# Denise Allen
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{{Short description|Australian politician (1953–2022)}}
{{for|the Antarctic scientist|Denise Mary Allen}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Denise Allen
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Denise Allen in 2000.png
| caption = Allen in 2000
| constituency_AM = [Benalla](/source/Electoral_district_of_Benalla)
| assembly = Victorian Legislative
| term_start = 13 May 2000
| term_end = 30 November 2002
| predecessor = [Pat McNamara](/source/Pat_McNamara_(Australian_politician))
| successor = [Bill Sykes](/source/Bill_Sykes)
| majority =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1953|3|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [Alexandra, Victoria](/source/Alexandra%2C_Victoria)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|1|22|1953|3|29|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| constituency =
| party = [Labor](/source/Australian_Labor_Party_(Victorian_Branch))
[People Power](/source/People_Power_(Australia)) (2006)
| spouse =
| children =
| university =
| profession =
| signature =
| footnotes =
| website =
}}
'''Denise Margaret Allen''' ({{née}} '''Boote''', 29 March 1953 – 22 January 2022) was an Australian politician, political strategist, social commentator and disability advocate.
==Life and career==
In March 1953, Denise Boote was born to Jack and Betty Boote in [Alexandra](/source/Alexandra%2C_Victoria), the youngest of three children. Jack Boote was a life member of the [Australian Labor Party](/source/Australian_Labor_Party).[{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Paul |title=Vale Denise Allen |url=https://www.benallaensign.com.au/news/vale-denise-allen/ |publisher=[Benalla Ensign](/source/Benalla_Ensign) |access-date=23 September 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250923121326/https://www.benallaensign.com.au/news/vale-denise-allen/ |archive-date=23 September 2025 |date=31 January 2022 |url-status=live}}] She attended Alexandra Primary School and [Alexandra High School](/source/Alexandra_Secondary_College), receiving her leaving certificate in 1970.[{{cite web
| last = Parliament of Victoria
| author-link = Parliament of Victoria
| title = Allen, Denise Margaret
| publisher = Parliament of Victoria
| url = http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=52
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = 18 October 2009
| archive-date = 13 August 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120813064433/http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=52
| url-status = dead
}}]
In 2000, Allen was the [Labor Party](/source/Australian_Labor_Party_(Victorian_Branch)) candidate in the [by-election for the seat of Benalla](/source/2000_Benalla_state_by-election) in the [Victorian Legislative Assembly](/source/Victorian_Legislative_Assembly), which was being vacated by former deputy premier and state [Nationals](/source/National_Party_of_Australia_%E2%80%93_Victoria) leader [Pat McNamara](/source/Pat_McNamara_(Australian_politician)). On paper, Allen faced daunting odds. Benalla was a staunchly conservative division in rural north-eastern Victoria and had been in National hands for all but nine years since 1920. However, she won a surprise victory[{{Cite Parliament of Victoria Member Profile |name=Denise Margaret Allen |id=denise-allen |access-date=5 August 2025}}] by 237 votes over new Nationals' candidate [Bill Sykes](/source/Bill_Sykes_(politician)). She was the first-ever Labor member to win the division. A [Buddhist](/source/Buddhist), she was the inaugural chairperson of the Parliamentary Friends of [Tibet](/source/Tibet). In the [2002 state election](/source/2002_Victorian_state_election), she was defeated by Sykes in a rematch, despite the Labor government being re-elected in a landslide. Although Allen led on the primary vote, she was defeated on the third count after the preferences of the [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia_(Victorian_Division)) candidate, Andrew Dwyer, flowed overwhelmingly to Sykes, resulting in a 52-48 [two-party-preferred](/source/two-party-preferred_vote) percentage of the vote in favour of the Nationals.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/elections/archive/vic/VIC2002_Results.pdf |title=2002 Victorian State Election |website=[Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation) |access-date=23 January 2022 |archive-date=14 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914215002/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/archive/vic/VIC2002_Results.pdf |url-status=dead }}]
Amidst the campaign for the Benalla by-election, Allen stated her support for a review of [Delatite Shire](/source/Delatite_Shire) as proposed by the [Mansfield](/source/Mansfield%2C_Victoria) District Residents and Ratepayers Association, which was in favour of de-amalgamation of the shire.[{{cite news |title=Candidates have their say |work=Mansfield Courier |date=10 May 2000 |page=11}}] A member of the association, Allen credited upset over amalgamation as a key factor in her by-election win, specifically stating that it contributed to a large swing in Mansfield.[{{cite news |last1=Dunlop |first1=Paul |title=Shire anger a factor: Allen |work=Mansfield Courier |date=7 June 2000 |page=2}}]
