Michael Knight (Australian politician)

Michael Knight with the IPC flag at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Paralympics

Michael Steven Knight AO (born 21 September 1952) is a former Australian politician. He was member for Campbelltown in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1981 and 2001. He served as Minister for the Olympics between 1995 and 2001 in the Carr Labor government.

Education

Knight attended Doonside High School and Cranbrook School. He received a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Sydney.

Career

Knight worked for the Campbelltown City Council as a social planner and parole officer before entering politics.

Politics

Knight entered the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 1981 election succeeding Cliff Mallam who had held the seat for ten years. Knight was originally from the Left faction of the ALP but defected to the Right after a trip in Europe which convinced him that socialism was dead.^[1] Knight remained on the back bench until 1995 when he was appointed to the state Cabinet with ministerial responsibilities for Public Works and Services, the Olympics and Roads. His responsibilities were later in 1995 reduced to Roads and Olympics. In 1996 this was further reduced to responsibility for the Olympics, a portfolio he held until his retirement in 2001. As Minister for the Olympics he was Chair of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). For his services to the Olympic movement he was inducted into the Olympic Order.

In 2007 Knight was appointed to the Chair of the Board of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, the body which manages the day to day running and future development of Sydney Olympic Park.

References

1. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2011/guide/camp.htm

External links

• Parliament of NSW Profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Billy Payne	President of Organizing Committee for Summer Olympic Games 2000	Succeeded by Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki
Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by Cliff Mallam	Member for Campbelltown 1981 – 2001	Succeeded by Graham West

Persondata
Name	Knight, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	21 September 1952
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death