Michael John Johnsen (born 15 March 1964) is an Australian former politician who served in the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...

as the member for

Upper Hunter The Upper Hunter Shire is a local government area in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed in May 2004 from the Scone Shire and parts of Murrurundi and Merriwa shires. The mayor of the Upper Hunter Shir ...

for the Nationals from 2015 to 2021. Johnsen served as Mayor for the

Upper Hunter Shire Council The Upper Hunter Shire is a local government area in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed in May 2004 from the Scone Shire and parts of Murrurundi and Merriwa shires. The mayor of the Upper Hunter Shir ...

from 2009 to 2012 and previously contested the seat of

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

for the Nationals at the

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

and 2013 federal elections. Johnsen was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in March 2015 "after a traditional Nationals family values election campaign in which his wife featured prominently." Johnsen announced he was standing aside temporarily on 24 March 2021 due to an ongoing police investigation into a rape allegation against him. He stood aside from his role as parliamentary secretary, and moved to the crossbench and did not sit in the Nationals nor the joint party room. Following further allegations of inappropriate conduct in Parliament House, Johnsen resigned from parliament on 31 March 2021.

Personal life

Michael Johnsen married Zenda Casey in November 1985 and the couple had two children. The marriage ended in late 2015, nine months after Johnsen's election as the member for Upper Hunter.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnsen, Michael Living people People from Scone, New South Wales National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1964 births Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Australian politicians