Australia MPs - 44th Parliament (2013 - 2016?)

[Barnes]

So going of the style of the UK thread, I'll be conducting a thread for all 150 members of the Australian House of Representatives.  So just like the UK version, everyday will be devoted to one MP to discuss, humiliate, etc.

I was at first hesitant about doing one of these now given all of the early-election chatter, but that seems to have subsided for now at least.

Of course in Australia doing the profiles of Senators could be just as relevant and I would be up for doing a Senate thread if there was interest.

Anyway, to begin, our first MP is everyone's favorite onion-eater: Tony Abbott.



Member for Warringah, NSW (1994 - present)
Minister for Employment (1998-2003)
Leader of the House (2001-2007)
Minister for Health and Ageing (2003-2007)
Leader of the Liberal Party (2009-2015)
Leader of the Opposition (2009-2013)
Prime Minister (2013-2015)

Dig in!

[Barnes]

Anthony Albanese


Member for Grayndler, NSW (1996 - present)
Leader of the House (2007-2013)
Minister for Regional Development and Local Government (2007-2010, 2013)
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (2007-2013)
Minister for Broadband, Communications, and the Digital Economy (2013)
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party (2013)
Deputy Prime Minister (2013)

As well as, of course, contender for leader of the ALP at the October 2013 leadership election.

[Barnes]

John Alexander

Member for Bennelong, NSW (2010 - present)

Before entering politics, Alexander was a professional tennis champion for many years.  In 2010 he retook the seat of Bennelong from Maxine McKew who had famously defeated John Howard in his own seat in 2007.

[Barnes]

Karen Andrews -- Liberal National Party

Member for McPherson, Queensland (2010 - present)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science (2014-2015)
Assistant Minister for Science (2015 - present)

[Barnes]

Kevin Andrews -- Liberal Party

Member for Menzies, Victoria (1991 - present)
Minister for Ageing (2001-2003)
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (2003-2007)
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007)
Minister for Social Services (2013-2014)
Minister for Defence (2014-2015)

At last month's leadership spill, Andrews ran on an ill-fated ticket for Deputy Leader with Abbot; Julie bishop gave him a good thrashing and won 70 votes to 30.  He was then axed from the ministry the next week and made a highly amusing press conference to spoil Turnbull's announcement.

[Barnes]

Whatever happened to this.

I'm sorry; this got swept under the rug over this past week. I'll have an update today.

[Barnes]

Bob Baldwin -- Liberal Party

Member for Patterson, NSW (1996-98, 2001-present)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources (2006-2007)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry (2013-2014)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (2014-2015)

[Barnes]

Adam Bandt -- The Greens

Member for Melbourne, Victoria (2010 - present)
Deputy Leader of the Greens (2012-2015)

The first Greens MP elected at a general election, and their second MP in total after Michael Organ who won the 2002 Cunningham by-election but was defeated in 2004.

Bandt played a crucial role in allowing Julia Gillard to form a minority government following the 2010 election (he wasn't likely to support Abbott, now was he? ) and increased his primary vote significantly in 2013.  This area of Melbourne is also trending to the Greens at the state level with Ellen Sandell representing the state electorate of Melbourne.

[Barnes]

Bruce Billson -- Liberal Party

Member for Dunkley, Victoria (1996 - present)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2004)
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade (2004-2005)
Parliamentary Secretary (Foreign Affairs) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (2005-2006)
Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence (2006-2007)
Minister for Small Business (2013-2015)

[Barnes]

Sharon Bird -- Labor Party

Member for Cunningham, New South Wales (2004 - present)
Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills (2012-2013)
Minister for Higher Education and Skills (2013)
Minister for Regional Development (2013)
Minister for Regional Communications (2013)
Minister for Road Safety (2013)