User:Rebecca/Drafts/Charlie Lynn

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- born into Irish-Catholic family, "growing up with eight brothers and sisters in a twobedroomed fibro house in the Victorian town of Orbost" - left school at 15, conscripted into the army at 20. - served with 17 Construction Squadron, Royal Australian Enginees in Vietnam as a plant operator. Graduated from the Oficer Cadet School, Portsea as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1968 and from the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff in 1981. Served with the ANZUK force in Singapore for two years and later as an Exchange Officer with the United States Army. Specialised in Airborne Logistics. Completed the US Army Special Forces HALO parachute program. Completed 200 jumps during his tour of duty. - retired and settled in Bradbury, near Campbelltown, made new career from taking business executives and such on survival/leadership courses and doing Kokoda treks - father of three daughters - 1986 - coordinated Westfield Ultramarathon from Parramatta to Doncaster (described by Sun-Herald as world's toughest ultra-marathon) - still race director in 1989 - also ran Sun-Herald Anzac Day marathon - 1992 - with company Kokoda Epic, organises series of Kokoda Remembrance Treks to commemorate 50 years since Kokoda - where trekkers were shown large previously unseen war grave (government disputed it, he was calling for it to be recognised years later) - began to be involved in conservative politics after daughter, then uni student, raped in 1986; took years to recover, had impact on family, and rapist was sentenced to a non-parole period of only 18 months, after being free on bail for 21 months after the arrest; also found the court procedure immensely traumatising - April 1990 - ran unsuccessfully for Campbelltown City Council as an independent, with Cliff Young as "running mate" - 1991 state election - contests NSW state electorate of Campbelltown as a Liberal - resigned from Liberal Party after 1991 election as so disillusioned - thought Liberals "did not have a sincere interest in south-west of Sydney" - rejoined after 1993 federal election "to help 'get rid of' Keating"; Jan 1994 preselected for 1994 Werriwa by-election - described job as "marketing consultant and motivational speaker" - Latham was always expected to win easily, and Lynn essentially conceded early that he'd be happy with half the necessary swing; changed tune later in campaign and began talking up victory; caused embarrassing stir when on Jan 12 local newspaper Liverpool Champion reported that he'd said that if elected he'd lobby for a revamped GST; office claimed misrepresented and had to distance himself from the reports (some controversy later when it was discovered that Latham had advocated similar thing); Hewson had been forced to deny that the issue was back on the agenda too; Latham used opportunity to launch scare campaign; raised sports rorts affair (and lack of benefit for Werriwa) as issue and called it referendum on government's performance; dubbed Macquarie Fields a "ghetto" and then had to explain - Age described him as "amiable, but accident-prone" ("Asked early this week how his campaign was going, Mr Lynn conceded with disarming candor and not a little understatement: ``Not too good. I've not been very articulate with the media."); ultimately received 6.5% swing, strong, but less than expected by both sides - 1995 - preselected for marginal federal seat of Macarthur at 1996 election, tipped to be slight favourite, but Fahey, who lived in the electorate (then was still member for Southern Highlands in NSW) wanted his seat; talk began mid-year of giving Lynn a spot in the NSW parliament (Southern Highlands) as an alternative; initially strongly resisted suggestions to step aside; would have had to run in state by-election; got assurance that he was safe - still running Kokoda expeditions in 1996 - Oct 10 1996 - NSW Police Minister Ted Pickering unexpectedly announces resignation from politics; new suggestion that Lynn could take his seat in Legislative Council; was convinced to take it - duly appointed to the casual vacancy and appointed duty member for Campbelltown; still running his Kokoda trips, and gained a significantly higher profile after taking Angry Anderson, Daryl Braithwaite, Collette Mann, Dermott Brereton and Kerryn Phelps on ACA trip - March 1996 - blasts Keating for not adequately fulfilling his promises of aid to the communities along the Kokoda Track - April 1996 - defeats Leader of the Opposition in the LC John Hannaford for the position of parliamentary representative on the party's state executive, an embarrassing loss for Hannaford considering Lynn's junior status - made ongoing issue of the fact that Michael Knight, the member for Campbelltown, had moved to the north shore, at one point in 1996 running 66 km from Campbelltown to Lindfield to hand him a Christmas card "from his constituents" - Oct 1996 - attacks Hanson, calling her divisive and damaging - reportedly had a tendency to sleep on the balcony of his office rather than book into a hotel - March 1997 - goes on the attack over toll delays, helps push for change from swiping to automated system - April 1997 - proposes that Olympic Flame pass down Kokoda Track - June 1997 - office ransacked "for the fourth time in 18 months" - June 26 - claims that 166 students at Macquarie Fields High had stayed home because of fears of a drive-by - attacked by secondary principals association president - August - appeared with Abbott, Zammit, Minchin, Bishop and others in the creation of the Mainstream Liberals group, described as ultra-conservative by the Sun-Herald; next day publicly distanced himself due to concerns of factionalism and extremism, most notably the presence of Lyenko Urbanchich - Nov 1997 - The Australian reports known to be close to Chikarovski - Nov - helped coordinate fundraising effort with RSL for fuzzy wuzzies - late 1997 - opposed attempts to expel Franca Arena from parliament - May 1998 - took ten disadvantaged teenagers across Kokoda, which was subsequently the basis for a Witness special - July 1998 - advocates more sitting days in the LC