Bill O'Chee
Encyclopedia
William George "Bill" O'Chee (born 19 June 1965) is an Australian politician. He was a National Party
member of the Australian Senate
from 1990 to 1999, representing the state of Queensland
.
, having been born to a Chinese father and an Irish-Australian mother. He attended school at The Southport School
and Brisbane State High School
in Australia, as well as Oakham School
in England. He later read jurisprudence at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford
, where he was a contemporary of David Cameron
. Prior to his election he was an investment banker specialising in Latin American debt.
. He was the first ethnic-Chinese Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia
. At age 24, he was also the youngest person ever appointed to the Senate.
He was elected in his own right at the 1993 election, but lost his seat at the 1998 election, his term ending on 30 June 1999.
During his time in the Senate, he served on the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Treaties, the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts, the Senate Select Committee on A New Tax System, and the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances (of which he was chairman from 1996 to 1999).
He was also National Party whip
in the Senate from 1993 to 1999, and chairman of the Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Policy Committee.
As a coalition government senator, he clashed with his prime minister John Howard
over reforms to the Native Title Act. O'Chee believed that native title over pastoral and mining leases should have been extinguished in their entirety but wished, in return, to grant freehold title to aboriginal claimants who succeeded in proving their claim over vacant crown land. His proposals were not accepted by Howard, although he did win significant concessions for pastoral landholders.
He also won a landmark case over parliamentary privilege
. He had been sued by a plaintiff wishing to gain discovery of his constituency files. O'Chee refused to hand over the files, on the basis that they contained confidential information given to him by persons who wished to remain anonymous. He was ordered to produce the files, but appealed to the Court of Appeal of Queensland, which held that communications between a parliamentarian and constituents were covered under parliamentary privilege and, as such, were entitled to confidentiality. The case thus set an important precedent, expanding the scope of parliamentary privilege.
In November 2011, O'Chee alleged that in 1998, News Limited
had attempted to bribe him to cross the floor and vote in their financial interests.
Later, O'Chee represented Australia in the sport of skeleton
from 1989 to 2002 at World Cup and World Championship races. He was the first Australian to achieve a "top half" finish in a world championship in bobsleigh, skeleton or luge. His highest world cup placing was 17th in Cervinia in 1990. He also achieved a number of top 20 finishes in World Cup races. His highest FIBT World Championships
placing was 21st in St Moritz in 1998.
, and a former National Councillor of Scouts Australia
. He has been a Patron of the Australian Chinese Ex-Services National Reunion. O'Chee was also named as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum
in 1994.
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
from 1990 to 1999, representing the state of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Biography
O'Chee is EurasianEurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
, having been born to a Chinese father and an Irish-Australian mother. He attended school at The Southport School
The Southport School
The Southport School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia....
and Brisbane State High School
Brisbane State High School
Brisbane State High School is a partially selective, co-educational, state secondary school, located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a member of the Great Public Schools' Association of Queensland, and the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association...
in Australia, as well as Oakham School
Oakham School
Oakham School is a British co-educational independent school in the historic market town of Oakham in Rutland, accepting around 1,000 pupils, aged from 10 to 18, both male and female, as boarders and day pupils . The Good Schools Guide called the school "a privileged but unpretentious and...
in England. He later read jurisprudence at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he was a contemporary of David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
. Prior to his election he was an investment banker specialising in Latin American debt.
Parliamentary career
Bill O'Chee was appointed to the Senate in 1990 to a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of John StoneJohn Stone (Australian politician)
John Owen Stone is a former Australian politician. He served as Secretary to the Treasury between 1979 and 1984,and as a Senator for Queensland representing the National Party from 1987 to 1990.-Biography:John Stone was born in 1929...
. He was the first ethnic-Chinese Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
. At age 24, he was also the youngest person ever appointed to the Senate.
He was elected in his own right at the 1993 election, but lost his seat at the 1998 election, his term ending on 30 June 1999.
During his time in the Senate, he served on the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Treaties, the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts, the Senate Select Committee on A New Tax System, and the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances (of which he was chairman from 1996 to 1999).
He was also National Party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the Senate from 1993 to 1999, and chairman of the Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Policy Committee.
As a coalition government senator, he clashed with his prime minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
over reforms to the Native Title Act. O'Chee believed that native title over pastoral and mining leases should have been extinguished in their entirety but wished, in return, to grant freehold title to aboriginal claimants who succeeded in proving their claim over vacant crown land. His proposals were not accepted by Howard, although he did win significant concessions for pastoral landholders.
He also won a landmark case over parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
. He had been sued by a plaintiff wishing to gain discovery of his constituency files. O'Chee refused to hand over the files, on the basis that they contained confidential information given to him by persons who wished to remain anonymous. He was ordered to produce the files, but appealed to the Court of Appeal of Queensland, which held that communications between a parliamentarian and constituents were covered under parliamentary privilege and, as such, were entitled to confidentiality. The case thus set an important precedent, expanding the scope of parliamentary privilege.
In November 2011, O'Chee alleged that in 1998, News Limited
News Limited
News Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
had attempted to bribe him to cross the floor and vote in their financial interests.
Sporting career
During his time at Oxford University, he coxed the Oxford University lightweight rowing crew in 1987. He later coached schoolgirls rowing in Canberra during the 1990s.Later, O'Chee represented Australia in the sport of skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
from 1989 to 2002 at World Cup and World Championship races. He was the first Australian to achieve a "top half" finish in a world championship in bobsleigh, skeleton or luge. His highest world cup placing was 17th in Cervinia in 1990. He also achieved a number of top 20 finishes in World Cup races. His highest FIBT World Championships
FIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
placing was 21st in St Moritz in 1998.
Community roles
He is a National Councillor of Australians for Constitutional MonarchyAustralians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy is a group that aims to preserve Australia's current constitutional monarchy, with Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia...
, and a former National Councillor of Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is an organisation for children and young adults from 6 to 26 years of age. Scouts Australia is part of the global Scouting movement and has been a national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1953...
. He has been a Patron of the Australian Chinese Ex-Services National Reunion. O'Chee was also named as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
in 1994.