Theo Theophanous

Who is Theo Theophanous?

Theo Charles Theophanous is a former Australian politician who served in the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Northern Metropolitan Region. He is the brother of former federal politician Andrew Theophanous. Before entering parliament he was active in Australian Labor Party politics in the federal electorate of Batman and the then City of Northcote. He was also active in the Socialist Left faction Victorian ALP but was later expelled from that faction. He then formed the Labor Renewal Alliance with support from Greek and Lebanese branches, which allied itself with and eventually merged with the Labor Unity or Right faction.

In 1995 he was a candidate for ALP preselection for the seat of Batman for the 1996 Federal election but withdrew due to great pressure from within the party for the preselection to be given to then Australian Council of Trade Unions President Martin Ferguson. There was even the possibility that even if Theophanus had beaten Ferguson in the preselection, the Federal Executive would overturn Theophanus' preselection and give it to Ferguson.

Theophanus' withdrawal from the Batman preselection meant that he was not able to join his brother Andrew in Federal Parliament. Ironically Martin Ferguson joined his own brother Laurie Ferguson in Federal Parliament.