Tim Smith (Australian Politician)

Timothy Colin Smith (born 15 October 1983) is an Australian former politician, who served as the member for Kew from 2014 to 2022 in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. He is a member of the Liberal Party.

Before entering politics, Smith was a state and national representative rower who won a medal at the 2005 World Championships. At the 2014 Victorian state election, Smith was elected to the seat of Kew. In September 2021, Smith was appointed as Victorian shadow attorney-general. However, a month later, he resigned from this position after he crashed his car while drink driving. He subsequently announced that he would not recontest his seat at the 2022 Victorian state election. Since retiring from politics, Smith has worked as a political analyst and commentator, and is a frequent guest on Sky News Australia.

Early life and education

Smith grew up in Camberwell, in the inner east of Melbourne. Smith's father, Colin Smith competed with the Australian rowing team at the 1974 World Rowing Championships in Lucerne.

In Year 9, Smith attended Rugby School in the UK. The next year, he returned to Scotch College, Melbourne, where he began competing in rowing.

He attended Ormond College at the University of Melbourne, where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts in history and politics. At university, he competed with Melbourne University Boat Club, representing the Victorian and Australian rowing teams. At the conclusion of his rowing career he returned to the University of Melbourne, where he completed a master's degree in international politics. As part of those studies, he won a Hansard research fellowship to study at the London School of Economics.

Rowing career

Smith was first selected at state level in the 2002 Victorian youth eight competing for Noel Wilkinson Trophy at the Interstate Regatta within the 2002 Australian Rowing Championships. He again rowed in the Victorian youth eight in 2003. He was selected to stroke the Victorian lightweight four contesting the Penrith Cup at the Interstate Regatta 2004. That crew placed second. He again rowed in the Victorian lightweight four at the Interstate Regattas in 2005 and 2006.

Smith made his Australian representative debut in 2003 at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne in a lightweight quad scull. That quad went on to the 2003 World Rowing U23 Championships in Belgrade, where they placed fourth.Smith at World Rowing
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In 2004 he moved into the Australian senior squad in the lightweight eight and in that boat he won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Rowing Championships in Banyoles, Spain. At the 2005 World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan he competed in the lightweight coxless four. He was made an Australian Institute of Sport Residential Scholar for 2006, based in Canberra. At the 2006 World Rowing Championships at Eton Dorney he competed in the lightweight coxless pair and finished in fourth place.

In the years he was most active, 2001–2006, the boat position he frequently took was bow seat who in coxless boats usually has responsibility for steering. He sustained a significant back injury in the lead up to the 2006 World Championships. Smith retired due to this injury.

Career

Following his sporting career, Smith looked at becoming a journalist, and began an internship with the Canberra Press Gallery. He had joined the Liberal Party in 2005, and realised that he was too partisan to ever report impartially: "I thought, no I can't do this because I'm barracking." He took roles as a political adviser in Australia and United Kingdom. His first role was in 2006 as an electoral officer for Michael O'Brien who was then the member for Malvern and the Shadow Minister for Gaming. In 2007, after completing a short course at LSE Smith worked as a researcher for the UK Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis. He returned to Australia in 2008 and briefly worked for Malcolm Turnbull when he was leader of the opposition. Smith also staffed for Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson

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