Nick Lalich

Nickola "Nick" Lalich (born 1945) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since October 2008, representing the electorate of Cabramatta. He also served as mayor of Fairfield from 2004 until March 2012.

Early life and career

Lalich was born in Egypt to refugee parents who had fled the war in Yugoslavia. His family migrated to Australia when he was three, and spent time in resettlement camps at Uranquinty and Bonegilla. They eventually settled in the Bonnyrigg area, where Lalich's father worked for the Department of the Postmaster-General and ran a farm.

Lalich remained in the Bonnyrigg area, where he worked as an electrician for Prospect Electricity before his election to the City of Fairfield council as a Labor candidate in 1987. He was elected by his colleagues as mayor in 1993–94, and was a candidate for preselection for the seat of Cabramatta in 1994, losing to Reba Meagher. Lalich remained on council, was again elected mayor by his colleagues in 2002, and ran and won as the first popularly elected mayor of Fairfield in 2004. He was easily re-elected as mayor in late 2008, only weeks before his election to parliament in October 2008.