Ted Baillieu

His Walloon great-great-great-grandfather, Étienne Lambert Baillieux (1773–1816), migrated to England from Liège, Belgium.

The 3rd Baron Baillieu, James William Latham Baillieu (b. 1950) is his third cousin.

He is also the great-grandson of Victorian politician William Knox.

Edward Norman Baillieu (born 31 July 1953) is a former Australian politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2010 to 2013.

He was raised in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak and educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, where he graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.

He worked as an architect and for a time joined the family real estate firm Baillieu Knight Frank.

He joined the Carlton branch of the Liberal Party in 1981 because of his frustration at the power of unions on building sites.

By 1987 he was vice-president of the Victorian Liberal Party and President in 1994.

They had fought the 1992 and 1996 state elections as a Coalition after having sat separately for most of the second half of the 20th century, but went their separate ways after the 1999 election.

Baillieu was also employed by Tourism Victoria from 1998 to 1999, before entering politics.

He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2014, representing the electorate of Hawthorn.

At Jeff Kennett's insistence, Baillieu nominated for Liberal Party preselection for the safe seat of Hawthorn at the 1999 election, to replace the retiring member, former Liberal deputy leader Phil Gude.

Baillieu was preselected, and won the seat at the election.

It was at this election that Steve Bracks unexpectedly led the Labor Party to victory, with the support of three country independents, one a former Labor supporter and the other two conservatives.

Baillieu immediately joined the Liberal frontbench, serving as Shadow Minister for Tertiary Education and Training (1999–2001), Gaming (July 2000 – August 2002) and Planning (September 2001 – May 2006).

He was elected leader of the Liberal Party in opposition in 2006, and served as Premier from 2010 until 2013 after winning the 2010 state election.

The Labor Party ran an election advertisement campaign in 2006 and 2010 claiming he profited from Liberal government policies.

After Robert Doyle resigned as opposition leader on 4 May 2006, speculation mounted that former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett would return to politics and the position of Liberal Party Leader in order to lead the party into the 2006 state election set down for 25 November 2006.

However, on the morning of 5 May 2006, Baillieu not only announced he was running for the leadership, but revealed that Kennett would not return to the leadership and was supporting Baillieu.

Shadow Minister for Transport Terry Mulder had earlier announced he was running, but withdrew from the race.

This left Baillieu to take the leadership unopposed at a Liberal party room vote on 8 May.

Six months after assuming leadership of the Liberals, Baillieu took the party into the 2006 election.

The governing Labor Party, keen to exploit Baillieu's wealth, dubbed him Ted the Toff from Toorak.

Throughout the campaign, media stories about Baillieu's extensive blue chip share portfolio, at the time estimated to be worth almost $4 million, raised questions about conflicts of interest.

Baillieu's handling of the issue and his refusal to place his investments in a blind trust were both thought to have hurt the Liberal Party during the campaign.

At the 25 November 2006 election, the Liberals came up well short of winning government, though they managed to take six seats off Labor's large majority.

In a speech at the State Council of the Victorian Liberal Party, Ballieu opposed the push by John Howard for nuclear reactors in Victoria.

An online campaign against Baillieu by senior Liberal Party members was uncovered and made public, with Baillieu promising to root out the disloyal elements in his party.

The media suspected that forces loyal to former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello and former State Party President Michael Kroger, themselves from Melbourne, had attempted to undermine Baillieu.

In February 2008, at a joint news conference it was announced that the Victorian Nationals and Liberals would join in a new Coalition agreement forged between Baillieu and Peter Ryan.

As part of the arrangement, the parties agreed to hold joint party meetings, develop joint policies, allocate five shadow cabinet positions to the Nationals, abolish three-cornered contests (unless otherwise agreed) and run joint Legislative Council tickets in the non-metropolitan Regions.

The Liberals and Nationals have historically had strained relations in Victoria.

During 2008, Baillieu voted for abortion law reform which decriminalised abortion up to twenty four weeks and the moment of birth if two doctors grant approval.

Baillieu, as Leader of the Opposition, contested the 2010 Victorian state election as the alternative Premier of Victoria with the Leader of the Nationals, Peter Ryan, as the alternative Deputy Premier.

Baillieu focused during the election campaign mainly on the policies of health, law and order, government expenditure and the longevity and the ability of the incumbent Labor government to deliver on its promises.

Until election eve, polling indicated Labor would win a record fourth term in government, albeit by a tight margin.

The final Newspoll saw a two party preferred figure of 48.9 percent for Labor and 51.1 percent to the Liberals and Nationals.

He resigned as Premier on 6 March 2013, and was succeeded by Denis Napthine.

Ted Baillieu is the youngest son of Darren and Diana Baillieu.

He is also the younger brother of solicitor Ian Baillieu, former ABC presenter Fiona Baillieu, author David Baillieu, former journalist and Portsea activist Kate Baillieu (the widow of state Liberal politician Julian Doyle) and Olympic oarsman and America's Cup yachtsman Will Baillieu.