Brendan Blomeley is an Australian politician who has served as mayor of the City of Clarence in Tasmania since 2022. He is a former member of the Liberal Party.[2]
Brendan Blomeley | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Clarence | |
| Assumed office 27 October 2022[1] | |
| Preceded by | Doug Chipman |
| Councillor of the City of Clarence | |
| Assumed office October 2018 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brendan Blomeley |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Liberal (since 1990/91)[2] |
Political career
editGovernment staffer
editBefore running for office, Blomeley was chief of staff to Tasmanian Liberal senator David Bushby, the Chief Government Whip in the Senate.
In 2017, he was convicted and fined $2000 for using a carriage service to harass his inlaws, Julia Edwards and Ted Edwards.[3] The conviction was set aside in 2018, but Blomeley was required to enter into an 18-month good behaviour bond on each of the two counts.[4]
Clarence City Council
editBlomeley contested the 2018 Tasmanian local govermment elections as an Independent Liberal. He had 3.10% of the vote and was the last candidate elected after preference distribution.[5]
In 2022, he announced his candidacy for mayor of Clarence, leading the "Better Clarence" ticket.[6] He was successful in a close race, elected with 50.81% of the vote against Tony Mulder after preference distribution.[7]
Blomeley was passed over for Liberal Party Senate preselection in 2023 because he did not disclose he had been charged with breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO) in 2017.[8]
At the 2024 Tasmanian state election, he considered contesting the division of Franklin as an independent candidate, although ultimately chose not to.[2] His membership to the State Liberal Party of Tasmania automatically lapsed at this time.
Blomeley was within a kilometre of the Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Junction, Sydney, on 13 April 2024 when a man stabbed and killed multiple people but did not personally witness the event.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Blomeley announced as Mayor Elect". Clarence City Council.
- ^ a b c "Clarence mayor Brendan Blomeley may run as independent at state election". The Mercury.
- ^ "Vile phone harassment of in-laws puts job at risk for government staffer". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Brendan Blomeley's harassment convictions set aside". The Mercury.
- ^ "Clarence City Council Progressive Results". Tasmanian Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Vote 1 for a Better Clarence" (PDF). Eastern Shore Sun. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2024.
- ^ "Clarence City Council". Tasmanian Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Tasmanian mayor Brendan Blomeley passed over for Liberal senate ticket after failure to declare charges over AVO breach". ABC News.
- ^ "Clarence Council mayor Brendan Blomeley escapes Bondi Junction attack". The Mercury. 13 April 2024.