{{short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Paul Papalia | honorific_suffix = CSC MLA | image = Paul Papalia 2021 01.jpg | alt = Photo of Papalia | caption = | office1 = Minister for Emergency Services, Corrective Services, Racing and Gaming, Defence Industries and Veterans | term_start1 = 19 March 2025 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Stephen Dawson (Previously Emergency Services) | successor1 = | office2 = Minister for Police, Corrective Services, Racing and Gaming, Defence Industry and Veterans Issues | term_start2 = 8 December 2023 | term_end2 = 19 March 2025 | predecessor2 = Reece Whitby (Previously Racing and Gaming) | office3 = Minister for Police, Corrective Services, Road Safety, Defence Industries and Veterans Issues | term_start3 = 8 June 2023 | term_end3 = 8 December 2023 | predecessor3 = Bill Johnston (Previously Corrective Services) | office4 = Minister for Police, Road Safety, Defence Industry and Veterans Issues | term_start4 = 19 March 2021 | term_end4 = 8 June 2023 | predecessor4 = Michelle Roberts (Previously Police) | office5 = Minister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming, Small Business, Defence Issues, Citizenship and Multicultural Interests | term_start5 = 17 March 2017 | term_end5 = 19 March 2021 | predecessor5 = Colin Barnett (Previously Tourism) | constituency_AM6 = Secret Harbour | assembly6 = Western Australian Legislative | term_start6 = 8 March 2025 | term_end6 = | predecessor6 = ''Seat created'' | successor6 = | constituency_AM7 = Warnbro | assembly7 = Western Australian Legislative | term_start7 = 6 September 2008 | term_end7 = 8 March 2025 | predecessor7 = ''Seat created'' | successor7 = ''Seat abolished'' | constituency_AM8 = Peel | assembly8 = Western Australian Legislative | term_start8 = 3 February 2007 | term_end8 = 6 September 2008 | predecessor8 = Norm Marlborough | successor8 = ''Seat abolished'' | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|7|12}} | birth_place = Bunbury, Western Australia | citizenship = Australian | party = Labor Party | spouse = | alma_mater = | occupation = Navy clearance diver | allegiance = Australia | branch = Royal Australian Navy | service_years = 1978–2004 | rank = Lieutenant Commander | unit = | commands = | battles = Iraq (UNSCOM)<br/>Iraq War | mawards = Conspicuous Service Cross | website = {{URL|https://www.paulpapalia.com.au/}} }}
'''Paul Papalia''' CSC (born 12 July 1962) is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since February 2007. He is the current member for Secret Harbour. Papalia has previously been the member for Peel and Warnbro before their abolition as electorates. A decorated former navy diver who served two tours in Iraq, Papalia entered parliament after winning a by-election sparked by the resignation of scandal-tarred former minister Norm Marlborough.
==Early life and naval career== Papalia was born in Bunbury, Western Australia and grew up in the nearby small town of Burekup. He served in the Royal Australian Navy for 26 years before entering politics, working as a navy diver and rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. He specialised in explosives retrieval and escape and rescue.<ref>O'Brien, Amanda. "Iraq war veteran to run for ALP". ''The Australian'', 15 December 2006.</ref><ref>Mason, Graham and Spencer, Ben. "No new blood in Ravlich reshuffle". ''The West Australian'', 14 December 2006.</ref><ref>Mason, Graham. "Premier gets navy diver for Peel". ''The West Australian'', 15 December 2006.</ref> Papalia completed Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) selection and reinforcement training in 1988. He then served in 3 SASR Squadron in 1989 and 1 SASR Squadron in 1990 before returning to the Navy in 1991.<ref>{{Cite book|last=McPhedran|first=Ian|title=Soldiers Without Borders, Beyond the SAS, A Global Network of Brothers in Arm|publisher=Harper Collins|year=2008|isbn=9780732285555|location=Sydney, NSW Australia|pages=117, 331–342}}</ref> In 1992 he served with the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq to work as explosives disposal specialist, and was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 1994 for his work there.<ref>"Australia Day Honours". ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 26 January 1994.</ref> Papalia later returned to Iraq during the Iraq War, serving as executive officer in an Australian mine-clearing team.<ref>Baker, Mark. "Secrets of Australian heroism revealed". ''The Age'', 3 May 2003.</ref> He left the navy in 2004, and operated a small business renovating houses up until the time of his election to parliament.<ref>O'Brien, Amanda. "Lib's hopes on scandal fallout". ''The Australian'', 31 January 2007.</ref>
