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Jim Leedman

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Jim Leedman
MHA
President of the ACT Liberal Party
In office
1989–1992
Preceded byGary Humphries
Succeeded byGwen Wilcox
In office
1966–1968
Preceded byGeorge Hohnen
Succeeded byGwen Wilcox
Leader of the ACT Liberal Party
In office
20 January 1977 – 10 December 1988
Preceded byPeter Hughes
Succeeded byTrevor Kaine
In office
1966 – 30 October 1974
Succeeded byPeter Hughes
Deputy Leader of the ACT Liberal Party
In office
30 October 1974 – 20 January 1977
Succeeded byTrevor Kaine
Member of the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly for Canberra
In office
28 September 1974 – 30 June 1986
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council
In office
16 September 1967 – 28 September 1974
Personal details
Born
James W. Leedman[1]

1937/38
Western Australia
Political partyLiberal
Children3

James "Jim" W. Leedman (born 1937 or 1938) is an Australian former politician who served as leader and president of the Liberal Party in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).[2][3][4]

Early life

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Leedman was born in Western Australia, leaving the state shortly after graduating from the University of Western Australia in 1960.[5] He travelled around the world for three years, and while in the United States, received a scholarship to do a master's degree in international relations at Clark University, Massachusetts.[5]

He returned to Western Australia in 1963, before moving to Canberra the following year to work with the Department of Trade and Industry.[5] He then moved into private practice as a barrister and solicitor.[5]

Political career

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In 1966, Leedman became president of the ACT Liberal Party's Canberra branch, and also served as the party's Electoral Conference president.[6][7] He became president of the newly-formed Woden Valley branch later that year.[8][9]

Leedman led the Liberals at the 1967 election for the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council.[10][11] He was one of two Liberals elected, and was later re-elected in 1970.[12][13][14]

In 1974, he led the Liberals at the first election for newly-formed ACT Legislative Assembly (later House of Assembly), and was elected as one of nine members for the division of Canberra.[15][16] Following the election, fellow Canberra MLA Peter Hughes won a caucus vote to become the new Liberal leader, with Leedman moving to the position of deputy leader.[17][18]

Hughes resigned as leader and from the Liberal Party in January 1977 to sit as an independent.[19][20] Leedman, as well as Fraser MLA Trevor Kaine, sought the leadership, with Leedman emerging successful at a leadership election on 20 January 1977.[21][22]

In October 1985, Leedman chose not to support amendments to ACT criminal legislation which would make marital rape an offence.[23] According to The Canberra Times, Leedman claimed that "to place a husband in the same category as a burglar who broke into a house and raped a female stranger was to denigrate the status of marriage". Although he said there "might be a case for the concept of rape in marriage in cases where couples were separated and living apart," he added that "I cannot accept that it should apply in cases where the husband and wife are continuing to live together".[23]

He remained as Liberal leader until a 1988 leadership election, conducted ahead of the first ACT election under self-government, which saw Trevor Kaine chosen the party's leader.[24][25][26][27][28] Leedman maintained a low profile ahead of the 1989 ACT election, and was not one of the ten Liberal candidates chosen for the election.[29][30]

Leedman later returned as ACT Liberal Party president, serving in the role from 1989 until 1992.[8][31] During his presidency, the party had two leadership elections – one in June 1991 and the other in July 1991 – with the former seeing Trevor Kaine removed as leader by Gary Humphries just days after Leedman declared Kaine's position was safe.[31][32]

Personal life

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Leedman is married and has three children.[3] He converted to Christianity in the early 1980s and became a member of the Forrest Uniting Church.[33]

References

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  1. ^ Leedman, Jim (13 August 1968). "Party and seminar". The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  2. ^ "ADDRESS TO LIBERAL PARTY DINNER, CANBERRA" (PDF). PM Transcripts. 27 September 1979. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b "The Liberal candidates". The Canberra Times. 27 May 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  4. ^ "At the ACT Order of Australia Association's Australia Day breakfast". Issuu. Canberra CityNews. 31 January 2013. p. 14. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "THE LIBERAL CANDIDATES". The Canberra Times. 14 September 1967. p. 27. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  6. ^ "LIBERAL PARTY". The Canberra Times. 21 March 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Senate plan supported". The Canberra Times. 1 June 1967. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Our History". Canberra Liberals. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  9. ^ "The shining example". The Canberra Times. 14 July 1966. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Record poll field of 16 for council". The Canberra Times. 29 August 1967. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  11. ^ "RECORD OF COUNCIL CITED". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1967. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Liberals accused of fence-sitting". The Canberra Times. 13 September 1967. p. 14. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  13. ^ "NEW ADVISORY COUNCIL". The Canberra Times. 18 September 1967. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Three try for Council poll". The Canberra Times. 12 August 1970. p. 10. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Inquiry sought on health centres". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1974. p. 8. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  16. ^ "2004 Week 10 Hansard". ACT Legislative Assembly. 26 August 2004. Retrieved 22 October 2024. In 1974 he was elected as a member of Jim Leedman's Liberal team to the newly-created ACT Assembly
  17. ^ Wright, Bruce (31 October 1974). "Board posts". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  18. ^ Wright, Bruce (1 November 1974). "Assembly rejects move on boards". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  19. ^ "ACT Liberal leader quits party". news.google.com. The Age. 4 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  20. ^ Myerscough, Ian (4 January 1977). "Dr Hughes quits Liberals". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  21. ^ Myerscough, Ian (5 January 1977). "Meeting soon on Liberal leadership". The Canberra Times. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  22. ^ "LEEDMAN LEADS LIBERALS". The Canberra Times. 21 January 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  23. ^ a b Warden, Ian (27 October 1985). "Denigrating burglars to compare them to husbands that rape". The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Jolimont site plans 'soon'". The Canberra Times. 30 July 1980. p. 15. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Leedman moves to try to end dispute". The Canberra Times. 17 August 1981. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  26. ^ Longhurst, Franky (17 April 1982). "Precedence given to Liberal outsiders". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Labor Members change leader". The Canberra Times. 8 March 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Democrats slated over self-rule". The Canberra Times. 17 June 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Pro-casino supporters could run a ticket against the Liberals". The Canberra Times. 26 June 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  30. ^ Fraser, Andrew (11 December 1988). "Winnel placed tenth on ticket". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Libs back Kaine, says Leedman". The Canberra Times. 3 June 1991. p. 2. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Follett safe, says Lib chief". The Canberra Times. 13 June 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  33. ^ "Leedman finds more in Christianity". The Canberra Times. 5 September 1984. p. 24. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
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