Lionel William "Lin" Powell (born 10 March 1939) is a former Australian politician. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Isis.

Lin Powell
Speaker of the Queensland Parliament
In office
2 December 1987 – 5 July 1989
Preceded byKev Lingard
Succeeded byKev Lingard
ConstituencyIsis
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Isis
In office
7 December 1974 – 31 July 1989
Preceded byJim Blake
Succeeded byBill Nunn
Personal details
Born
Lionel William Powell

(1939-03-10) 10 March 1939 (age 85)
Maryborough, Queensland
NationalityAustralian
Political partyNational Party
Other political
affiliations
Independent
OccupationSchoolteacher

Early life

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Powell was born in Maryborough to Lionel Mitchell Powell and Helen Irene, née West. Lin Powell is a great-grandson of Native Police officer Walter David Taylor Powell.[1] He was educated at state schools in Bundaberg and then at Brisbane State High School. After studying at Kelvin Grove Teachers College and the University of Queensland, he became a schoolteacher. He taught at Stafford, Cairns and Bundaberg and was a school principal at Lyndhurst, Cooloolabin, Forest Station and Cattle Creek Valley.

Politics

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A long-time member of the National Party, he was secretary of the Mundubbera branch from 1965 until his election as president in 1967, serving until 1970. In 1974, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Isis. Promoted to the front bench as Minister for Education in 1982, he was briefly Leader of Government Business in the House in 1987 before being elected Speaker in December, immediately after Joh Bjelke-Petersen's ousting by Mike Ahern.[2]

On 3 May 1989, Powell resigned from the National Party and declared himself an independent. He continued as Speaker until 5 July 1989, when the government voted against him on a matter of privilege; his resignation prompted scenes of chaos in the chamber. He remained a Member of Parliament until his sudden resignation on 31 July 1989; he was urged to form a new Conservative Party but declined. He ran for Isis as an independent at the 1989 election, but without success.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Powell, Lin (15 April 1853). "Twist of Fate". Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b Queensland Parliament (2012). "Powell, Lionel William (Lin)". Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the House of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
1987
Succeeded by
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
1987–1989
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member for Isis
1974–1989
Succeeded by