Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Johnston
In office 25 August 2012 – 31 January 2020
Preceded by
Chris Burns
Succeeded by
Joel Bowden
Personal details
Born
Kenneth Edward Vowles
(1971-09-29) 29 September 1971 (age 52) Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Political party
Labor Party
Occupation
Cricketer
Kenneth Edward Vowles (born 29 September 1971) is an Australian politician and former cricketer from the Northern Territory. He was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2012 until 2020, representing the electorate of Johnston. He was Minister for Primary Industry and Resources and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in the Gunner government from 2016 to 2018. He was sacked as a minister and expelled from the Labor caucus in December 2018 when an email he had written to his Cabinet colleagues stating his concern about the state of the Territory’s budget deficit was leaked to the media. He subsequently remained in parliament as a Labor backbencher outside caucus, but announced his resignation from parliament in November 2019 with effect from January 2020.
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Years
Term
Electoral division
Party
2012–2016
12th
Johnston
Labor
2016–2020
13th
Johnston
Labor
Born in Darwin, Vowles attended the Australian Cricket Academy on a scholarship from 1989 to 1990, during which time he toured internationally with the Australian Under-19 team.[1] As an Under-19 player, Vowles held the record for the fastest century scored at the Melbourne Cricket Ground until the record was broken by Viv Richards.[2]
In 2008, Vowles contested the seat of Blain as a Labor Party candidate at that year's Territory general election, although he was defeated by Terry Mills, the future Chief Minister. He nominated to contest the seat of Johnston in the 2012 election, although a controversy emerged when the Labor Party threatened the Northern Territory News with legal action to prevent the newspaper from publishing a story about Vowles' spent assault conviction from a fight in 1992 (Labor leader Paul Henderson had previously been critical of another candidate for not disclosing a manslaughter conviction).[3]
Vowles was elected as member for Johnston, although the Henderson government was defeated by the Country Liberal Party.[4] After two years as a minister, Vowles was sacked and excluded from the Labor caucus, along with two backbench colleagues who held similar views about the Territory’s budget deficit, on 21 December 2018.[5] On 28 November 2019, he announced that he would resign from parliament with effect from 31 January 2020.[6]
^Ken Vowles (Australia), Cricinfo.
^Territory cricket identity Ken Vowles drops into The Guestroom, The Guestroom (105.7 ABC Darwin), 16 December 2011.
Vowles held the record for the fastest century scored at the Melbourne Cricket Ground until the record was broken by Viv Richards. In 2008, Vowles contested...
Vowles is a surname. It may refer to: Adrian Vowles (born 1971), Australian rugby league player Andrew Vowles (born 1967), British trip hop musician best...
sitting members of the parliamentary party; the Aboriginal Affairs Minister KenVowles, Assistant Minister Jeff Collins and backbencher Scott McConnell. The...
Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2011. "Ken Wyatt makes Australian political history". Special Broadcasting Service....
Fannie Bay Michael Gunner ALP 14.2 Arnhem Selena Uibo ALP 14.3 Johnston KenVowles ALP 14.7 Wanguri Nicole Manison ALP 19.9 Stuart Scott McConnell ALP 25...
Legislative Assembly for Johnston Incumbent Assumed office 2020 Preceded by KenVowles Personal details Born Joel Francis Bowden (1978-06-21) 21 June 1978 (age 45)...
cricketer KenVowles with only a small swing against Labor. Vowles consolidated his hold on the seat amid Labor's massive landslide in 2016. In 2018, Vowles was...
Rowan Foley Matt Conlan Evelyne Roullet Phil Walcott (Ind) Johnston Labor KenVowles Jo Sangster Alana Parrott-Jolly Peter Bussa (-) Krystal Metcalf (ASP)...
Member for Port Darwin 2016–present Incumbent Political offices Preceded by KenVowles Minister for Primary Industry and Resources 2019–present Incumbent...
Territory general election: Johnston Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labor KenVowles 1,799 45.0 −13.1 Country Liberal Jo Sangster 1,552 38.8 −3.1 Greens Alana...
(Labor). He was sworn in on 31 January 2019 following the expulsion of KenVowles from the Gunner Ministry. In September 2020, the Department of Primary...
third arrangement of Gunner's Cabinet, occurring on 21 December 2018, saw KenVowles being expelled from the Cabinet for "breaking cabinet confidentiality"...
Labor Gerry McCarthy Mick Adams Randall Gould Barry Nattrass Blain CLP KenVowles Terry Mills Braitling Independent Aaron Dick Adam Giles Jane Clark Eli...
centre and lock. At the end of the 1996 season, Vowles was let go by new coach Tim Sheens. In 2019, Vowles spoke about being released saying, "I didn't miss...
Indigenous Affairs Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 2016–2018 Succeeded by KenVowles Preceded by Peter Styles as Minister for Business and Minister for Asian...
Territory general election, 2016: Johnston Party Candidate Votes % ±% Labor KenVowles 2,019 51.4 +3.6 Country Liberal Steven Klose 1,234 31.4 −7.6 Greens Melanie...
Government Gazette, 8 January 1982 Margot Vowles Murchie, A. and Vowles, M. (2003). Interview with Margot Vowles. [Audiobook] Adelaide: Walkerville Public...
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