Christopher Maurice Pyne (born 13 August 1967) is a retired Australian politician. As a member of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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, he held several ministerial positions in the
Howard,
Abbott,
Turnbull and
Morrison government
The Morrison government was the federal executive government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party of Australia, between 2018 and 2022. The Morrison government commenced on 24 August 2018, when it was sworn ...
s, and served as a
member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) for the
division of Sturt
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
* Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
* Division (military), a formation typically consistin ...
from 1993 until his retirement in 2019.
Pyne was elected to the
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia.
The term of members o ...
at the
1993 federal election, winning the seat of Sturt in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. In 2007, Pyne was given the portfolios of
Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing and
Minister for Ageing while serving in the Howard government, which he held until the
Liberal-National Coalition
The Liberal–National Coalition, commonly known simply as "the Coalition" or informally as the LNP, is an alliance of centre-right political parties that forms one of the two major groupings in Australian federal politics. The two partners in ...
's loss at the
2007 election. While in opposition, Pyne was appointed
Manager of Opposition Business in the House. After the Coalition's victory at the
2013 election, Pyne entered the
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia (or Federal Cabinet) is the chief decision-making organ of the executive branch of the government of Australia. It is a council of senior government ministers, ultimately responsible to the Federal Parliament.
Minist ...
and became
Leader of the House and
Minister for Education. Upon the election of the Turnbull government at the
2015 Liberal leadership ballot, he remained Leader of the House and became
Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
The Minister for Industry and Science is an Australian Government cabinet position which is currently held by Ed Husic in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.
In the Government of Austra ...
. With the reelection of the government in 2016, he became the
Minister for Defence Industry
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry is currently the Hon Pat Conroy MP since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.
The Minister for Defence Industry, or previously the Minister of Supply ...
. Upon the installment of the
First Morrison ministry in August 2018, he became the
Minister for Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
.
Pyne retired from politics at the
2019 Australian federal election
The 2019 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 18 May 2019 to elect members of the 46th Parliament of Australia. The election had been called following the dissolution of the 45th Parliament as elected at the 2016 double dissolut ...
.
In June 2019, he was appointed as an industry professor at the University of South Australia. In the same month Pyne started a new defence industry consulting job, prompting a Senate investigation into a potential breach of Ministerial Standards.
Early years and education
The fifth and youngest child of ophthalmic surgeon, Remington Pyne and his wife Margaret, Pyne was born in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, South Australia in 1967. He was educated at
Saint Ignatius' College and the
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
and was President of Adelaide University Liberal Club from 1987 to 1988.
Pyne attained a
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...
in 1991. In 2022, he was granted an
Honorary Doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
in the School of the Professions from his alma mater, the
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
.
Background
Pyne was a research assistant to Senator
Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Eloise Vanstone (née O'Brien; born 7 December 1952) is an Australian former politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the ...
and later became President of the South Australian
Young Liberals from 1988–1990. He was pre-selected as the Liberal candidate for the safe
Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
seat of
Ross Smith at the
1989 state election but was defeated by the sitting member and
Premier of South Australia
The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...
,
John Bannon
John Charles Bannon (7 May 1943 – 13 December 2015) was an Australian politician and academic. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party from a single term in opposition ba ...
.
He earned a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...
and began practising as a solicitor in 1991.
Parliament
At the
1993 election, aged 25, Pyne was elected to the
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
n
Division of Sturt
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
* Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
* Division (military), a formation typically consistin ...
in the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. He had earlier defeated Sturt incumbent
Ian Wilson in a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
pre-selection ballot for the seat. Wilson had held the seat for all but one term since the
1966 election. Between them, he and his father,
Keith
Keith may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Keith (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters
* Keith (surname)
* Keith (singer), American singer James Keefer (born 1949)
* Baron Keith, a line of Scottish barons ...
, had held the seat for all but four years since its creation in 1949. Wilson was 35 years Pyne's senior; indeed, he had won his first election a year before Pyne was born.
Pyne is a
republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and established himself as a member of the moderate, "small-l liberal" faction of the Liberal Party, supporting then Deputy Leader
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello (born 14 August 1957) is an Australian businessman, lawyer and former politician who served as the treasurer of Australia in government of John Howard from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving treasurer in Australia' ...
. Pyne remains a close ally of state Liberal
Vickie Chapman
Vickie Ann Chapman is a former Australian politician, representing the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Bragg for the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia between the 2002 election and May 2022. Chapman served ...
.
In 1994, after serving as a
backbencher for a period, Pyne was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security. He retained this position after
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
was elected as leader, and up to the
1996 election.
