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 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 immigrated with his parents to Australia in 1961. His father, a radio-technician decided to immigrate after reading in a newspaper that a trade mission lead by the minister responsible for the Tasmanian Hydro Electric Commission was visiting Stuttgrat in search of skilled workers for employment in new 'Hydro' power schemes. His father was one of those employed by that scheme .
Abetz studied at public schools, 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, who are currently Australian Labor Party senators .
He won preselection to replace the retiring Brian Archer in 1994, and was reelected in 1998 and again 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 .
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 .
He became minister for Forestry as part of the new Howard cabinet in January 2006. He commenced by his portfolio 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 is now responsible in his ministry.
Abetz has a well established history of pro-Christian views. [7] He is also an elder of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia.
[edit] References
- ↑ "Senator Abetz starts new portfolio with attack on Greens", ABC Tasmania, 25 January 2005
- ↑ "New Forestry Minister rebuffs Greens", The World Today, ABC, 25 January 2006
- ↑ Wilson, Peter (2002). The Australian Political Almanack.
- ↑ "Eric Abetz website",
- ↑ "Parliamentary biography"
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Current members of the Australian Senate
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| 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 | |
