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| Peter Georgiou | |
|---|---|
| Name | Peter Georgiou |
| Birth date | 1970s |
| Birth place | Perth, Western Australia |
| Nationality | Australia |
| Occupation | Businessman; Politician |
| Party | One Nation |
| Office | Senator for Western Australia |
| Term start | 2017 |
| Term end | 2019 |
Peter Georgiou is an Australian businessman and former politician who served as a Senator for Western Australia representing One Nation from 2017 to 2019. He entered the federal parliament following a recount that unseated a predecessor, and during his tenure he focused on issues including small business, immigration, industrial relations and Indigenous affairs. Georgiou's parliamentary career intersected with figures such as Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Turnbull, and members of the Parliament of Australia across party lines.
Georgiou was born in Perth, Western Australia into a family of Greek Australians and raised in that city, attending local schools before undertaking vocational and tertiary study. He completed training in business administration and commercial practice, drawing on institutions in Perth and engaging with community organisations connected to the Hellenic Community of Western Australia. His background linked him to diasporic networks in Melbourne and Sydney through family and business ties.
Before entering politics, Georgiou established and operated several small and medium enterprises in Western Australia, concentrating on retail, property management and construction services. He worked with trade organisations and chambers of commerce, interacting with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Master Builders Association of Western Australia and local suppliers across the mining regions of Kalgoorlie and the Perth metropolitan area. His business activity brought him into contact with regulatory bodies such as the Australian Taxation Office and state agencies in Western Australia responsible for planning and development.
Georgiou joined One Nation during a period of expansion for the party led by Pauline Hanson and became active in state-level campaigning ahead of federal elections. He was placed on the One Nation Senate ticket for Western Australia for the 2016 federal election alongside a leading candidate, and later assumed a Senate seat after a Court-ordered recount following a dispute over ballot group registration. His accession involved interaction with electoral authorities including the Australian Electoral Commission and legal counsel connected to the High Court of Australia.
As a Senator, Georgiou served on parliamentary committees and participated in sittings of the Australian Senate in Canberra. He contributed to inquiries and debates involving the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, and portfolios overseen by ministers such as those from the Turnbull Government and the subsequent Morrison Government. Georgiou engaged with crossbench negotiations alongside senators from the Liberal Party of Australia, the Australian Labor Party, the Australian Greens, and other minor parties to influence legislation on industrial relations, migration policy and regional development.
Georgiou articulated positions reflecting One Nation policy priorities, advocating tighter controls on immigration, reform of workplace relations related to Fair Work Commission settings, and support for small businesses facing regulatory burdens from the Australian Taxation Office. He expressed views on Indigenous policy that emphasized local governance and contested aspects of federal Indigenous programs administered by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. On energy and resources he often sided with Western Australian interests, engaging with debates about the Commonwealth of Australia's role in resource royalties and the operation of projects in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions.
During and after his tenure, Georgiou attracted attention over issues including parliamentary expense claims, party governance within One Nation, and public statements that prompted responses from figures in Australian media and opposition politicians from the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia. Internal disputes involving ticket ordering and preselection procedures drew comment from state branches in Queensland and Western Australia, while public debates about his policy remarks led to scrutiny from advocacy groups and editorial commentary in outlets based in Sydney and Melbourne.
Georgiou is of Greek heritage and has been involved with community organisations such as the Hellenic Community of Western Australia and charitable activities linked to migrant support groups. He maintained residence in Western Australia while serving in the federal parliament and, following the end of his Senate term, returned to private business and community engagement. Awards and honours during his career included recognition from local business associations and acknowledgments from community groups in Perth and regional Western Australian towns.
Category:Australian politicians Category:People from Perth, Western Australia Category:One Nation members of the Parliament of Australia