[
]
Howard Government
After the 1996 Coalition victory Pyne sat as a backbencher. Pyne chaired the Australia Israel Parliamentary group from 1996 to 2004.[ In 2003, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Family and Community Services, where he remained until 2004, when named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.][ As Parliamentary Secretary, he defended the government's "War on drugs" and established his strong support of illicit drug prohibition, as opposed to ]harm minimisation
Harm reduction, or harm minimization, refers to a range of public health policies designed to lessen the negative social and/or physical consequences associated with various human behaviors, both legal and illegal. Harm reduction is used to de ...
. He launched the youth mental health initiative Headspace.
Pyne served as a Parliamentary Secretary until 30 January 2007 when he was appointed Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing. He held this portfolio until 21 March, when he was elevated to the outer ministry as Minister for Ageing, succeeding resigning Minister, Senator Santo Santoro
Santo Santoro (born 27 April 1956) is a former Australian politician and a former deputy leader of the Liberal Party in Queensland. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1989 to 2001; and a member of the Australian Se ...
.[
]
In Opposition
Pyne came close to losing Sturt at the 2007 election to Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
candidate Mia Handshin
Mia Handshin (born in Adelaide, Australia) is an Adelaide-based political activist and a former columnist for ''The Advertiser (Adelaide), The Advertiser'' newspaper in South Australia, contributing a weekly column to the opinion section from 1997 ...
, after suffering a 5.9 percent two-party swing to finish with a 0.9 percent two-party margin (856 votes), which made Sturt the most marginal seat in South Australia. Following the election in which the John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
-led Coalition government was defeated by the Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
-led Labor opposition, Pyne put himself forward as a candidate for Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party at the 2007 Liberal leadership ballot. Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin ...
prevailed with 44 votes, ahead of Andrew Robb who won 25 votes, while Pyne came third with 18 votes. Following the election of Brendan Nelson
Brendan John Nelson (born 19 August 1958) is a business leader and former Australian politician. He served as the federal Leader of the Opposition from 2007 to 2008, going on to serve as Australia's senior diplomat to the European Union and NA ...
as party leader, Pyne was appointed Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection.
Following Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
's ascension at the 2008 Liberal leadership ballot, Pyne was elevated to Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training. After Bishop stepped down from the portfolio of Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey took up the portfolio, with Pyne replacing Hockey as Manager of Opposition Business in the House on 16 February 2009.
Pyne was reappointed as Manager of Opposition Business in the House and Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training by Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
after he deposed Turnbull at the 2009 Liberal leadership ballot. Pyne was re-elected at the 2010 election, receiving a 2.5 percent two-party swing to finish with a marginal 53.4 percent two-party vote, which made neighbouring Boothby the most marginal seat in South Australia. Pyne was re-appointed as Manager of Opposition Business in the House and Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training.
Abbott Government
Pyne was re-elected to Sturt at the 2013 election, receiving a 6.5 percent two-party swing to finish with a 60.1 percent two-party vote, making Sturt a safe Liberal seat on paper. Pyne was elevated to the Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia (or Federal Cabinet) is the chief decision-making organ of the executive branch of the government of Australia. It is a council of senior government ministers, ultimately responsible to the Federal Parliament.
Minist ...
on 18 September 2013 as Leader of the House and Minister for Education in the Abbott Government. In December 2014, his portfolio was renamed to Minister for Education and Training.
As Minister for Education and Training, Pyne enacted changes to the education system to provide minimum standards for teachers, promoted independent public schooling, expanded phonics teaching, and created a new national curriculum. Pyne also attempted to reform the university sector to introduce market principles but was rejected by the Senate.
In May 2014, Pyne suggested that HECS
Tertiary education fees in Australia are payable for courses at tertiary education institutions. The Commonwealth government provides loans and subsidies to relieve the cost of tertiary education for some students. Some students are supported ...
debts should be reclaimed from the estates of deceased students.
Turnbull Government
Despite much speculation Pyne would be appointed as Defence Minister, he remained Leader of the House and was appointed as Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
The Minister for Industry and Science is an Australian Government cabinet position which is currently held by Ed Husic in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.
In the Government of Austra ...
in the Turnbull Government following Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
's re-ascension at the 2015 Liberal leadership ballot. As Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Pyne was credited with creating and implementing the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA).
With the reelection of the Government in 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, Pyne became the Minister for Defence Industry
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry is currently the Hon Pat Conroy MP since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.
