Zhenya Wang, also known as Dio Wang, is a former Australian senator and civil engineer. He was the CEO of Australasian Resources from July 2010 until 20 June 2014, when he resigned in preparation for his role as Senator for Western Australia. He did not retain his seat at the 2016 double dissolution election recording 0.38% of the WA primary senate vote.
Wang was employed by Australasian Resources from 2006. He was initially employed as a civil engineer for the company, and went on to become a chief executive officer and the managing director, nationally. Clive Palmer owned a 70% share of Australasian Resources, and provided cash injections to save Australasian Resources from insolvency, during Wang's directorship. Wang resigned as managing director of Australasian Resources before he assumed his Senate seat.
Political career, 2013—present
Senator for Western Australia (2014—2016)
Wang was the lead Senate candidate for the Palmer United Party, in Western Australia at the 2013 federal election. Wang was announced as having been elected to the Senate, but lost on a recount. The PUP disputed the result of the recount, citing the loss of over 1,300 ballot papers between the original count and the recount. The High Court ordered a fresh 2014 half-Senate election for WA, declaring open the six seats in question. At the new election, Wang won the fifth vacancy with a 12.3 percent vote, an increase of 7.3 percent. He joined the Senate on 1 July 2014. The PUP won three Senate seats at the 2013 election, including Wang's success at the WA special Senate election. However, within eighteen months, Wang's two Senate colleagues, deputy Senate leader Jacqui Lambie and Senate leader Glenn Lazarus, had resigned from the party to sit as independents, leaving Wang as the only PUP Senator, and one of only two PUP members of the Federal Parliament, the other being party leader Clive Palmer in the House of Representatives. Wang served as the whip of the PUP and then leader before his Senate term was cut short at the 2016 double dissolution election.
The PUP ceased to have any political representation in Australia after the 2016 federal election, and Clive Palmer resigned his leadership of the party. Following his electoral defeat, Wang joined the Liberal Party, and there was some speculation that he would seek pre-selection for that party.
