Bill Sykes (politician)

Dr Bill Sykes (born 3 October 1948) became the Nationals Member for Benalla in November 2002 after a career as a veterinarian and businessman.

Sykes was also a VFL footballer, playing over 50 games of football for Fitzroy, and later coaching Shepparton, Benalla and Benalla & District Junior Football teams. As well as being a member of parliament, Sykes and his wife Sally also run a beef cattle and sheep property just out of Benalla.

Together, the Sykes have been involved in a wide range of community activities including school councils, youth groups, sporting clubs, Landcare, fire brigade and the Victorian Farmers Federation. Sykes was also instrumental in the establishment of the Benalla Trust Foundation, a trust to assist local people in times of crisis, and the Benalla Young Sportspersons Trust, a trust that assists promising young athletes to compete in interstate and overseas competitions.

Benalla had been held by the Nationals since 1943 but was lost in a by-election in 2000 after the retirement of Pat McNamara. The Labor Party was re-elected in a landslide in the 2002 election, yet Sykes won Benalla back with only 26% of the primary vote to give a 52% two party preferred vote over the incumbent, Denise Allen.

In the 2006 election, Sykes increased his primary vote to 42% and his two party preferred vote to 68%.

Bill Sykes is currently the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water. He is also a member of the Victorian Parliament's Public Accounts & Estimates Committee.

External links

* [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sykes/ Official website]
* [http://www.vic.nationals.org.au The Nationals - Victoria]