Greg Hunt

The Honourable
Greg Hunt
MP
Minister for the Environment
Assumed office
18 September 2013
Prime Minister Tony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by Mark Butler
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Flinders
Assumed office
10 November 2001
Preceded by Peter Reith
Personal details
Born (1965-11-18) 18 November 1965
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Liberal Party of Australia
Alma mater University of Melbourne (BA, LLB)
Yale University (MA)

Gregory Andrew "Greg" Hunt (born 18 November 1965) is an Australian politician who has been a Liberal member of the House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Flinders in Victoria. He has been the Minister for the Environment since September 2013, serving first in the Abbott Government and then in the Turnbull Government (from September 2015).[1]

Background and early career

Hunt was born in Melbourne and attended the Peninsula School.[2] He went on to Melbourne Law School, where he won a prize for a final-year thesis he co-authored, titled A Tax to Make the Polluter Pay.[3] Hunt was an associate to the Chief Justice of the Australian Federal Court in 1992, and subsequently attended Yale University as a Fulbright Scholar, where he obtained a Master of Arts in International Relations.[2]

Beginning in 1994, Hunt served as a senior adviser to Alexander Downer, during both his periods as Leader of the Opposition (1994 to 1995) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1995 to 1998). He then worked for McKinsey & Company from 1999 to 2001, and was also Director of Strategy at the World Economic Forum in Geneva from 2000 to 2001.[2]

Political career

A member of the Liberal Party since 1994, Hunt was first elected to parliament at the 2001 federal election, replacing the retiring Peter Reith in the Division of Flinders. He was first elevated to the ministry following the 2004 federal election, when he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. In January 2007, Hunt was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Following the Coalition's defeat at the 2007 election, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water.[4] His title was altered to Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage after the 2010 election.[5]

After the 2013 federal election, Hunt was appointed Minister for the Environment in the Abbott Government.[6] One of his first actions as minister was to inform Tim Flannery, the head of the Gillard government's Climate Commission, that the government was closing this body, as per its election platform.[7] In December 2013, he announced a project to dredge Abbot Point, which was approved by the Marine Park Authority in January 2014.[8] Following the change in Liberal Party leadership in September 2015, Hunt was retained as Minister for the Environment in the new Turnbull Government.[9]

In February 2016, Hunt was named "Best Minister in the World" by a panel established by Thomson Reuters for the 2016 World Government Summit of Dubai.[10]

Personal life

Hunt is married and has a daughter and a son. His father, Alan Hunt, was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council between 1961 and 1992.

References

  1. ↑ "Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry". Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Hon Greg Hunt MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Greg's on desperate Hunt for credibility". dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "About Greg". Greghunt.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "The Hon Greg Hunt MP". Ministerial appointments Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from 26.10.04 to 30.1.07. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 30.1.07 to 3.12.07. Minister for the Environment from 18.9.13. Australian Government. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Commonwealth Government – Abbott Ministry". Parliament of Australia. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Abbott shuts down Climate Commission". Melbourne: theage.com.au. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority approves plan to dump Abbot Point spoil". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Malcolm Turnbull's Cabinet reshuffle: Who's going where?". ABC (Australia). 21 September 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Greg Hunt named 'best minister in the world'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-02-18.

External links

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Peter Reith		 Member for Flinders
2001–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Mark Butler
as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water		 Minister for the Environment
2013–present 		Incumbent
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