Simon Ramsay (politician)

Simon Ramsay
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Western Victoria Region
In office
27 November 2010 – 24 November 2018
Personal details
Born (1955-03-07) 7 March 1955 (age 69)
Birregurra, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party
Domestic partnerSarah Henderson (2009–2017)
RelationsRobert Ramsay (great-grandfather)
Websitesimonramsay.com.au

Simon Andrew Ramsay (born 7 March 1955) is an Australian politician. He represented the Liberal Party in the Victorian Legislative Council from 2010 to 2018.[1]

Ramsay was born and raised on his family's property at Birregurra, Victoria.[2] His great-grandfather was Robert Ramsay, who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1870 to 1882.[3] He studied at Geelong Grammar School, then obtained a Diploma in Farm Management from Glenormiston College. He worked as a jackaroo, then as manager of the East Mooleric Pastoral Company from 1974. He was president of the Victorian Farmers Federation from 2005 to 2009.[4]

In November 2009, Ramsay was preselected by the Liberal Party to as a candidate for the Western Victoria Region in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, after the retirement of John Vogels.[5] He was elected at the 2010 state election. Earlier in the year, Ramsay had contested preselection for the federal seat of Corangamite, although he lost to Sarah Henderson. Ramsay and Henderson began a relationship shortly afterwards, but separated in 2017.[6]

In 2014, paramedics and firefighters protested at the opening of Ramsay's Ballarat office, after he made comments in the media that paramedics earned an average $93,500 a year.[7]

In July 2018, Ramsay was charged with drink driving when police recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.191 per cent, which is nearly four times the legal limit in Victoria, after pulling his car over in Barwon Heads. Police pulled him over after his car was seen driving on the wrong side of the road. He resigned as an assistant shadow minister, and party leader Matthew Guy asked him to "consider his future in parliament".[8]

Ramsay announced his retirement from politics in July 2018 following his arrest for drink driving.[9]

  1. ^ Preiss, Benjamin (15 December 2010). "MP looks for move to Ballarat". The Courier (Ballarat). Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Biennial conference 2012" (PDF). National Centre for Farmer Health. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  3. ^ Ramsay, Simon. "Address-in-reply". Victorian Parliament Hansard. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Simon Ramsay". Re-member. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Ramsay third time lucky". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Liberal MPs Sarah Henderson and Simon Ramsay separate". Geelong Advertiser. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Paramedics demand apology from Simon Ramsay". The Courier. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Victorian MP Simon Ramsay caught high-range drink driving asked to consider future". ABC News. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Victorian MP Simon Ramsay charged with drink driving says decision to leave politics is 'gut-wrenching'". ABC News. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.