Eric Abetz

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Eric Abetz (born 25 January 1958 in Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany), has been a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since February 1994, representing the state of Tasmania. He is currently Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. He was educated at the University of Tasmania and was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics. He was Tasmanian State President of the Liberal Party 1990-1994.

The youngest of six children, Abetz emigrated with his parents to Australia in 1961. His father, a radio technician, decided to emigrate after reading in a newspaper that a trade mission led by the minister responsible for the Tasmanian Hydro Electric Commission was visiting Stuttgart in search of skilled workers for employment in new 'Hydro' power schemes. His father was one of those employed by that scheme.^[1]

Abetz studied at Taroona High School, Hobart Matriculation College and the University of Tasmania, earning degrees in law and arts in 1981. He notes that his political ideology was moulded by his university experience, where he was told that his exam results would not be credited unless he joined the Australian Union of Students, saying "I found the notion of "no ticket, no start" to be repulsive and obnoxious and still do". In 1980-1981, he became the only Tasmanian to become national president of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation. This included political conflict with Nick Sherry and Sue Mackay, both later to be Australian Labor Party senators.^[1]

He won preselection to fill the casual vacancy caused by the retirement of Brian Archer in 1994, and was elected in his own right at the subsequent 1998 election and re-elected in 2004. Abetz was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 1998-2001 and was Special Minister of State from January 2001 until 2006.

He has served as Chairman of the Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund Committee and Chairman of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Attorney-General and Justice Government Members' Committee ^[2].

He was a member of a Parliamentary Delegation which visited France and Belgium in June and July of 1997, and made an official visit to the United Kingdom in September 1999 ^[3].

He was Minister for Forestry from a reshuffle of the Howard ministry January 2006 until the defeat of the 2007 election. He commenced his portfolio by attacking the Australian Greens in general and Greens Senator Bob Brown in particular. He described the Greens as now representing the extreme left of Australian politics and suggested that there was mostly general agreement between the two major parties on the areas for which he was responsible in his ministry^[4][5].

Abetz is a Christian and a member of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia. Throughout his political career he has been variously associated with conservative groups, including the Association of Christian Parent Controlled Schools, Salt Shakers, Focus on the Family, Lyons Forum, Endeavour Forum, Family Council of Victoria, Fatherhood Foundation, Australian Christian Lobby, Australian Family Association and Right to Life Australia.^[6]

He is sometimes erroneously or jocularly referred to as Senator Betz or Erica Betz ^[7]

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by Chris Ellison	Special Minister of State 2001–2006	Succeeded by Gary Nairn
Preceded by Amanda Vanstone	Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation 2006–2007	Succeeded by Title abolished

v • d • e Current members of the Australian Senate NSW George Campbell (ALP) • Helen Coonan (Lib) • John Faulkner (ALP) • Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Lib) • Michael Forshaw (ALP) • Bill Heffernan (Lib) • Steve Hutchins (ALP) • Sandy Macdonald (Nat) • Fiona Nash (Nat) • Kerry Nettle (Grn) • Marise Payne (Lib) • Ursula Stephens (ALP) QLD Andrew Bartlett (Dem) • Ron Boswell (Nat) • Sue Boyce (Lib) • George Brandis (Lib) • John Hogg (ALP) • Barnaby Joyce (Nat) • Joe Ludwig (ALP) • Ian Macdonald (Lib) • Jan McLucas (ALP) • Brett Mason (Lib) • Claire Moore (ALP) • Russell Trood (Lib) SA Cory Bernardi (Lib) • Simon Birmingham (Lib) • Grant Chapman (Lib) • Alan Ferguson (Lib) • Mary Jo Fisher (Lib) • Annette Hurley (ALP) • Linda Kirk (ALP) • Anne McEwen (ALP) • Nick Minchin (Lib) • Natasha Stott-Despoja (Dem) • Penny Wong (ALP) • Dana Wortley (ALP) Tas Eric Abetz (Lib) • Guy Barnett (Lib) • Bob Brown (Grn) • Carol Brown (ALP) • David Bushby (Lib) • Richard Colbeck (Lib) • Christine Milne (Grn) • Kerry O'Brien (ALP) • Stephen Parry (Lib) • Helen Polley (ALP) • Nick Sherry (ALP) • John Watson (Lib) Vic Lyn Allison (Dem) • Kim Carr (ALP) • Jacinta Collins (ALP) • Steve Conroy (ALP) • Steve Fielding (FFP) • Mitch Fifield (Lib) • Rod Kemp (Lib) • Julian McGauran (Lib) • Gavin Marshall (ALP) • Kay Patterson (Lib) • Michael Ronaldson (Lib) • Judith Troeth (Lib) WA Judith Adams (Lib) • Mark Bishop (ALP) • Mathias Cormann (Lib) • Alan Eggleston (Lib) • Chris Ellison (Lib) • Chris Evans (ALP) • David Johnston (Lib) • Ross Lightfoot (Lib) • Andrew Murray (Dem) • Rachel Siewert (Grn) • Glenn Sterle (ALP) • Ruth Webber (ALP) Territories ACT Gary Humphries (Lib) • Kate Lundy (ALP) NT Trish Crossin (ALP) • Nigel Scullion (CLP) Labor (ALP) • Democrat (Dem) • Family First (FFP) • Greens (Grn) • Liberal (Lib) • Country Liberal (CLP) • National (Nat)

