Zdenko Matthew "Zed" Seselja (born 27 March 1977) is an Australian politician who was a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

for the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

from 2013 to 2022, representing 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. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. He was the

Minister for International Development and the Pacific The Minister for Foreign Affairs (commonly shortened to Foreign Minister) is the minister in the Government of Australia who is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Senato ...

in the

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 ...

from December 2020 to May 2022, and previously served as an assistant minister in the Morrison and Turnbull Governments since 2016. Seselja was previously a member of the

Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory (known in short as the ACT Legislative Assembly) is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It sits in the Legislative Assembly Building on Civic Sq ...

from 2004 to 2013, and served as leader of the

Canberra Liberals The Liberal Party of Australia (Australian Capital Territory Division), branded as Canberra Liberals, is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The party has been in opposition in the ACT Legis ...

and

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

from 2007 to 2013.

Early life and education

Seselja was born in

Canberra Hospital Canberra Hospital is a major tertiary public hospital located in Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. It is the largest hospital in the region with 672 beds catering to a population of about 550,0 ...

, to parents Ljudevit and Katica Seselja, both of whom emigrated separately from

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

(when it was part of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

). His mother arrived alone in late 1970, and five months later she married Ljudevit, who had arrived three years earlier. Both held two jobs each. Seselja attended St Mary MacKillop College. He graduated from the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997, a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1999 and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2002. He received a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration in 2000 from the

University of Canberra The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC ...

. He was admitted as a

legal practitioner A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

in 2002. While attending university, he worked at

Woolworths Supermarkets Woolworths Supermarkets (colloquially known in Australia as "Woolies") is an Australian chain of supermarkets and grocery stores owned by Woolworths Group. Founded in 1924, Woolworths today is Australia's biggest supermarket chain with a mar ...

from 1995 to 1998; at

MacKillop Catholic College St Mary MacKillop College, formerly known as MacKillop Catholic College, is a Catholic high school in the Australian capital of Canberra, with two campuses in the Tuggeranong Valley. The school is the result of an amalgamation of Padua High Scho ...

(now St Mary MacKillop College) in 1998 as a cleaner; at the

Australian Fisheries Management Authority The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is the Australian Government agency responsible for the management and sustainable use of fisheries resources including combating illegal fishing activities in the Australian Fishing Zone that c ...

from 1998 to 1999 as a

legal assistant A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals ...

; and at the Commonwealth

Department of Transport and Regional Services The Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS) was an Australian government department that existed between October 1998 and December 2007. Scope Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation coul ...

from 2000 to 2004 as a policy officer, lawyer, and then a senior lawyer.

Political career

Australian Capital Territory

At the 2008 election, Seselja received a

quota Quota may refer to: Economics * Import quota, a trade restriction on the quantity of goods imported into a country * Market Sharing Quota, an economic system used in Canadian agriculture * Milk quota, a quota on milk production in Europe * Indi ...

of 1.49 and was elected first in the seven-member

Molonglo electorate The Molonglo electorate was one of the three electorates for the unicameral 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly between 1995 and 2016. It had seven seats, and was the largest of the three electorates in terms of populati ...

. There was a decrease in the vote for both major parties, with a swing to the Greens.

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 ...

won 7 seats, the Liberals won 6 seats, while the Greens won 4 seats, giving them the balance of power. Negotiations ensued between the Greens and both major parties over the formation of a government. After almost two weeks of deliberations, the Greens chose to support a minority Labor government, thereby consigning Seselja's party to the opposition benches. At the 2012 election, Seselja moved to the five member

Brindabella electorate Brindabella may refer to: * Brindabella Airlines * Brindabella Business Park, part of Canberra Airport * Brindabella College in O'Connor, Australian Capital Territory * Brindabella electorate * The Brindabella Ranges * Brindabella National Park * ...

where he received a

of 1.8. He led the Canberra Liberals to their highest-ever number of seats, claiming eight in the seventeen-member ACT Legislative Assembly.

Federal politics

On 4 February 2013, Seselja stated he would challenge incumbent

Gary Humphries Gary John Joseph Humphries (born 6 July 1958) is a Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He was a member of the Australian Senate representing the Australian Capital Territory for the Liberal Party of Australia from 2003 to 2 ...

