This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/21/western-australia-federal-mp-don-randall-found-dead
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Western Australian federal MP Don Randall found dead | Western Australian federal MP Don Randall found dead |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Western Australia government MP Don Randall has been found dead in his car. He was 62. | |
| Randall, who first entered federal parliament in 1996 and has represented his electorate of Canning since 2001, was found dead in his car on the side of the road in the town of Boddington, 120km south of Perth, at about 3pm on Tuesday, according to a statement by WA police. | |
| He is believed to have suffered a heart attack. | |
| His government colleagues have expressed their condolences over his death, with treasurer Joe Hockey saying he was “shocked and devastated” by the passing of “a very good man”. | |
| Absolutely shocked and devastated to hear about Don Randall. A very good man. My heartfelt condolences to family,friends and colleagues. | |
| Vale Don Randall. A good friend and colleague. I will miss him. #DonRandall #auspol | |
| Randall, who was born in Merredin in WA, started his career as a councillor in Belmont and before that worked as a teacher for 20 years. | |
| He was one of the two Liberal MPs who moved a spill motion against Tony Abbott in February. | He was one of the two Liberal MPs who moved a spill motion against Tony Abbott in February. |
| The MP was at the centre of two expenses scandals in 2013, when he was accused of misusing his parliamentary entitlements. | The MP was at the centre of two expenses scandals in 2013, when he was accused of misusing his parliamentary entitlements. |
| He offered to pay back more than $5,000 of public money for a trip to Cairns for him and his wife, where he claimed he had “electoral business”. | He offered to pay back more than $5,000 of public money for a trip to Cairns for him and his wife, where he claimed he had “electoral business”. |
| Shortly after the trip, the Randalls bought a property in Cairns. | Shortly after the trip, the Randalls bought a property in Cairns. |
| Abbott defended the claims at the time, saying Randall had important business to discuss with then Liberal party whip Warren Entsch. | Abbott defended the claims at the time, saying Randall had important business to discuss with then Liberal party whip Warren Entsch. |
| Questions also arose after Randall claimed a $5,000 trip to Melbourne to watch an AFL match. He claimed he visited the city for “sittings of parliament”. | Questions also arose after Randall claimed a $5,000 trip to Melbourne to watch an AFL match. He claimed he visited the city for “sittings of parliament”. |
| The social conservative was one of six Liberal parliamentarians who boycotted then prime minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations, referring to it as a “wallpaper” that would not improve conditions for Indigenous Australians. | |
| Liberal MPs Sophie Mirabella, Wilson Tuckey, Alby Schultz and Dennis Jensen, and NSW senator Concietta Fierravanti-Wells, also declined to support the apology. | |
| Randall’s occasionally impolitic remarks made national headlines such as in 2010 when he referred to the national broadcaster as “Gay-BC”, and again in 2011 when he accused the mining industry of being “pussy -whipped” by Rudd’s successor, Julia Gillard, over the proposed mining tax. | |
| He is survived by his wife Julie and two children. | He is survived by his wife Julie and two children. |