v • d • e Next members of the Australian Senate NSW Mark Arbib (ALP) • Doug Cameron (ALP) • Helen Coonan (Lib) • John Faulkner (ALP) • Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Lib) • Michael Forshaw (ALP) • Bill Heffernan (Lib) • Steve Hutchins (ALP) • Fiona Nash (Nat) • Marise Payne (Lib) • Ursula Stephens (ALP) • John Williams (Nat) QLD Ron Boswell (Nat) • Sue Boyce (Lib) • George Brandis (Lib) • Mark Furner (ALP) • John Hogg (ALP) • Barnaby Joyce (Nat) • Joe Ludwig (ALP) • Ian Macdonald (Lib) • Jan McLucas (ALP) • Brett Mason (Lib) • Claire Moore (ALP) • Russell Trood (Lib) SA Cory Bernardi (Lib) • Simon Birmingham (Lib) • Don Farrell (ALP) • Alan Ferguson (Lib) • Mary Jo Fisher (Lib) • Sarah Hanson-Young (Grn) • Annette Hurley (ALP) • Anne McEwen (ALP) • Nick Minchin (Lib) • Penny Wong (ALP) • Dana Wortley (ALP) • Nick Xenophon (Ind) Tas Eric Abetz (Lib) • Guy Barnett (Lib) • Catryna Bilyk (ALP) • Bob Brown (Grn) • Carol Brown (ALP) • David Bushby (Lib) • Richard Colbeck (Lib) • Christine Milne (Grn) • Kerry O'Brien (ALP) • Stephen Parry (Lib) • Helen Polley (ALP) • Nick Sherry (ALP) Vic Kim Carr (ALP) • Jacinta Collins (ALP) • Stephen Conroy (ALP) • David Feeney (ALP) • Steve Fielding (FFP) • Mitch Fifield (Lib) • Helen Kroger (Lib) • Gavin Marshall (ALP) • Julian McGauran (Lib) • Michael Ronaldson (Lib) • Scott Ryan (Lib) • Judith Troeth (Lib) WA Judith Adams (Lib) • Mark Bishop (ALP) • Michaelia Cash (Lib) • Mathias Cormann (Lib) • Alan Eggleston (Lib) • Chris Ellison (Lib) • Chris Evans (ALP) • David Johnston (Lib) • Scott Ludlam (Grn) • Louise Pratt (ALP) • Rachel Siewert (Grn) • Glenn Sterle (ALP) Territories ACT Gary Humphries (Lib) • Kate Lundy (ALP) NT Trish Crossin (ALP) • Nigel Scullion (CLP) Labor (ALP) • Family First (FFP) • Greens (Grn) • Liberal (Lib) • Country Liberal (CLP) • National (Nat)

Persondata
NAME	Abetz, Eric
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH	25 January 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH	Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany
DATE OF DEATH	living
PLACE OF DEATH