Peter Nixon

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The Hon. Peter James Nixon AO (b. 22 March 1928) was a long serving member of the Australian House of Representatives.

Born in Orbost, Victoria, Nixon was a gentleman grazier and company director prior to gaining Country Party pre-selection for the rural Division of Gippsland, following the sudden death of the original Country Party candidate. He was first elected at the 1961 election. Easily returned at subsequent elections to the safe Country Party seat, Nixon quickly became a senior member of the Country Party and first entered the ministry as Minister for the Interior in October 1967 before moving to the Minister for Shipping and Transport portfolio in 1971 under John Gorton.

In opposition, Nixon was a prominent figure in persuading his National Party colleagues to help pass Australian Labor Party legislation their coalition partner opposed. This helped prove to voters the National Party's independence from the Liberal Party of Australia and in cases such as when the Nationals supported Labor's policy on educational grants to public schools, helped to show the National Party's connection with core voter issues. Nixon was also a long time critic of what he saw as bias by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation against the National Party.

Following the Coalition victory in 1975, Nixon served as Minister for Transport until 1979 and then Minister for Primary Industry. On the floor of parliament, Nixon was known for trading insults with opposition members and particularly his verbal stoushes with Fred Daly.

Following his retirement from politics in 1983, Nixon returned to the business world, including spending five years from 1986 as a commissioner of the Australian Football League (AFL). In 1996, he was chosen to chair a joint Commonwealth-State inquiry into the Tasmanian economy. The report became known as the Nixon Report: Tasmania into the 21st Century.

[edit] Honours

On 26 January 1993 Nixon was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his service to the Australian parliament and to the community.

[edit] References

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Political offices
Preceded by Doug Anthony	Minister for the Interior 1967 - 1971	Succeeded by Ralph Hunt
Preceded by Ian Sinclair	Minister for Shipping and Transport 1971 - 1972	Succeeded by Charles Jones
Preceded by Reg Bishop	Postmaster-General 1975	Succeeded by Victor Garland
Preceded by Charles Jones	Minister for Transport 1975 – 1979	Succeeded by Ralph Hunt
Preceded by Ian Sinclair	Minister for Primary Industry 1979 – 1983	Succeeded by John Kerin
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by George Bowden	Member for Gippsland 1961 – 1983	Succeeded by Peter McGauran