Eric Abetz

Senator The Honourable Eric Abetz
Leader of the Government in the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Deputy	George Brandis
Preceded by	Penny Wong
Minister for Employment
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Bill Shorten
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
In office 3 May 2010 – 18 September 2013
Deputy	George Brandis
Leader	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Nick Minchin
Succeeded by	Penny Wong
Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation
In office 27 January 2006 – 3 December 2007
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Ian Macdonald
Succeeded by	Title abolished
Special Minister of State
In office 30 January 2001 – 27 January 2006
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Chris Ellison
Succeeded by	Gary Nairn
Senator for Tasmania
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 February 1994
Preceded by	Brian Archer
Personal details
Born	(1958-01-25) 25 January 1958 Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany (now Germany)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Alma mater	University of Tasmania
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Christianity

Eric Abetz (born 25 January 1958) is an Australian politician and a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since February 1994, representing the state of Tasmania. Abetz has been the Minister for Employment and the Leader of the Government in the Senate in the Abbott Government since 18 September 2013.^[1] He previously also served as a Special Minister of State in the Howard Government, from 2001 to 2006.

Born in Germany, Abetz emigrated to Australia as a small child, when his father came to work for Tasmania's Hydro Electric Commission. He was educated at the University of Tasmania and was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics. A former national president of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation, he was state president of the Tasmanian branch of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994.

Family

The youngest of six children, Abetz emigrated from Germany to Australia with his parents in 1961.^[2] His father, a radio technician, came to Australia to work for Tasmania's Hydro Electric Commission, which had advertised for skilled workers in German newspapers.^[3] Another one of the Abetz children is Peter Abetz, who has been the Liberal member for Southern River in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia since the 2008 state election. Abetz is a grandnephew of Otto Abetz, a Brigadier General in the Schutzstaffel, who was Nazi Germany's ambassador to Vichy France from 1940 to 1944^[4] and was sentenced to 20 years for war crimes, relating to the deportation of French Jews.^[5]

Studies

Abetz studied at Taroona High School, Hobart Matriculation College and the University of Tasmania, earning degrees in law and arts in 1981. In 1980–1981, he became the only Tasmanian to become national president of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation, during which time he came into political conflict with Nick Sherry and Sue Mackay, both later to be Australian Labor Party senators.^[3]

Political career

He won preselection to fill the casual vacancy caused by the resignation 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.

Abetz earlier in his political career.

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.^[6]

He was a member of a Parliamentary Delegation which visited France and Belgium in June and July 1997, and made an official visit to the United Kingdom in September 1999.^[7]

He was Minister for Forestry from a reshuffle of the Howard ministry in January 2006 until its defeat at the 2007 election. He commenced his portfolio by attacking the Australian Greens and environmentalists in general as anti-Australian. He described the campaign against woodchipping as "akin to treason" and branded the Greens an "extreme left" party.^[8] This allowed him to position the government's priorities as mainstream issues which both major parties wanted action on.^[9]

Abetz was re-elected in the 2010 election and was appointed Minister for Employment in the Abbott Government in September 2013.

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.^[10]

In August 2014 Abetz received criticism from the media and politicians such as Greens Adam Bandt for making claims of a link between abortion and breast cancer when appearing on The Project. He had been on The Project to discuss his association with the World Congress of Families.^[11]

OzCar affair

In mid-2009 Abetz was a central figure in the OzCar affair, which involved allegations that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan had improperly given favourable treatment to a car dealer, John Grant, who was a friend of the Prime Minister. At a Senate inquiry on 19 June, Abetz asked a series of questions of a Treasury official, Godwin Grech, who testified that he had a "recollection" that a member of Rudd's staff had sent him an email in February, asking that he provide preferential treatment to Grant. Abetz read out the text of what he said was an email, which purported to ask for preferential treatment for Grant.^[12][13] On 4 August 2009, Grech admitted that he had forged the email.^[14] Abetz then issued an apology, saying: "I am not only sorry to Malcolm Turnbull but to the Australian people and any anguish that may have been occasioned to Kevin Rudd and other people."^[15]

Eligibility to hold Senate office

On 30 July 2010, a Tasmanian resident, John Hawkins, lodged an objection to Abetz's nomination for re-election, alleging that Abetz held dual citizenship of both his birthplace, Germany, and Australia.^[16] The Australian Constitution prevents someone who is a citizen of a foreign country from holding Parliamentary office. Hawkins subsequently withdrew the petition to the High Court of Australia after receiving documentation of Abetz's renunciation of his German citizenship on 9 March 2010. The Tasmanian Times published a series of articles in the lead up to this matter. The High Court never heard the claim.^[17]

References

External links

• Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Eric Abetz on TheyVoteForYou.org.au

Abbott Ministry (2013–) Prime Minister: Tony Abbott Cabinet Eric Abetz Kevin Andrews Bruce Billson Julie Bishop George Brandis Mathias Cormann Peter Dutton Joe Hockey Greg Hunt Barnaby Joyce Sussan Ley Ian Macfarlane Scott Morrison Christopher Pyne Andrew Robb Nigel Scullion Warren Truss Malcolm Turnbull Outer Ministry Simon Birmingham Jamie Briggs Michaelia Cash Mitch Fifield Josh Frydenberg Luke Hartsuyker Michael Keenan Fiona Nash Marise Payne Stuart Robert Michael Ronaldson Parliamentary Secretaries Karen Andrews Bob Baldwin Darren Chester Steven Ciobo Richard Colbeck Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Paul Fletcher Michael McCormack Kelly O'Dwyer Christian Porter Scott Ryan Alan Tudge Dismissed/resigned David Johnston Arthur Sinodinos