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Nazih Elasmar

Nazih Elasmar
OAM MLC
President of the Victorian Legislative Council
In office
18 June 2020 – 20 December 2022
DeputyWendy Lovell
Preceded byShaun Leane
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Northern Metropolitan Region
In office
25 November 2006 – 26 November 2022
ConstituencyNorthern Metropolitan Region
Personal details
Born (1953-04-16) 16 April 1953 (age 71)
Beirut, Lebanon
Political partyLabor
OccupationTeacher
Electorate Officer
Politician

Nazih Halim Elasmar OAM (Arabic: نزيه حليم الأسمر; born 16 April 1953), is a former Lebanese-Australian politician and was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Labor Party between 2006 and 2022.[1]

In 2006 Victorian state elections, Elasmar was elected to the Northern Metropolitan Region. He was previously the mayor of the City of Darebin in 1997.

In June 2020, Elasmar was elected as the President of the Victorian Legislative Council, succeeding Shaun Leane who was appointed to cabinet. In October 2021, Elasmar was accused in the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) hearings for branch stacking and paying for people's memberships, which is not allowed in the Labor Party.[2] In December, during preselection, Elasmar was moved down into unwinnable positions on the Legislative Council ballot for the November 2022 election.[3] He subsequently chose not to contest the election and gave his valedictory statement on 21 September 2022.[4]

Elasmar was born in Lebanon and came to Australia at the age of 20.[4] He is married with three children.[5]

  1. ^ "Labor MP Nazih Elasmar is the new Victorian upper house deputy president replacing Khalil Eideh". SBS. AAP. 25 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Senior Labor MP 'paid for party memberships', IBAC inquiry told". The Age. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Victorian Labor MPs lose preselection". 7News. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Parliamentary debates (Hansard) - Legislative Council - Fifty-Ninth Parliament - First session" (PDF). Parliament of Victoria. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Nazih Elasmar". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 18 November 2021.

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