Allen left the Labor Party in 2005. She would become a candidate for the short-lived [People Power](/source/People_Power_(Australia)) party at the [2006 Victorian state election](/source/2006_Victorian_state_election), standing in the [Legislative Council](/source/Victorian_Legislative_Council) seat of [Northern Victoria](/source/Northern_Victoria_Region). At the time, she expressed disillusionment with Labor's stances, arguing their policies unjustly favoured corporate businesses and the upper class, and that Labor had abandoned country Victoria just as the government of [Jeff Kennett](/source/Jeff_Kennett) did.[{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Mathew |title=Bracks facing bush backlash, says voice of People Power |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/bracks-facing-bush-backlash-says-voice-of-people-power-20060829-ge30ss.html |access-date=9 September 2025 |work=[The Age](/source/The_Age) |date=29 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250909014415/https://www.theage.com.au/national/bracks-facing-bush-backlash-says-voice-of-people-power-20060829-ge30ss.html |archive-date=9 September 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}] With Allen as the lead candidate, the People Power ticket in Northern Victoria polled 2,497 first-preference votes, or 0.68% of the total vote in the region, at the 2006 election.[{{cite web |title=2006 State election results |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/results/state-election-results/2006-state-election |publisher=[Victorian Electoral Commission](/source/Victorian_Electoral_Commission) |access-date=9 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250909020052/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/results/state-election-results/2006-state-election |archive-date=9 September 2025 |url-status=live}}]
Allen attempted to seek Labor preselection in the federal seat of [Indi](/source/Division_of_Indi) at the [2013 election](/source/2013_Australian_federal_election), but was blocked from nominating. Allen stated that this was due to the length of her membership in the local branch.[{{cite news |last1=Johnston |first1=David |title=Labor hopefuls out of Indi race |url=https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1445345/labor-hopefuls-out-of-indi-race/ |access-date=8 September 2025 |work=[The Border Mail](/source/The_Border_Mail) |date=20 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422043932/http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1445345/labor-hopefuls-out-of-indi-race/?cs=11 |archive-date=22 April 2013 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}] In January 2014 Allen announced her intent to nominate for Labor preselection in [Euroa](/source/Electoral_district_of_Euroa), which included large chunks of the former Benalla district, at the [2014 state election](/source/2014_Victorian_state_election).[{{cite news |last1=Kotsios |first1=Natalie |title=Look who's trying to win Euroa for Labor |url=https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/2017197/look-whos-trying-to-win-euroa-for-labor/ |access-date=8 September 2025 |work=[The Border Mail](/source/The_Border_Mail) |date=11 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114033406/http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/2017197/look-whos-trying-to-win-euroa-for-labor/?cs=53 |archive-date=14 January 2014 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}] Labor's candidate for Euroa in 2014 was Clare Malcolm.[{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Antony |title=Euroa - VIC Election 2014 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2014/guide/euro |publisher=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia)) |access-date=8 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250908133305/https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2014/guide/euro |archive-date=8 September 2025 |url-status=live}}] Following the retirement of [Stephen Conroy](/source/Stephen_Conroy), Allen nominated for Labor selection to fill his Senate seat. She was unsuccessful, with the position being filled by [Kimberley Kitching](/source/Kimberley_Kitching).[{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Rob |last2=Campbell |first2=James |author2-link=James Campbell (journalist) |title=Race for Victorian senate vacancy between Diana Taylor and Kimberley Kitching |url=https://heraldsun.com.au/news/race-for-victorian-senate-vacancy-between-diana-taylor-and-kimberley-kitching/news-story/989c7f74cb01bb6aca110491dcdd5a12 |access-date=23 September 2025 |work=[Herald Sun](/source/Herald_Sun) |date=14 October 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250923101029/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/race-for-victorian-senate-vacancy-between-diana-taylor-and-kimberley-kitching/news-story/989c7f74cb01bb6aca110491dcdd5a12 |archive-date=23 September 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}][{{cite news |last1=Dziedzic |first1=Stephen |title=Stephen Conroy: Labor factional brawl ends as Kimberley Kitching replaces outgoing senator |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-14/factional-brawl-breaks-out-as-labor-seeks-to-replace-conroy/7929956 |access-date=23 September 2025 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia)) |date=14 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250923100410/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-14/factional-brawl-breaks-out-as-labor-seeks-to-replace-conroy/7929956 |archive-date=23 September 2025 |url-status=live}}]
Allen died from [cancer](/source/cancer) on 22 January 2022, at the age of 68.[{{Cite news|last=Thomson|first=Blair|date=23 January 2022|title=Former Benalla member Denise Allen dies after cancer battle|url=https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/7591371/former-benalla-member-denise-allen-dies-after-cancer-battle/|access-date=23 January 2022|work=The Border Mail|language=en-AU|archive-date=23 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123122327/https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/7591371/former-benalla-member-denise-allen-dies-after-cancer-battle/|url-access=subscription}}]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-vic-la}}
{{succession box | title=Member for [Benalla](/source/Electoral_district_of_Benalla) | before=[Pat McNamara](/source/Pat_McNamara_(Australian_politician)) | after=[Bill Sykes](/source/Bill_Sykes_(politician)) | years=2000–2002}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Denise}}
Category:1953 births
Category:2022 deaths
Category:21st-century Australian politicians
Category:21st-century Australian women politicians
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria
Category:Australian Buddhists
Category:Australian female models
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Category:People Power (Australia) politicians
Category:People from Alexandra, Victoria
Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Denise Allen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Allen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Allen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.