Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 50th Australian Defence Minister | |
| Assumed office 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Hill |
| Constituency | Bradfield |
| 20th Minister for Education, Science and Training | |
| In office 2001–2006 | |
| Preceded by | David Kemp |
| Succeeded by | Julie Bishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 August 1958 Melbourne, Victoria |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Spouse | Kate |
Dr. Brendan John Nelson (born 19 August 1958), Australian politician, has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Bradfield, New South Wales. He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide, before attending Flinders University, Adelaide, where he graduated in medicine. He was a general practitioner in Hobart, Tasmania, 1985-95, Director of Hobart and Launceston After Hours Medical Services 1987-91 Tasmanian State President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) 1990-92, Federal Vice-President 1991-93 and Federal President 1993-95.
When he was elected Federal President of the AMA it was widely known that he had joined the Australian Labor Party in 1988 and was ambitious to enter politics. He stated publicly that he had never voted Liberal in his life. His partner in his medical practice was Dr David Crean, brother of Simon Crean and later a Tasmanian state Labor minister. By 1994, however, Nelson was a member of the Liberal Party and in 1995 he gained Liberal endorsement for Bradfield, one of the safest Liberal electorates in Australia. It is believed that he told the Labor Party he wanted to be endorsed for Denison, the strongest Labor seat in Tasmania (held by Duncan Kerr), and that when he was rejected he defected to the Liberal party.
In 1995, his brother, Philip, died after a long battle with AIDS.[1]
Nelson was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence in 2001. After the 2001 federal election he was promoted directly to Cabinet with the senior portfolio of Minister for Education, Science and Training. In this portfolio he has introduced a series of radical changes to Australia's higher education system, simultaneously imposing more direct government control over the management of universities while also allowing them to earn more revenue by charging higher fees to students. He has also extended the Howard government's policy of directing more federal funding to non-government schools, as well as becoming more involved in criticising and reviewing the state education systems. In 2005 he introduced (and eventually got passed) Voluntary Student Unionism.
Since his rapid promotion to Cabinet, Dr. Nelson has been spoken of as a possible future Liberal leader.
He was a popular target for student activism against education reform at Australian universities.
On 24 January 2006 Prime Minister John Howard announced Dr. Nelson's promotion from the Education, Science and Training portfolio to the high profile Defence portfolio.
In 2006, Nelson was criticised as Minister of Defence for his role in the Private Jacob Kovco affair, Australia's first Iraq war fatality. Kovco died of a gunshot wound to the head in his accommodation room, possibly in the presence of other soldiers. Kovco's body was accidentally left in a Kuwaiti morgue; another body, accompanied by an Australian soldier who thought he was escorting Kovco, was flown to Melbourne[2]. During the incident, Nelson gave three conflicting public statements about the circumstances surrounding Kovco's death[3] and was blamed for the mishandling of Kovco's remains (see Jacob Kovco).
More recently, Nelson sparked some controversy when he stated in early July 2007 oil was one of the reasons for Australia's involvement in the Iraq War.[4][5]
References
- ^ [1]The evolution of Brendan Nelson, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 December 2005
- ^ Private death, public outrage, The Age, 29 April 2006
- ^ Grilling on Kovco death, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 May 2006
- ^ "Oil a factor in Iraq conflict, says Australian Defence Minister", The Guardian, July 5 2007
- ^ "Iraq oil security in Australia's interest: Nelson", ABC News, July 5 2007