Neil Andrew
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John Neil Andrew (born 7 June 1944), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1983 to October 2004, representing the Division of Wakefield, South Australia. He was born in Waikerie, South Australia, and was a horticulturalist before entering politics.
After 15 years as a little-known Liberal backbencher, Andrew was elected Speaker of the House after the October 1998 elections. He was a generally well respected speaker, although some MPs regarded his interventions during debates as heavy handed and his remarks from the chair as sometimes pompous.
Andrew presided over the House during the special sitting in May 2001 to mark the centenary of the Parliament of Australia, which met in the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, as did the first Parliament in 1901. Following a redistribution which in most commentators' opinions made his electorate unwinnable (although in fact the Liberal Party retained it), Andrew announced his retirement from politics at the 2004 elections. He remained Speaker until David Hawker was elected to succeed him on 16 November.
| Preceded by: Ian Sinclair | Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives | Followed by: David Hawker |