Christopher Pyne
Christopher Maurice Pyne, MP (born 13 August 1967), Australian politician and author,[1] has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 13 March 1993, representing the Division of Sturt, South Australia.[2] Pyne was Minister for Education and the Leader of the House in the Abbott Government from September 2013,[3] renamed Minister for Education and Training from December 2014.[4] In September 2015 he became Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and remained Leader of the House in the Turnbull Government.
Early years and education
The fifth and youngest child of prominent ophthalmic surgeon, Remington Pyne and his wife Margaret,[5] Pyne was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1967. He was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide and the University of Adelaide, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and was President of Adelaide University Liberal Club from 1987 to 1988.[6][7]
Career
He was a research assistant to Senator Amanda Vanstone and later became President of the South Australian Young Liberals from 1988–1990. Pyne was selected as the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Ross Smith a safe Labor seat, at the 1989 election but was defeated by the sitting member and Premier of South Australia, John Bannon.[8] He earned a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the University of South Australia and began practising as a solicitor in 1991.
Political career
At the 1993 Australian federal election, aged 25, Pyne was elected to the Division of Sturt in the House of Representatives. He had earlier defeated Ian Wilson, who had held the seat for most of the time since 1966, in a pre-selection battle for the seat. Wilson was 35 years' Pyne's senior; indeed, he had won his first election a year before Pyne was born.[2]
Pyne is a republican[9] and established himself as a member of the moderate, "small-l liberal" faction of the Liberal Party, supporting then Deputy Leader Peter Costello. Pyne remains a close ally of state Liberal Vickie Chapman.[10]
In 1994, after serving in the backbenches for a period, Pyne was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security. He retained this position after John Howard was elected as leader, and up to the 1996 election.[7]
After the Coalition victory at the 1996 election, he remained in the backbench. In 2003, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Family and Community Services, where he remained until 2004, when named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.[7] As Parliamentary Secretary, he defended the government's "War on drugs" and established his strong support of illicit drug prohibition, as opposed to harm minimisation.[11]
He is an advocate for mental health, founding the youth mental health initiative, Headspace during his time as Parliamentary Secretary.[12] He remained as Parliamentary Secretary until 30 January 2007 when he was appointed Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing. He held this portfolio until 21 March, when he was appointed Minister for Ageing, succeeding resigning Minister, Senator Santo Santoro.[2] Pyne chaired the Australia Israel Parliamentary group from 1996 to 2004.[8]
In Opposition
Pyne came close to losing Sturt at the 2007 federal election to Labor candidate Mia Handshin, after suffering a primary vote swing of 4.5 percent and a two-party swing of 5.9 percent, to finish with 50.9 percent of the two-party vote. Following the election in which the John Howard-led Coalition government was defeated by the Kevin Rudd-led Labor opposition, Pyne put himself forward as a candidate for Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. In a ballot of Liberal parliamentary members, Julie Bishop prevailed with 44 votes, ahead of Andrew Robb, who won 25 votes, and Pyne 18 votes.[13] Following the election of Brendan Nelson as party leader, Pyne was appointed Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection.[14]
Following Malcolm Turnbull's election as Liberal Party Leader in September 2008, Pyne was elevated to the position of Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training.[15] After Deputy Leader Julie Bishop stepped down from the portfolio of Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey took up the portfolio, with Pyne replacing Hockey as Manager of Opposition Business. Pyne was reappointed as Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training and Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives by Tony Abbott when he became Leader of the Opposition after deposing Malcolm Turnbull.[16]
Pyne was re-elected at the 2010 federal election, receiving a primary vote swing of 0.9 percent and a two-party swing of 2.5 percent, to finish with 53.4 percent of the two-party vote.[17] In September 2010 he was re-appointed to Abbott's Shadow Ministry as Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training and Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.[18]
Abbott Government
Pyne was re-elected at the 2013 federal election, receiving a primary vote swing of 6.3 percent and a two-party swing of 6.51 percent, to finish with 60.11 percent of the two-party vote. On 18 September 2013 he was sworn in as Minister for Education and Leader of the House in the Abbott Government. In December 2014, he became Minister for Education and Training.[19]
In May 2014, Pyne suggested that HECS debts should be reclaimed from the estates of deceased students.[20]
On the announcement on 20 September 2015 that he would move to another ministry, Pyne declared that much had been achieved in his two years as education minister, including in the area of schools, the promotion of curriculum reform, teacher quality, school autonomy and parental engagement; and in higher education, the advocacy of major reforms, the promotion of international education, reduction of red tape, and encouragement of industry links with university research.[21]
Turnbull Government
Pyne was appointed as Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, despite much speculation he would be appointed as Defence Minister in the Turnbull Government.[22]
From February 2016, Pyne will co-host weekly television program Pyne & Marles on Sky News Live with Labor MP Richard Marles.[23]
Personal life
Pyne and his wife Carolyn have four children and reside in Adelaide.[7]
Bibliography
- Non-fiction by Christopher Pyne
A Letter To My Children (2015)[1]
References
- 1 2 https://www.mup.com.au/items/159574
- 1 2 3 "Costello backer gets his reward". Melbourne: The Age. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- ↑ "Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry". smh.com.au. AAP. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
- ↑ "Fixer". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- ↑ http://www.ranzco.edu/index.php/honour-roll/122-ranzco-presidents/340-dr-remington-j-pyne-1982-1983
- ↑ "The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Member for Sturt (SA)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 "Chris Pyne Online". Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- 1 2 "Christopher Pyne online biography". Retrieved 20 October 2009.
- ↑ Political debate on ABC between Pyne, Mark Latham and moderator Tony Jones
- ↑ South Australia’s 10 most poisonous political feuds: The Advertiser 21 May 2014
- ↑ "Government defends drugs policy". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 September 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
- ↑ "Pyne launches youth mental health initiative". Department of Health and Ageing. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ↑ "Nelson's victory puts Turnbull on deck". Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 2007.
- ↑ "Brendan Nelson announces shadow ministry". The Courier Mail. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
- ↑ "SA's Chris Pyne named Education Spokesman in new Coalition frontbench". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
- ↑ "Shock result as Abbott wins Liberal leadership by one vote ... ETS dead". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ↑ Sturt results – 2010 federal election: AEC
- ↑ Parliamentary Handbook excerpt, aph.gov.au; accessed 26 December 2014.
- ↑ Parliament House Canberra press conference, pm.gov.au, 21 December 2014; accessed 26 December 2014.
- ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/christopher-pyne-suggests-collecting-hecs-debts-from-dead-students-as-way-to-help-budget-20140528-394rx.html
- ↑ "We've achieved much in two years!". www.pyneonline.com.au. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
- ↑ Glasgow, Will (2015-09-16). "The gossip on Hockey, Pyne, Defence and Communications". Australian Financial Review.
- ↑ Molloy, Shannon (28 January 2016). "Christopher Pyne ... the TV star? The colourful MP lands his own weekly show, alongside rival Richard Marles". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ian Wilson |
Member for Sturt 1993 – present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Santo Santoro |
Minister for Ageing 2007 |
Succeeded by Justine Elliot |
| Preceded by Bill Shorten |
Minister for Education 2013 - 2015 |
Succeeded by Simon Birmingham |
| Preceded by Ian Mcfarlane |
Minister for Innovation and Science 2015 - present |
Incumbent |
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