(who was also a former ACT Liberal leader) for Liberal Party pre-selection for the Senate in the

2013 Australian federal election The 2013 Australian federal election to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia took place on 7 September 2013. The centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of the Liberal Party of Aus ...

. Seselja stated he would stand down from leadership of the party in the Legislative Assembly as of Monday 11 February. On 23 February 2013, Seselja won his pre-selection bid, and thus became one of the two official Liberal Party Senate candidates for the ACT. Seselja was elected Senator for the Australian Capital Territory at the 2013 federal election. In 2014, his former opponent

Katy Gallagher Katherine Ruth Gallagher (born 18 March 1970) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service and Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Albanese Gover ...

resigned as ACT Chief Minister to become the ALP Senator from the ACT. With the ACT having two Senate seats, the ACT was represented in the Senate by the two former territory leaders. During the 2016 Turnbull government second ministerial reshuffle Seselja was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs. In December 2017 as part of a subsequent rearrangement of the Turnbull ministry, Seselja was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation. In August 2018, he resigned from the Turnbull ministry as part of the failed attempt to have

Peter Dutton Peter Craig Dutton (born 18 November 1970) is an Australian politician who has been leader of the opposition and leader of the Liberal Party since May 2022. He has represented the Queensland seat of Dickson in the House of Representatives sinc ...

replace

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 ...

as leader of the Liberal Party and

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. When

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 t ...

succeeded Turnbull as prime minister in August 2018, Seselja was appointed Assistant Minister for Treasury and Finance. His portfolio was changed to Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters in May 2019 following the 2019 federal election. Seselja was appointed

on 22 December 2020. On 12 April 2022, Seselja flew to the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

over a military deal that the Pacific nation was to conclude with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The deal would allow China to station navy ships and military personnel in order to protect its investment infrastructure. The mission, supported by both of Australia's major parties and taking place during a "caretaker" period in which Seselja fought for his re-election to the Australian Senate, was considered by observers to reflect strategic anxieties over the deal, which extended to allies New Zealand and the United States. The deal was signed days later. He was unseated at the 2022 federal election by the independent candidate,

David Pocock David Willmer Pocock (born 23 April 1988) is an Australian politician and former professional rugby union player. Raised in Gweru, Zimbabwe, Pocock moved to Australia as a teenager and played for the Australia national rugby team. He played p ...

Political views

Seselja is a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party. Seselja's political views have been described as conservative and aligned with the views of former Prime Minister

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 ...

, although he 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 ...

. He opposes

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

, supports cutting penalty rates, and opposes

assisted suicide Assisted suicide is suicide undertaken with the aid of another person. The term usually refers to physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which is suicide that is assisted by a physician or other healthcare provider. Once it is determined that the p ...

. Seselja abstained from the Senate vote on same-sex marriage in November 2017, despite having promised to honour the national postal result three months earlier. On 15 August 2018, he voted 'no' to the Restoring Territory Rights (Assisted Suicide Legislation) Bill 2015, which would have restored to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly the authority to legislate on the matter of voluntary assisted dying.

Personal life

Seselja is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

. He and his wife Roslyn have five children. He is currently a patron/supporter of Karinya House, a member of the

Australian Republican Movement The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is a non-party-partisan organisation campaigning for Australia to become a republic. ARM and its supporters have promoted various models of a republic including parliamentary republic and it is, again, revi ...

and the

Australian Red Cross The Australian Red Cross, formally the Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1923 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, the Australian Red Cros ...

, a volunteer for

St. Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. Afte ...

, and a KeepWatch Ambassador with the Royal Lifesaving Society (since 2008); he was formerly a mentor for Menslink from 2001 to 2004.

References

External links

*
Zed Seselja bio
on Liberal Party of Australia (ACT) website
Zed Seselja
on Twitter
Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Zed Seselja on TheyVoteForYou.org.au
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Seselja, Zed 1977 births Liberal Party of Australia members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly Australian people of Croatian descent Australian public servants Australian republicans Australian Roman Catholics Leaders of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory Living people Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly People from Canberra Members of the Australian Senate for the Australian Capital Territory Australian National University alumni University of Canberra alumni Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia 21st-century Australian politicians Turnbull Government Government ministers of Australia Morrison Government National Library of Australia Council members