Craig Baumann
Craig Asbjorn Baumann is an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2007 to 2015, representing the electorate of Port Stephens. He was elected as a member of the Liberal Party, but resigned to sit as an independent in 2014 following his implication in Independent Commission Against Corruption proceedings.
Baumann was elected at the 2007 state election. Following two weeks of re-counts, he was elected on a two party preferred margin of 68 votes, making Port Stephens the most marginal electorate in New South Wales. Despite the small margin, Baumann received a 7.3% swing in his favour, and notably this was the first and only time since formation of the electorate in 1988 that the seat had been won by a Liberal Candidate. Before entering state politics, Baumann was mayor of Port Stephens.
Following admissions by Baumann, at a hearing of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption on 12 September 2014, that he had written sham invoices to cover up payments received from developers during his election campaign in 2007, he announced that he would resign from the Liberal Party and move to the crossbench of the Legislative Assembly.
Baumann stood down at the 2015 state election, with Kate Washington gaining the seat for Labor with a large 19.5% swing.
