Brett Whiteley

Whiteley is a fifth generation Tasmanian, born and raised on the North-West Coast. In 1993, along with his wife Sue Dyer, Whiteley established a Christian training and retreat centre in Sheffield. He had served the local community as a member of many community organizations before joining the Liberal Party. He was elected to state parliament in 2002 at a time when he was working as an electorate officer for then Liberal Leader Bob Cheek. He had previously contested the 1998 state election. An Alderman in Burnie City Council for three years at the time of his election in 2002, Whiteley has also been a marriage celebrant, pastor, and bank manager. In recognition of his contribution to the community, Whiteley won a Tasmania Day award in 1997 for community service. Whiteley is a former Vice-President of the Tasmanian Liberal Party. In 2012 he was endorsed as the Federal Liberal candidate for Braddon and won the seat at the 2013 election with a swing of more than 10%. In September 2015, Whiteley was appointed as a Government Whip in the House of Representatives, until July 2016 when he left Parliament. He has since served as the CEO of Burnie Sports and Events. Whiteley is married to Sue and they have three grown children, Joshua, Jackson and Jessica.