Tony Windsor

Tony Windsor
Member of the Australian Parliament for New England
In office 10 November 2001 – 5 August 2013
Preceded by	Stuart St. Clair
Succeeded by	Barnaby Joyce
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Tamworth
In office 25 May 1991 – 16 October 2001
Preceded by	Noel Park
Succeeded by	John Cull
Personal details
Born	(1950-09-02) 2 September 1950 Quirindi, New South Wales
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Independent (1991–present)
Spouse(s)	Lyn
Children	1 (female); 2 (male)
Residence	Tamworth, New South Wales
Alma mater	University of New England
Profession	Economist Farmer

Antony Harold Curties "Tony" Windsor (born 2 September 1950) is a former Australian politician. He was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 2001, representing the electorate of Tamworth. He subsequently entered federal politics, serving as an independent member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013, representing the electorate of New England. He was one of several MPs who supported the Gillard minority Labor government from 2010 to 2013, and retired at the 2013 federal election.

Early life

Windsor was born in Quirindi, New South Wales, and was educated at Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, Tamworth and the University of New England where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in economics. He was a farmer at Werris Creek before entering politics.^[1][2] He was one of three sons raised by his mother after his father was killed in a farm accident when Windsor was eight years old.^[3]

New South Wales political career

In the 1991 election, Windsor was first elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Member for Tamworth. Windsor was originally a National Party candidate for this seat, but allegations in regards to a drink-driving incident arose on the day of his pre-selection, and the National Party endorsed another candidate.^[4][5] In spite of the allegations, Windsor won as an independent candidate and held the seat for ten years. Windsor was one of the four independents who held the balance of power after Nick Greiner's Liberal-National Coalition lost 10 seats, resulting in a hung parliament. His decision to support the Coalition ensured a second term in government for Greiner. After an adverse ruling by the Independent Commission Against Corruption against Greiner for offering former minister Terry Metherell a patronage job, the Labor opposition tabled a motion of no confidence in the government. Greiner resigned after Windsor and the other three independents told him they would withdraw their support from the government and vote for the no-confidence motion if he tried to stay in office.^[6][7]

Windsor resigned from the state parliament in September 2001 in order to contest the federal seat of New England.^[1]

Federal political career

Windsor won the seat of New England, and in doing so, defeated the incumbent National Party MP Stuart St. Clair.^[8] The National Party and its predecessor, the Country Party, has held New England continuously since 1922.

In September 2004, in an interview with Tony Vermeer from The Sunday Telegraph,^[9] Windsor was the centre of controversy over an alleged breach of the Commonwealth Electoral Act. Windsor claimed that he had been approached, in May 2004, by a figure associated with the National Party with the offer of a diplomatic position in exchange for retiring from politics. Windsor made the allegations during the course of the 2004 Federal election campaign,^[10] some five months after the incident allegedly occurred.^[11] The Australian Electoral Commission referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).^[10] Windsor was re-elected and, in November 2004, speaking under parliamentary privilege, said that National Party leader John Anderson and Senator Sandy Macdonald had made the offer through an intermediary, Tamworth businessman Greg McGuire. Windsor also claimed that the AFP had referred the matter to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for determination.^[9] Anderson, Macdonald, and McGuire denied the claims.^[11][12][13] The AFP investigated Windsor's claims and advised that the matter would not be prosecuted.^[10][14]

2010 Federal election

As one of the four independents elected to the House of Representatives at the 2010 Australian federal election (the others were Rob Oakeshott, Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie), Windsor was at the centre of negotiations to determine the government after both major parties failed to win a majority in their own right. Windsor, together with Oakeshott and Katter initially resolved to form a bloc to assist negotiations with the major parties to form government.^[15] However, several days later, Windsor claimed it should not be assumed that the three rural independents would move together.^[16][17] In a press conference on 7 September 2010, Windsor revealed that he would support a Labor government during confidence motions and supply bills.^[18]

2013 Federal election

On 26 June 2013 Windsor announced that he would not be contesting the 2013 federal election; partly due to an undisclosed medical condition.^[19]

Political views

Windsor describes himself as a conservative.^[3] He has endorsed a referendum on the death penalty and supports liberalisation of gun control. In an interview published in The Sydney Morning Herald following the 2010 Federal election, it was reported that Windsor supports a rent resources tax, deep cuts to carbon emissions, and improved services to rural and regional areas such as Labor's proposed national broadband network but wants to ensure the scheme is fully costed.^[3] The same article claimed that Windsor supports the Coalition's position on water, and the Greens position on a universal dental scheme.^[3]

He has fought a long-standing battle protecting the interests of local landholders and farmers living on one of NSW's richest agricultural regions, the Liverpool Plains, due to the impact of mining on underlying groundwater. The region is rich in coal deposits and mining companies, such as BHP Billiton and Whitehaven Coal, have sought to acquire land. Greens have campaigned alongside Windsor, against mining companies.^[20] During the 2010 federal election campaign, it was revealed that Windsor had sold his family farm at Werris Creek to a wholly owned subsidiary of Whitehaven Coal, and then leased the property back. The reported sale was for more than A$4.5 million.^[21] The Australian subsequently claimed that Windsor yielded a return about three times greater than other farmers who sold their properties to the same company in the previous 18 months.^[22]

Windsor was present at the February 2011 announcement by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, on the proposed July 2012 introduction of a tax on carbon emissions, together with Greens senators Bob Brown and Christine Milne, the Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet, and independent MP Rob Oakeshott. Windsor downplayed his presence at the announcement, stating, "Please don't construe from my presence here that I will be supporting anything."^[23] He was later reported as stating that he would not accept increased transport fuel costs for country people.^[24] He subsequently announced that he was supporting Gillard's carbon policy, as a matter of principle, and stated: "This is about the history of people, most of whom haven't even been born yet. And if I'm sacked from politics because of that, well, I'll remove myself with a smile on my face."^[25]

References