The Minister for Defence Industry, or previously the Minister of Supply ...
in the Second Turnbull Ministry. As Minister for Defence Industry, Pyne was given responsibility for implementing the largest modernisation of the Australian Defence Force since the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, increasing the Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
's investment in defence capability to almost $200 billion.
Between February 2016 and March 2019, Pyne co-hosted weekly television program '' Pyne & Marles'' on Sky News Live with Labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
MP Richard Marles
Richard Donald Marles (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian politician serving as the 19th deputy prime minister of Australia and the Minister for Defence. He has been the deputy leader of the Labor Party since 2019 and previously served as D ...
.
Pyne retained Sturt at the 2016 election for the Liberals with a 55.9 percent two-party vote from a 4.2 percent two-party swing, reducing the seat from a safe to marginal status.
Pyne has stated he has always been in favour of same-sex marriage. In November, the Australian Federal Police investigated claims that his Twitter account was compromised after the account had been found to have liked a pornographic image depicting a gay sexual act.
Morrison Government
Following the change of Prime Minister on 24 August 2018, Pyne was promoted to Minister for Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
.
On 2 March 2019 Pyne announced that he would not recontest the seat of Sturt at the next federal election; and would retire from politics. The House of Representatives was dissolved on 11 April 2019.
Lobbying
Pyne was listed on the South Australian lobbyist register on 26 July 2019 as a co-owner of GC Advisory Pty Ltd, which he co-owns with Adam Howard. The firm's many clients include Duxton Capital, Hickinbotham Group, Polites Group, RacingSA, the City of Burnside
The City of Burnside is a local government area in the South Australian city of Adelaide stretching from the Adelaide Parklands into the Adelaide foothills with an area of . It was founded in August 1856 as the District Council of Burnside, the ...
and Thomson Geer Lawyers.
In 2021, Pyne was interviewed by Christopher Lim and Kendall O'Donnell, contributors for The Bruges Group
The Bruges Group is a think tank based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1989, it advocates for a restructuring of Britain's relationship with the European Union and other European countries. Its members and staff campaign against the notion of ...
, on CANZUK
CANZUK is a proposed alliance comprising Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom as part of an international organisation or confederation similar in scope to the former European Economic Community. This includes increased trade, ...
, Australia's COVID policy, the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and Australia's role in the Indo-Pacific. Pyne praised Prime Minister Scott Morrison
Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for th ...
's leadership and COVID policy, as well as the Foreign Relations Act (2020). Pyne was praised for "accurately depicting the Australian perspective on the Indo-Pacific and Australia's national security interests". Kendall O'Donnell's performance was praised for his "steadfast questioning and pertinent points made around national security issues", and Lim's questions were described as "demonstrating incredible awareness of Australia's domestic debate and constitutional issues."
Post-political career
Since retiring from Parliament in April 2019, Pyne has chaired the strategic advisory and public affairs firm, Pyne and Partners operating offices in Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide. He also chairs Vision2020 Australia, the national peak eye health body and the Australia United Arab Emirates Business Council.
Since late 2020, Pyne has taken on roles in the Australian defence industry. He is Chairman of the Advisory Board of Australia’s largest Australian owned small arms and munitions company Nioa
NIOA is an Australian armament and munitions company, headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Nioa family, it is a privately held company which is a supplier of arms and ammunition to the sporting, law enforcement and mili ...
, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Australian Missile Corporation
The Australian Missile Corporation (AMC) is an Australian company specialising in guided missiles, wholly owned by Queensland-based NIOA. It was contracted by the Australian Government to help develop Australia's domestic guided weapons capabil ...
. He also sits on the board of ASX Listed, Xtek Ltd, a Canberra based body armour and unmanned Vehicle manufacturer and supplier globally.
Apart from not for profit, Vision2020Australia, Pyne is the Chairman of the SA Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urgin ...
in Australia, and an Ambassador of the Adelaide Football Club.
Personal life
Christopher Pyne and his wife Carolyn have four children, Barnaby, Felix, Aurelia, and Eleanor. He currently resides in Adelaide.
Bibliography
*''A Letter To My Children'' (2015), non-fiction
*''The Insider'' (2020), non-fiction
References
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyne, Christopher
1967 births
Living people
Abbott Government
Australian republicans
Defence ministers of Australia
Government ministers of Australia
Lawyers from Adelaide
Leaders of the Australian House of Representatives
Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Sturt
Members of the Cabinet of Australia
Turnbull Government
Sky News Australia reporters and presenters
Adelaide Law School alumni
University of South Australia alumni
21st-century Australian politicians
20th-century Australian politicians
Morrison Government