Norman Lacy

Norman Henry Lacy (born 25 October 1941) is an Australian former politician, who was a Minister in the Hamer and Thompson Cabinets of the Victorian Government from May 1979 to April 1982.

Norman Lacy grew up in Richmond, Victoria and was educated at North Richmond Primary School (1946–1953) and Richmond Technical School (1954–1956). He completed university degrees in theology (Th.Schol., Australian University of Theology) 1969, sociology (B.A. Hons, Monash University) 1975 and management science (M.Sc., Durham University, UK) 1984 and had a diverse career that included periods as an apprenticed plumber, an Anglican priest, a Liberal parliamentarian, a management educator and an information technology industry executive. He was President of Self Employed Australia (formerly Independent Contractors Australia) from 2008 until 2018. He is retired and lives in Wye River, Victoria.

As Minister for the Arts from 1979 to 1982, Norman Lacy was responsible for the construction of the Victorian Arts Centre and the design of its management structure, the establishment of the Australian Children's Television Foundation and the Heide Museum of Modern Art, the creation of Film Victoria, and the reconstitution of the Victorian College of the Arts. As Assistant Minister of Education and Minister for Educational Services from 1979 to 1982, he was responsible for reforming and decentralising the administration of the Education Department of Victoria, for establishing the Special Assistance Program to deal with illiteracy and innumeracy, by training and appointing an additional 1,000 Special Assistance Resource Teachers to primary schools, for introducing a reformed Health and Human Relations Education curriculum, and for compulsory physical education in government schools.

As a management educator from 1985 to 1994, Lacy brought the internationally renowned Leadership Development Program from the Center for Creative Leadership in North Carolina, to Australia. From 1988, at the Australian Management College, Mt Eliza, he delivered the 6-day program to approximately 900 Australian managers. From 1991 to 1994 he was executive director of the China-Australia Management Centre that was established as an Australian Government aid project near Beijing, China with the China National Non-Ferrous Metals Industry Corporation (CNNC). During Lacy's tenure, 1,500 Chinese managers from more than 300 plants throughout China were trained in western management theory and practice.

Norman Lacy completed his career, in the period from 1994 to 2009, with three executive appointments in the information technology industry. He was Professional Development Director of the Australian Computer Society (1996–1998); founding Managing Director of The Swish Group Limited (1998–2000); and founding Executive Director of ITCRA (Information Technology Contract & Recruitment Association) (2000–2009).