Eric Russell Hutchinson (born 19 June 1965) is a former Australian politician who is the incumbent
administrator of Norfolk Island
The administrator of Norfolk Island acts as a representative both of The Crown and of the Government of Australia, as well as carrying out other duties according to the ''Norfolk Island Amendment Act 2015''.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 ...
from 2013 to 2016, representing the
Division of Lyons
The Division of Lyons is an Australian electoral division in Tasmania.
Geography
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian ...
for 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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.
Early life
Hutchinson was born in
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...
. He worked for various wool-exporting companies before entering politics.
Politics
Hutchinson was elected to federal parliament at the 2013 election, when he won the
Division of Lyons
The Division of Lyons is an Australian electoral division in Tasmania.
Geography
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian ...
from incumbent Labor MP
Dick Adams Dick Adams may refer to:
* Dick Adams (politician) (born 1951), Australian politician
* Dick Adams (baseball) (1920–2016), American Major League Baseball player
* Dick Adams (Canadian football) (born 1948), Canadian football player
See also
* R ...
. He secured a 1.2-point margin from a swing of 13.5 points. He did not live in his electorate but in neighbouring Bass. He was defeated after one term by Labor's Brian Mitchell at the 2016 election. After his defeat, he took up a role as an advisor to the President of the Senate, Stephen Parry.
Administrator of Norfolk Island
On 1 April 2017, Hutchinson began a two-year term as
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, he declared a
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
on the island and imposed a 32-day travel ban. He was again reappointed for a two-year term beginning on 1 April 2021.