Ian Winton Smith, born 25 November 1939 is a former Victorian Liberal Party of Australia politician.
He represented the Electoral division of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria as a MLA from 1967 until 1983. He resigned to unsuccessfully contest Liberal Party pre-selection for the Federal Division of Wannon. He later re-entered the Victorian Parliament as MLA for the Electoral district of Polwarth from 1985 to 1999.
He was born at Terang, Victoria Australia and educated at Terang Primary and Secondary Schools and later Geelong Grammar school. He has a farming background, living at a family farm Gwinganna near Terang until his first marriage in 1967 when he purchased and moved to another farm Jingella, near Camperdown Victoria. He sold that farm in 1988 and moved to Lorne and Melbourne, Victoria. He joined the Liberal Party in 1957 and remains a member. He has been married twice, first to Jennifer Louise Bartlam with whom he has two sons, Edward and James. His second marriage to Anne Michelle Renshaw produced two daughters, Victoria and Jacqueline. He has a son Carter with Cheryl Maxine Harris. (He is not to be confused with Ian Smith, the husband of Natasha Stott Despoja).
His political career includes, Minister of Water Supply,1970; Minister for Social Welfare which he established and reformed child care 1970-1973; Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation which he established 1972-1973; Minister for Agriculture 1973- 1980 where he undertook many market reforms; Minister for Economic Development which he established, 1980-1981; Minister for State Development, Decentralization and Tourism 1980; Minister for Finance where he undertook many reforms to privatize public sector assets, reduce the public sector workforce by 23% and reduce State debt and liabilities.
Always a controversial MP Smith was once seen as a future leader of the Liberal Party. He was sacked from the Hamer Cabinet and reinstated three days later. He resigned from the Kennett Cabinet because of legal action brought against him. He later won that legal action but retired from Politics in 1999.
Since politics Ian Winton Smith has built a successful business career with company directorships and an Agribusiness consultancy.
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