Craig John Duby (born 20 February 1949[4]), former Australian politician, was a member of the unicameral Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory between 1989 and 1992, elected to the multi-member single constituency Assembly as a representative of the No Self-Government Party. During his term in office, Duby was a member of the Independents Group and the Hare-Clark Independence Party. Duby was the Minister for Finance and Urban Services and briefly was the Minister for Housing and Community Services in the Kaine ministry. For part of one day, he served as the Leader of the Opposition.

Craig Duby
Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly
In office
8 May 1989 – 15 February 1992
Preceded bynew constituency
Succeeded bymulti-member single constituencies
Minister for Finance and Urban Services
In office
7 December 1989 – 6 June 1991
Preceded byEllnor Grassby (as Minister for Housing and Urban Services)
Succeeded byRosemary Follett
Minister for Housing and Community Services
In office
29 May 1991 – 6 June 1991
Preceded byBernard Collaery
Succeeded byRosemary Follett
Leader of the Opposition
In office
21 June 1991 – 21 June 1991
Preceded byTrevor Kaine
Succeeded byGary Humphries
Personal details
Born (1949-02-20) 20 February 1949 (age 75)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Political partyNo Self-Government Party 1989; Independents Group 1989-91; Hare-Clark Independence Party 1991-92
OccupationPolitician; public servant
[1][2][3]

Biography

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Born on 20 February 1949 in Brisbane, Queensland, Duby attended St Columban's College in Albion. Prior to entering politics, Duby worked as a real estate manager and public servant in the ACT Administration.[3]

Duby was elected to the inaugural ACT Legislative Assembly in 1989 general election on a platform that was critical of the decision by the Australian Government to replace direct administration of the Territory with self-government.[5] The anti-self-government movement carried significant popular weight; an advisory referendum held in 1978 concluded that only 30.5 per cent of electors were in favour of self-government;[6] and Duby plus two other members of his No Self Government Party and a representative of the Abolish Self-Government Coalition were elected to the inaugural 17-member Assembly.[7] However, once elected, reversal of the move to self-government proved impractical. Duby resigned from the No Self-Government Party, along with Carmel Maher and David Prowse, to form the Independents Group on 3 December 1989. Duby left the Independents Group to found the Hare-Clark Independence Party on 19 November 1991.

Duby served as Minister for Finance and Urban Services in the first Kaine ministry.[2] In 1989 and 1990, he was convicted of two offences of driving under the influence, during the period when he was the minister with responsibility for road safety. A censure motion was moved against Duby in the Assembly; resolved in the negative:[8]

That, noting that for the second time within two years the Minister for Finance and Urban Services, Mr Duby, has been convicted under the Motor Traffic (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977, and noting that Mrs Robyn Nolan took the honourable path and stood down from the position of Mr Duby's Executive Deputy following a conviction under the Commonwealth Taxation Administration Act, this Assembly censures the Minister for Finance and Urban Services, Mr Duby, for failing to resign as Minister.

As Minister for Finance and Urban Services one of his more notable achievements was the construction of a cover for the Canberra Olympic Swimming Pool permitting its year-round use, dubbed the "Duby dome". Commenting on the Duby dome in 1996, Liberal leader Gary Humphries said:[9]

The words of some great sage spring to mind: "Things that men do live after them". I am afraid that there is very little else in the Territory that will live after Mr Duby, so to do away with his one remaining monument in the Territory would be a great pity, Mr Speaker

In the last days of the Kaine ministry, Duby served as Minister for Housing and Community Services; and then, for part of one day, as Leader of the Opposition.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Appendix 6: Leaders of the Opposition" (PDF). Companion to Standing Orders. Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Appendix 7: Chronological list of ministries" (PDF). Companion to Standing Orders. Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Members of the First Assembly" (PDF). Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory. September 1990. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  4. ^ Louttit, Anne; Louttit, John (1989). Who's Who in Canberra. C.E.S.L. Support Services Pty Ltd. p. A-47. ISSN 1032-710X.
  5. ^ "List of candidates". 1989 election. ACT Electoral Commission. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  6. ^ "The establishment of self-government in the ACT" (PDF). Fact sheet. Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory. 12 August 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  7. ^ "List of elected candidates". 1989 election. ACT Electoral Commission. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Hansard. 29 May 1990. pp. 1692–1730. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  9. ^ "Debates of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory" (PDF). Hansard. 26 September 1996. p. 3503. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
New title Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly
1989–1991
Served alongside: Berry, Collaery, Connolly, Follett, Grassby, Humphries, Jensen,
Kaine, Kinloch, Maher, Moore, Nolan, Prowse, Stefaniak, Stevenson, Wood, Whalan
Multi-member single constituency
Political offices
Preceded by
Ellnor Grassby
(as Minister for Housing and Urban Services)
Minister for Finance and Urban Services
1989 – 1991
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Housing and Community Services
1991
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Opposition Leader of the Australian Capital Territory
1991
Succeeded by