigned on 4 February 2018 amidst allegations of sexual harassment. He was previously Member for
Malvern Malvern or Malverne may refer to: Places Australia * Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne * City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne * Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...
in the
Legislative Assembly of Victoria The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...
from 1992 to 2006 and Leader of the Victorian Opposition from 2002 to 2006, representing 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 ...
.


Background

Born in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Doyle attended secondary school in
Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
. He graduated from
Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...
in 1977, and the following year began work as a teacher at
Geelong College , motto_translation = Thus one goes to the stars , established = , type = Independent, co-educational, day and boarding, Christian school , denomination = in association with the Uniting ...
, his ''alma mater''. In 1982, he moved back to Melbourne, working as a departmental head at
Lauriston Girls' School (Holiness, Wisdom, Strength) , established = 1901 , type = Independent, single-sex, day school , denomination = Non-denominational , slogan = A school for life , principal ...
. After three years, he again changed schools, becoming a senior administrator and English teacher at Scotch College.


State politics

At the 1992 state election, Doyle succeeded in winning Liberal preselection for the electorate of Malvern by defeating Geoff Leigh. The Liberal Party, under
Jeff Kennett Jeffrey Gibb Kennett (born 2 March 1948) is a former Australian politician who was the 43rd Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, and currently a media commentator. He was previously the president of the Hawthorn Football Club, serving ...
, won government, defeating
Joan Kirner Joan Elizabeth Kirner (née Hood; 20 June 1938 – 1 June 2015) was an Australian politician who was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, serving from 1990 to 1992. A Labor Party member of the Parliament of Victoria from 1982 to 1994, she was a mem ...
. After the election, Doyle was immediately placed on the Crime Prevention Committee, and several other taskforces, particularly in the area of health. In April 1996, Doyle was promoted to the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Human Services. The Kennett government suffered an unexpected defeat at the 1999 election, and Kennett himself retired from politics soon afterwards. Kennett's deputy and Health Minister,
Denis Napthine Denis Vincent Napthine (born 6 March 1952) is a former Australian politician who was the 47th Premier of Victoria. Napthine was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Portland from ...
, became leader, and Doyle became shadow Health Minister.


Leader of the Victorian Opposition

By 2002, the Liberal Party was flagging in the polls, and was expected to lose the election due later that year. Doyle successfully challenged Napthine for the leadership of the state Liberal Party, claiming that the party was "facing political oblivion" if it stayed under Napthine's leadership. He lost the 2002 election by a large margin; the result was in fact the worst showing for the main non-Labor party in Victoria since it adopted the Liberal banner in 1945. The party lost control of the Legislative Council for only the second time in Victorian parliamentary history, while their lower house seat count was more than halved, to 17 seats–their smallest presence in the legislature in half a century. The Liberals were further crippled when the Shadow Treasurer, Robert Dean, was deemed ineligible to stand because he had failed to update his voter registration after moving to a new electorate; under Victorian law, he was no longer on the electoral roll. For some time after the 2002 defeat, Doyle remained Opposition Leader, partly through the sheer shortage of potential alternative candidates for the job in the much-reduced Liberal party room. However, following the decisions of Shadow Minister
Victor Perton Victor John Perton (born 2 December 1958) is a former parliamentarian in the Australian state of Victoria, and formerly the Victorian Government's Commissioner to the Americas, based in San Francisco, USA. Early life Perton was raised in Melbour ...
and Deputy Leader Phil Honeywood to resign, and the further resignation of Doyle's Chief of Staff Ron Wilson and his Director of Communications Rob Clancy, debate as to Doyle's future was re-ignited. Even many of Doyle's key supporters—including Upper House MPs
Andrea Coote Andrea Coote (born 18 July 1951) is an Australian former parliamentarian. She was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1999 to 2014, representing Monash Province until the 2006 election and the Southern Metropolitan Region ...
and Philip Davis, and
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 ...
and
Helen Kroger Helen Evelyn Kroger (née Madden; born 11 March 1959) is a former Australian politician. She was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Victoria from 2008 to 2014. She was the president of the Victorian division of ...
—eventually recognised that Doyle's leadership was unlikely to attract sufficient electoral support. It was also reported that Doyle's personal approval rating had dropped to 15 per cent. On 4 May 2006, Doyle announced his resignation as Opposition Leader, stating that "I have given my best—it was not enough" and that the move would give the party the "best chance of electoral success".
Ted Baillieu Edward Norman Baillieu (born 31 July 1953) is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013. He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2014, representing the electorate of ...
succeeded Doyle in the post. He officially ended his term as a Member of Parliament for the District of Malvern on 25 November 2006. On that day, the Liberals under Baillieu were again severely defeated; and as a result, Doyle publicly criticised several prominent party figures. On 21 June 2007 the state government announced that it would appoint Doyle as the new chairman of Melbourne Health, the group that operates the
Royal Melbourne Hospital The Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), located in Parkville, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, is one of Australia's leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research. Th ...
.


