Glenister Sheil

Glenister Sheil (21 October 1929 – 29 September 2008Fact|date=October 2008) was an Australian politician, representing the National Party in the Senate for the state of Queensland from 1974 to 1981, and again from 1984 to 1990.

Glen Sheil was born in Sydney and moved to Queensland at a young age. He attended The Southport School on the Gold Coast and studied medicine at the University of Queensland, after which he was a medical practitioner. He also owned the Dungarvan Private Hospital in Brisbane.

He was elected to the Senate at the 1974 election, taking his seat immediately on 18 May because the election followed a double dissolution. In an early parliamentary speech, he read the Lord's Prayer in nine South African languages. He was re-elected in 1975.

After the 1977 election, Malcolm Fraser announced the make-up of the new ministry that he would be recommending to the governor-general. This announcement was made at 5 p.m. on 19 December 1977. Glenister Sheil was to be Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. On 20 December he was sworn as a member of the Federal Executive Council, a constitutional pre-requisite for appointment as a minister. That same day, in an interview on ABC Radio, he professed his support for the South African apartheid system, which was very much at odds with the Fraser government’s position. Fraser decided not to proceed with Sheil’s appointment to the ministry, and in a very rare move he arranged for Sheil's appointment as an Executive Councillor to be terminated (such appointments are normally for life). This occurred at midday on 21 December. It was widely described as "the shortest ministerial career in Australia's history"; in fact, Sheil was never a minister at all, but for the two days he was a member of the Executive Council, he was entitled to be known as "Senator the Hon Glenister Sheil".

On 6 February 1981 he resigned from the Senate. The casual vacancy was filled by Florence Bjelke-Petersen, the wife of the then Premier of Queensland, Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

At the 1984 election on 1 December, he was re-elected the Senate, again taking his seat immediately because the Senate was being increased from 64 to 76 members. He was defeated at the 1990 election, his term expiring on 30 June 1990.

Glen Sheil led the delegation of Queenslanders For a Constitutional Monarchy at the 1998 Constitutional Convention. He was also active in tennis, rugby and cricket in Queensland.

He was known as "Thumpa", a nickname from a rabbit-farming company he part-owned.

He died in 2008.

Bibliography

* "Footnotes to History" (3 vols.)
* "A Companion to the Australian Constitution on Understanding the Constitution".

References

External links

* [http://news.smh.com.au/national/former-senator-sheil-dies-aged-79-20081006-4uku.html Sydney Morning Herald, "Former senator Sheil dies aged 79", 6 October 2008]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/06/2382692.htm ABC: Former Qld Nationals senator Sheil dies]
* [http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/lobby/8881/sheil.html Queenslanders for Constitutional Monarchy]
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an20152834 Portrait of Dr Glenister Sheil taken at the Constitutional Convention, Canberra, February 2-13, 1998]
* [http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?locid='JUD/87ATC4430'&PiT=99991231235958 ATO: Sheil v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/18/1084783517269.html?from=storylhs Alan Ramsay, SMH, 19 May 2004, Both gems and duds in a truly vintage year]
* [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22993602-2,00.html News.com.au. 1 January 2008, "Keating, Howard debut on political stage"]
* [http://www.bookfinder.com/author/glenister-sheil/ Bookfinder.com]