Christopher Pyne

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The Honourable
Christopher Pyne
MP
Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 February 2009
LeaderMalcolm Turnbull
Tony Abbott
Preceded byJoe Hockey
Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 September 2008
LeaderMalcolm Turnbull
Tony Abbott
Preceded byTony Smith
Minister for Ageing
In office
21 March 2007 – 3 December 2007
Preceded bySanto Santoro
Succeeded byJustine Elliot
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Sturt
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 March 1993
Preceded byIan Wilson
Personal details
Born13 August 1967 (age 45)
Australia Adelaide, South Australia
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)Carolyn Pyne
Alma materUniversity of Adelaide
University of South Australia
OccupationPolitician
ReligionRoman Catholic
Websitehttp://www.pyneonline.com.au
Christopher Maurice Pyne, MP (born 13 August 1967), Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 13 March 1993, representing the Division of Sturt, South Australia.[1]

Contents

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[edit]Early years

Pyne was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1967, and was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide and the University of Adelaide, where he gained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and was President of Adelaide University Liberal Club from 1987 to 1988.[2][3] He was a research assistant to Senator Amanda Vanstone and later became President of the South Australian Young Liberals from 1988-1990. Pyne was then selected as the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Ross Smith—a very safe Labor seat—at the 1989 election, but was defeated by the sitting member andPremier of South Australia, John Bannon.[4] He earned a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the University of South Australia and began practising as a solicitor in 1991.

[edit]Politics

At the 1993 Australian federal election, aged 25, Pyne was elected to the Division of Sturt in the House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member of the Australian Parliament. He had earlier defeated Ian Wilson, who is 35 years Pyne's senior, in a pre-selection battle for the seat.[1]
Pyne is a republican[5] and established himself as a member of the moderate faction in the South Australian wing of the Liberal party, supporting then Deputy Leader Peter Costello. In 1994, after serving a period in the backbenches, Pyne was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security.[3] He retained this position after John Howard was elected as leader, and up to the 1996 election.[3]
After the Coalition victory at the 1996 election, Pyne 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.[3]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.[6] He was also an advocate for mental health, founding the youth mental health initiative, Headspace during his time as Parliamentary Secretary.[7] 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.[1]
Pyne was also chairman of the Australia Israel Parliamentary group from 1996 to 2004.[4]

[edit]2007 onward

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 Coalitiongovernment 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.[8]Following the election of Brendan Nelson as party leader, Pyne was appointed Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection.[9]
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.[10] After Deputy Leader Julie Bishop stepped down from the portfolio of Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockeytook up the portfolio, with Pyne replacing Hockey as Manager of Opposition Business.
Christopher 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.[11]
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.[12] In September 2010 he was re-appointed to the Tony Abbott Shadow Ministry as Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training and Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.[13]

[edit]Personal life

Christopher Pyne and his wife, Carolyn, have four children, two boys and two girls.

[edit]References

  1. ^ a b c "Costello backer gets his reward". Melbourne: The Age. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
  2. ^ "The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Member for Sturt (SA)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d "Christopher Pyne Online". Retrieved 3 December 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Christopher Pyne Online - Biography". Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  5. ^ Political debate on ABC between Pyne, Mark Latham and moderator Tony Jones
  6. ^ "Government defends drugs policy". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 September 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
  7. ^ "Pyne launches youth mental health initiative". Department of Health and Ageing. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  8. ^ "Nelson's victory puts Turnbull on deck". Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 2007.
  9. ^ "Brendan Nelson announces shadow ministry". The Courier Mail. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  10. ^ "SA's Chris Pyne named Education Spokesman in new Coalition frontbench". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 September 2008.[dead link]
  11. ^ "Shock result as Abbott wins Liberal leadership by one vote ... ETS dead". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  12. ^ Sturt results - 2010 federal election: AEC
  13. ^ http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm
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