Lord Mayor of Melbourne

When
Lord Mayor of Melbourne This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of the City of Melbourne, a local government area of Victoria, Australia. Mayors (1842–1902) Lord mayors (1902–1980) The title of "Lord Mayor" was conferred on the position of mayor by Kin ...
John So John Chun Sai So (; born 2 October 1946) is a Hong Kong Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by v ...
announced his decision not to contest for a third consecutive term in early October 2008, Doyle emerged as a contender for the Lord Mayoralty in November 2008. Doyle told the media that he "was a better than 50-50 chance of running". On 27 October Doyle announced his candidacy, saying he could leave partisan politics aside to work with the State Government if he became Lord Mayor. Doyle selected John So's deputy between 2001 and 2004, Susan Riley, as his running mate. On 30 November 2008, Doyle was elected Lord Mayor, defeating Councillor Catherine Ng in a tightly contested election. Doyle also defeated former Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor and Spotless heir-apparent, Peter McMullin and So's deputy between 2004 and 2008,
Gary Singer Gary Singer is an Australian politician. He was the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne from 2004 to 2008, serving under John So. He ran to succeed So as Lord Mayor upon his retirement in 2008, but was defeated by former state Liberal Party ...
. Doyle's great-great-grandfather, Robert Bennett, previously served as Lord Mayor (then known as simply Mayor) from 1861 to 1862 and Bennett Lane, of Bennetts Lane Jazz Bar fame in Melbourne is named after him. On 27 October 2012, Doyle was re-elected as Lord Mayor, with an increased majority, defeating high-profile candidate, Gary Morgan and former Councillor and Lord Mayor Candidate, Catherine Ng. On 11 November 2015, Doyle announced that he will run again for the office of Lord Mayor in the elections to be held in October 2016. Stating that it was the "best job in the world"


Policies

Many of Doyle's policies have been around 'activating' Melbourne as a night time city in conjunction with the Andrews' Government introduction of 24-hour public transport on weekends, extending hours of hospitality operation and continued support of 24-hour arts festivals. In July 2016 Doyle announced that the homelessness problem in the
Melbourne central business district The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city la ...
had reached "emergency" levels. Citing a study conducted by the City of Melbourne that the number of homeless people had increased 74% in two years. Doyle has been a vocal supporter of marriage equality, and has appeared regularly on LBGTI radio station
Joy 94.9 JOY 94.9 (official call sign 3JOY), stylised as JOY or JOY 94.9, is a community radio station broadcasting at 94.9 FM in Melbourne. It is Australia's first and only LGBTQI+ community radio station. __TOC__ History JOY 94.9, originally incorpo ...
as a prominent conservative politician. Some of Doyle's policies as Lord Mayor to make the CBD safer and more family friendly have caused mild controversy. Doyle made an election promise to return private vehicle traffic to
Swanston Street Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...
, which had for several decades been open to limited but mostly pedestrian traffic. The move attracted opposition from the
Public Transport Users Association The Public Transport Users Association is a community-based public transport lobby group in Victoria, Australia, based in Melbourne. It is run entirely by volunteers and has no full-time staff. History and aims The organisation was founded i ...
, Greens and Bicycle Victoria. He also raised the idea of a
theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
to attract children to the CBD. Doyle was also quick to vow to rid the
Melbourne city centre The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city la ...
of "
bogan Bogan ( ) is Australian slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. Depending on the context, the term can be pejorative or self-deprecating. The prevalence of the term bogan ...
s" and "untalented" buskers. Doyle has also openly criticized the state government's handling of
Melbourne Docklands Docklands, also known as Melbourne Docklands, is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. Docklands recorded a population ...
, claiming that it lacks 'social glue' and character and wanting more control over the precinct's planning expressing the desire to see more open space in the form of a large park and also Venice style canals. In September 2010, when asked on radio about a move by suburban councils to ban smoking in some outdoor areas due to the risks of passive smoking, he said "I don't know of a case of cancer that has been caused by passive smoking."


