20 Facts About Michael Yabsley

Michael Robert Yabsley was born on 30 June 1956 and is an Australian former politician.

Michael Yabsley was a Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electorates of Bligh from 1984 to 1988 and Vaucluse from 1988 to 1994.

Michael Yabsley's father, Bob Yabsley, was a prominent pastoral farmer and a decedent of settler William Yabsley.

Michael Yabsley then attended the Australian National University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in political science.

In 1977, Michael Yabsley wrote an article for the ANU student newspaper Woroni denying that South Africa still practised apartheid, and saying "even the most iniquitous aspects of apartheid" was preferable to the country being ruled by Africans.

At 24 Michael Yabsley was a Liberal party candidate at the 1980 federal election for the seat of Fraser in the Australian Capital Territory, though was defeated by Ken Fry.

In 1984, Michael Yabsley defeated Labor MP Fred Miller to win the NSW state seat of Bligh in Sydney for the Liberal Party.

The death of Ray Aston, the Liberal member for Vaucluse, allowed Michael Yabsley to re-enter parliament; he was elected unopposed in the by-election.

Michael Yabsley was immediately appointed as Minister for Corrective Services.

Michael Yabsley took an extremely punitive approach to prison, saying he wanted to be remembered as "someone who has put the value back in punishment".

Michael Yabsley led a campaign to make conditions in custody harsher, which included banning prisoners from having personal belongings including photos of their children, wedding rings, religious items, educational materials and hats.

Michael Yabsley decreased the amount of visits a prisoner could receive from one a week to one a month, and severely cut funding for prison education and rehabilitation programs, as well as funding to a halfway house.

Michael Yabsley expressed outrage that an anti-apartheid activist, who was imprisoned for one-month for altering a piece of graffiti, was released after one week in prison.

Michael Yabsley subsequently introduced the 1989 truth in sentencing legislation, which ended the early release of prisoners for good behaviour and resulted in severe overcrowding; the removal of incentive to behave caused an increase in assaults, decreases in compliance with work and education, and deteriorating rapport between prisoners and officers.

Michael Yabsley's policies yielded no positive effects, though did incur high costs.

Michael Yabsley ignored this advice, and the subsequent riots against his policy, which were the first riots in NSW prisons since the 1970s, caused $6 million in damages and $4 million in lost contracts.

Staff morale deteriorated, and the Probation and Parole Officers Association accused Michael Yabsley of putting the safety of prison officers at risk.

The coalition retained power at the 1991 New South Wales state election, though Michael Yabsley was removed from his position as Minister for Corrective Services; according to Police Studies, the government deliberately transferred him to a portfolio where "he could do less harm".

Michael Yabsley resigned from the ministry in 1992, "in protest" of the circumstances that brought about the resignation of Premier Nick Greiner and Environment Minister Tim Moore.

On 5 November 1983, Michael Yabsley married Susan Clatworthy, and they had two children.