PROFILPELAJAR.COM

The Honourable
Willem Westra van Holthe
The Honourable Willem Westra van Holthe
	Westra van Holthe in 2015
Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
	In office; 3 February 2015 – 14 February 2016
Leader	Adam Giles
Preceded by	Peter Chandler
Succeeded by	Peter Styles
Deputy Leader of the Country Liberal Party
	In office; 3 February 2015 – 14 February 2016
Leader	Adam Giles
Preceded by	Peter Chandler
Succeeded by	Peter Styles
Member of the Northern Territory Parliament; for Katherine
	In office; 9 August 2008 – 27 August 2016
Preceded by	Fay Miller
Succeeded by	Sandra Nelson
Personal details
Born	Willem Rudolf Westra van Holthe; 22 August 1962 (age 62); Rotorua, New Zealand
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Country Liberal Party
Children	Three
Residence	Katherine, Northern Territory
Occupation	Police officer

Willem Rudolf Westra van Holthe (born 22 August 1962) is an Australian politician. He was a Country Liberal Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2008 to 2016, representing the electorate of Katherine. He was Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory from 6–14 March 2013 and from February 2015 to February 2016, resuming the position following a leadership challenge to Chief Minister Adam Giles, in which he was briefly the Chief Minister-designate. He served as Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, Minister for Land Resource Management and Minister for Essential Services (2012–2016), Minister for Mines and Energy (2012–2015) and Minister for Public Employment (2015–2016) under both Terry Mills and Giles.

Early life

Westra van Holthe was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, to a Dutch father and Australian mother. His family moved to Australia and settled in Brisbane, Queensland.^[1]

Westra van Holthe moved to the Northern Territory in 1984 to work as a labourer on such projects as the Elizabeth River Bridge and the Arnhem Highway.^[2] In 1986, he joined the Northern Territory Police where he served until 2000—when he left the force to run a small business with his wife Jennie—and again from 2002 to 2008.^[1] As a police officer, he was stationed at Maranboy, Mataranka and Alice Springs, then at Katherine on his return to the police force.^[2]

Political career

Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Years	Term	Electoral division	Party
2008–2012	11th	Katherine		Country Liberal
2012–2016	12th	Katherine		Country Liberal

In 2008, Westra van Holthe left the police to pursue a career in politics where he felt he could have a greater influence on law formation and implementation.^[2] He was preselected by the Country Liberal Party (CLP) as a candidate for the electorate of Katherine where the sitting member Fay Miller was retiring. He was elected at the Territory election in August 2008 on a swing of over five percent, enough to revert Katherine to its traditional status as a safe CLP seat.

The CLP won government at the 2012 election, with Westra van Holthe picking up a massive 13.8 percent swing. He now sat on a majority of 22.3 percent, making Katherine the safest seat in the Territory. He was appointed as Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries and Minister for Mines and Energy in the first ministry under Chief Minister Terry Mills.

On 6 March 2013, Dave Tollner attempted to challenge Mills for the party leadership, although Mills averted any leadership ballot taking place after a six-hour party room meeting. Tollner was sacked from cabinet, and deputy leader Robyn Lambley resigned.^[3] In the ensuing reshuffle, Westra van Holthe became deputy leader of the CLP, and hence Deputy Chief Minister, replacing Lambley, also assuming the portfolios of Trade, Land Resource Management, Public Employment, and Essential Services. Less than a week later, Westra van Holthe was acting Chief Minister whilst Terry Mills was in Japan on a trade visit. Adam Giles made a successful challenge to Mills' leadership, becoming CLP leader and installing Toller as his deputy, although Westra van Holthe retained his other ministries apart from the trade and employment portfolios.

On 2 February 2015, Westra van Holthe challenged Giles for the leadership of the Country Liberal Party in a late night party room meeting. At a 1 am media conference on 3 February, Westra van Holthe announced that the party had voted for him to replace Giles as leader with John Elferink as his deputy, and that his new cabinet would be sworn in on 4 February. The ABC reported that the ballot was nine votes to five in favour of Westra van Holthe.^[4] During the press conference Westra van Holthe referred to himself as the "Chief Minister apparent".^[5] He also promised a more consultative approach to governing.^[6]

Westra van Holthe's plans to be sworn in as Chief Minister later in the day were halted by Giles' refusal to sign a document confirming his resignation. Additionally, there was the possibility that the CLP members who maintained their support for Giles would break party discipline and refuse to support Westra van Holthe on the floor of the legislature, leaving him short of the 13 votes he needed to govern. This raised the prospect of Westra van Holthe not surviving his first parliamentary sitting. A meeting of the CLP's parliamentary wing took place that evening, as the party sought to resolve the internal crisis,^[7] with Giles eventually announcing he would remain as CLP leader and Chief Minister, with Westra van Holthe as deputy leader of the CLP and Deputy Chief Minister.^[8]

On 14 February 2016, Westra van Holthe resigned from Giles' cabinet^[9] after it emerged that he had both a financial and personal involvement with the CT Group, a Vietnamese fruit company seeking to develop a 10,000-hectare dragon fruit orchard in the NT.^[10]

Prior to the 27 August 2016 election, Katherine had been in CLP hands for its entire existence, dating to when the seat was known as Elsey, and the Katherine area had long been considered CLP heartland. Labor had only come close to winning it twice, both at the high-tide elections of 2001 and 2005. However, Labor challenger Sandra Nelson led Westra van Holthe by a margin of less than one percent on election night. Westra van Holthe's primary vote almost halved, to only 35.2 percent. It was eventually announced on 9 September that Westra van Holthe had lost by 28 votes.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b Key Speakers: Hon Willem Westra van Holthe, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies Convention, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c Katherine Rural Review, Northern Territory Government, October/November 2012.
^ "Mills clings to top job after marathon meeting". ABC News. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
^ Dunlevie, James (3 February 2015). "Adam Giles dumped as NT chief minister in late-night coup, Willem Westra van Holthe elected leader". ABC News. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ Walsh, Christopher; Smee, Ben; Staff writers (3 February 2015). "Giles is still the NT chief minister after his challengers failed to muster the numbers to topple him". NT News. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
^ Bardon, Jane. NT Chief Minister Adam Giles rolled in midnight coup. ABC News, 2015-02-03.
^ "Giles says he can't support Willem Westra van Holthe as chief minister, CLP parliamentary wing meeting to decide". The NT News. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "Adam Giles remains NT chief minister". SBS News. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "Willem Westra van Holthe resigns from Northern Territory Cabinet, Deputy Chief Minister position". ABC News. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
^ La Canna, Xavier (10 February 2016). "NT Minister Willem Westra van Holthe 'sorry' he considered investing in Vietnam's CT Group". ABC News. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
^ "Former chief minister Adam Giles and Labor deputy Lynne Walker confirmed to have lost seats in Northern Territory election". Northern Territory News. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Fay Miller	Member for Katherine 2008–2016	Succeeded by Sandra Nelson
Political offices
Preceded by Robyn Lambley	Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory 2013	Succeeded by Dave Tollner
Preceded by Peter Chandler	Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory 2015–2016	Succeeded by Peter Styles
Preceded by Kon Vatskalis as Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources	Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries 2012–2016	Succeeded by Gary Higgins
Preceded by Portfolio re-established	Minister for Mines and Energy 2012–2015	Succeeded by Dave Tollner
Preceded by New portfolio	Minister for Land Resource Management 2012–2016	Succeeded by Gary Higgins
Preceded by Rob Knight	Minister for Essential Services 2012–2016	Succeeded by Peter Chandler
Preceded by John Elferink	Minister for Public Employment 2015–2016	Succeeded by Peter Styles