Tensions with China over Uighur film

In August 2009, Doyle came under pressure from the
Chinese Government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...
to intervene and stop the screening of ''The 10 Conditions of Love'' at the
Melbourne International Film Festival The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1952 and is one of the oldest film festivals in the world following the founding of the Venice Film Fest ...
. This Australian-made film is about a prominent Uighur woman
Rebiya Kadeer Rebiya Kadeer ( ug, رابىيە قادىر, translit=Rabiye Qadir; born 15 November 1946) is an ethnic Uyghur businesswoman and political activist. Born in Altay City, Xinjiang, Kadeer became a millionaire in the 1980s through her real estate ...
, who China labels a 'terrorist' and claims that she was the orchestrator of the
July 2009 Ürümqi riots The July 2009 Ürümqi riots were a series of violent riots over several days that broke out on 5 July 2009 in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), in northwestern China. The first day's rioting, which ...
. Kadeer did attend the screening at the
Melbourne Town Hall Melbourne Town Hall is the central city town hall of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is a historic building in the state of Victoria since 1867. Located in the central business district on the northeast corner of the intersection between S ...
. The Chinese Consul-General in Melbourne requested a meeting with the Lord Mayor to discuss the matter. Despite the protests from the
Chinese Government The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...
, Doyle refused to intervene to stop the screening. Subsequently, reports emerged that
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
would consider terminating the sister-city relationship between Melbourne and
Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
, one of China's four municipal-level cities and the fifth most populous city in China. Defying the Chinese Government's threat, Doyle lodged a complaint to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, prompting the Department to warn the Chinese Embassy to conduct themselves appropriately.


Occupy Melbourne Street protests inquiry

Doyle was criticised for sending in riot police to evict protesters who had gathered in Melbourne's City Square and had failed to comply with an eviction notice he had ordered to be issued to them, stating on ABC radio they were ''"a self-righteous, narcissistic, self-indulgent rabble ''(that) ''tried to capture the city."'' This action resulted in a range of injuries to protesters. Reports on the number of injuries vary, and while
Occupy Melbourne Occupy Melbourne was a social movement which took place from late 2011 to mid 2012 in Melbourne, Australia as part of the global Occupy movementParticipants expressed grievances concerning economic inequality, social injustice, corruption in th ...
reported "43 documented cases of police brutality" in press releases, the official report from newspapers is just one protester who was sent to hospital after being trampled on by a police horse. Calls for a public enquiry were turned down by the Lord Mayor who was firm that neither he or
Victoria Police Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was formed in 1853 and currently operates under the ''Victoria Police Act 2013''. , Victo ...
acted inappropriately. This led to
Occupy Melbourne Occupy Melbourne was a social movement which took place from late 2011 to mid 2012 in Melbourne, Australia as part of the global Occupy movementParticipants expressed grievances concerning economic inequality, social injustice, corruption in th ...
protesters pressing legal charges against Melbourne City Council for breaching federal law which prohibits the interference of a political protest.
Occupy Melbourne Occupy Melbourne was a social movement which took place from late 2011 to mid 2012 in Melbourne, Australia as part of the global Occupy movementParticipants expressed grievances concerning economic inequality, social injustice, corruption in th ...
protesters then bombarded Robert Doyle with requests for an inquiry online during his 2012 election campaign, to which the Lord Mayor then closed his
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and
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
accounts due to "abuse and harassment". He later re-launched his online election campaign.


Sexual harassment accusations

On 15 December 2017, City of Melbourne councillor Tessa Sullivan, who was elected on the same ticket as Doyle, resigned from the council and lodged a complaint against Doyle with City of Melbourne chief executive, Ben Rimmer. In her complaint, Sullivan alleged that Doyle had sexually harassed and indecently assaulted her. On 17 December, Doyle released a statement on Twitter, which said he had not been informed of the details of the allegations. He announced he would take a month's leave while an investigation was carried out, stressing that his standing aside "must not be interpreted as any concession or admission". On 4 February 2018, Doyle resigned as Lord Mayor of Melbourne.


Electoral history


References


External links


Parliamentary Handbook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, Robert 1953 births Living people Mayors and Lord Mayors of Melbourne Politicians from Melbourne Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Leaders of the Opposition in Victoria (Australia) Monash University alumni Australian schoolteachers People educated at Geelong College 21st-century Australian politicians Companions of the Order of Australia