==Political career== In November 2006, state Minister for Small Business Norm Marlborough resigned from parliament after it was revealed that he had lied to the Corruption and Crime Commission about his dealings with disgraced former Premier of Western Australia Brian Burke, thus triggering a by-election in his electorate of Peel.<ref>O'Brien, Amanda. "Lib's hopes on scandal fallout". ''The Australian'', 31 January 2007.</ref> Peel had been held by the Labor Party since the seat's inception and was generally considered a safe Labor seat, but concerns about an electoral backlash over Marlborough's conduct led the party to look for a candidate without a political background.<ref>Taylor, Robert. "Our new man for Peel is a cleanskin, says Carpenter". ''The West Australian'', 18 January 2007.</ref> Papalia thus nominated for Labor preselection in the by-election, and was easily successful – despite having only joined the party weeks before – after receiving strong support from Premier Alan Carpenter.<ref>Mason, Graham. "Premier gets navy diver for Peel". ''The West Australian'', 15 December 2006.</ref> He went on to easily win the by-election, receiving a small swing in his favour in a seat that the government had feared they might lose.<ref>{{cite news |title=Labor claims Peel victory |first=Paul |last=Lampathakis |url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/labor-claims-peel-victory/story-e6frg13u-1111112939339 |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=2 February 2007 |access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref>
The district of Peel was abolished with effect at the 2008 state election. Papalia instead successfully contested the new seat of Warnbro, essentially the northern three-fourths of his old seat. In March 2017, Papalia was appointed as a Minister in the new McGowan Government, with the portfolios for Tourism, Racing and Gaming, Small Business, Defence Issues, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Following the March 2021 election, he was appointed as Minister for Police, Road Safety, Defence Industry and Veterans Issues. After the resignation of Mark McGowan, new Premier announced on the 7th of June Papalia would gain the portfolio of Corrective Services and lose Road Safety.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rita Saffioti becomes treasurer, Bill Johnston loses corrective services in WA cabinet reshuffle |first=Keane |last=Bourke|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-07/roger-cook-wa-cabinet-revealed-amid-reshuffle/10244875 |date=7 June 2023 |access-date=5 March 2024}}</ref> After the resignation of Bill Johnston from the Cabinet, Papalia gained Racing and Gaming on the 7th of December. This continues the 4 years Papalia had the portfolio between 2017-2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Refreshed Cabinet team to deliver for Western Australia |first=Roger |last=Cook|url=https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Cook-Labor-Government/-Refreshed-Cabinet-team-to-deliver-for-Western-Australia-20231207 |date=7 December 2023 |access-date=5 March 2024}}</ref>
Papalia was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy on the 2nd of December 2021.
In the 2025 Western Australian state election, he was elected in the new seat of Secret Harbour.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-10 |title=Secret Harbour - WA Electorate, Candidates, Results |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wa/2025/guide/secr |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}</ref>
Papalia is one of four Labor MPs in state parliament that is not factionally aligned as of 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hastie |first1=Hamish |title=WA Labor's factional makeup has changed dramatically since Saturday. Here's what we know |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/wa-labor-s-factional-makeup-has-changed-dramatically-since-saturday-here-s-what-we-know-20250312-p5lizv.html |website=WAtoday |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=12 March 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-wa-la}} {{s-bef|before=Norm Marlborough}} {{s-ttl| title=Member for Peel | years=2007–2008}} {{s-non|reason=District abolished|rows=2}} {{s-new|district|rows=2}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Warnbro|years=2008–2025}} |- {{s-ttl|title=Member for Secret Harbour|years=2025–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Cabinet of Western Australia}} {{WACurrentMLAs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papalia, Paul}} Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:Australian military personnel of the Iraq War Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Category:Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia) Category:Royal Australian Navy officers Category:People from Bunbury, Western Australia Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:Australian politicians of Italian descent Category:Australian people of Italian descent