Brendan Nelson
Encyclopedia
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives
from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal
member for Bradfield
, a northern Sydney seat. A doctor by profession, he came to public prominence as the Federal President of the Australian Medical Association
(1993–95), and served as a Minister in the third and fourth terms of the Howard Government
, serving as Minister for Education, Science and Training (2001–06) and Minister for Defence
(2006–2007). Following the 2007 federal election, at which the Howard Government was defeated, Nelson was elected leader of the federal Liberal parliamentary group in a contest against former Minister for Environment and Water Resources
Malcolm Turnbull
, and became the Leader of the Opposition on 3 December 2007. On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion
, Nelson lost the leadership of the Opposition and the Liberal Party to Turnbull. On 25 August 2009 he announced his forthcoming retirement from politics. In September 2009, the Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
announced Nelson as the next Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg
as well as Australia's Special Representative at the World Health Organisation and NATO. He remained Member for Bradfield until oficially resigning on 19 October 2009, sparking the 2009 Bradfield by-election
.
, a suburb of Melbourne, as the eldest of three children of Des Nelson, a marine chief steward active in the Seamen's Union, and his wife Patricia. In his infancy, his family moved to his mother's home town of Launceston
, Tasmania. In his early teenage years they relocated again to Adelaide
, South Australia, where he matriculated at Saint Ignatius' College
before going on to study economics at the University of Adelaide
. However, he dropped out in his first year, working in various casual jobs in retail and hospitality before returning to university to study medicine. He switched to Flinders University
to complete his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). He married his first wife, Deanna, while a student at Flinders, but they lasted only a year together.
, Tasmania, taking up practice as a medical practitioner
from 1985 until 1995. In 1986, he married for a second time, and became a father to twins. In 1987, he and Dr David Crean
, brother of Labor
politician Simon Crean
and later a Tasmanian state Labor minister, established an after-hours locum service which he worked in until 1991.
In 1988, he joined the Australian Medical Association
, and in 1990 became the Tasmanian State president of the organisation, taking a reformist approach to the role, and assisted the State branch in growing its membership. In 1991, he replaced Dr Michael Jones, a former AMA president from Western Australia, as federal AMA vice-president. He took a strong public stand against sponsorship of sports events by cigarette companies, lobbying politicians directly for legislative change, and also encouraged airlines to increase the number of non-smoking seats.
On 30 May 1993, Nelson was elected unopposed as federal president of the Australian Medical Association
, at 34 being the youngest ever holder of the office. He came to the office after significant hostility between the AMA and the federal Labor government, which peaked at the 1993 election under former AMA president Dr Bruce Shepherd and former Health Minister Brian Howe
. Nelson attempted to establish better relations with the government and its new Health Minister, Graham Richardson
, and pledged to make Aboriginal
health and the effects of unemployment on health a high priority during his term, and would appoint a full-time worker based in Canberra to look after these issues.
In an address to the National Press Club
on 30 September 1993, acknowledging the AMA's reputation for conservatism, he said he would not "lead the AMA safely", but believed doctors should "lead the way in showing that national progress can be made by placing the welfare and consideration of other human beings ahead of their own," asserting their obligation to speak out on issues for the public good. In the address, he advocated gay law reform, greater concern for the environment, more attention to Aboriginal and unemployed health, and greater co-operation between the medical profession and politicians of all sides to build a better health system. In November, he told a national Aboriginal conference in Sydney that he was ashamed of the medical profession's track record on Aboriginal health, arguing that "doctors need to ask themselves how a person can be well when they've been denied their land, their hunting grounds, their citizenship and freedom and even their own children. Of course Aboriginal people's health has suffered when you look at this litany of misery". As president, while personally opposing euthanasia
, he supported the right of doctors to withdraw treatment from consenting critically ill patients, and supported euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke
's case against the Royal Darwin Hospital
.
The role of private health in the health care mix, Aboriginal health, the AMA's ongoing campaign against cigarette sponsorship of sports events, and the size of the Medicare levy were other significant issues which occupied a lot of Nelson's time and attention as federal president, as they did the various Ministers for Health in the final years of the Keating Government
. Nelson took ministers and shadow ministers around Central Australia to view Aboriginal communities. In October 1994, the World Conference on Tobacco and Health in Paris unanimously adopted an AMA resolution calling for a formal United Nations strategy on tobacco control.
and the Australian Labor Party
influenced his early political development, and he joined Labor at the age of 13. However, he resigned from the Labor Party in 1991 before accepting a role on the AMA executive, on account of his perception of it as an apolitical position. At a rowdy pre-election rally during the 1993 election campaign in Toorak
, as vice-president of the AMA, he declared via a loud-hailer that "I have never voted Liberal in my life!" On 25 November 1993, he told journalist and medical writer Steve Dow that Labor governments generally were better for Australia but not always in their handling of health care.
In January 1994, Nelson joined the Tasmanian branch of the Liberal Party of Australia
. After initially being tipped for the South Australian seat of Boothby
, being vacated by outgoing Liberal MP Steele Hall
, he sold his Tasmanian home, and moved to Lindfield
in the affluent North Shore
region of Sydney, establishing a surgery at The Rocks
and switching his membership to the Pymble
branch. On 30 January 1995, he announced his nomination for the preselection contest for Bradfield
, a safe Liberal seat in which Pymble was located and held since 1974 by shadow minister David Connolly
. He was supported in his bid by former AMA president Dr Bruce Shepherd, who served as his campaign treasurer. On 1 March 1995 at a Liberal gathering, he renounced his view that Labor governments had been better for Australia, and stated that he believed Medicare was unsustainable and that voluntary work programs for the unemployed would build self-esteem, and advocated a consumption tax
. He declared that "if all I wanted to do was be a parliamentarian, a seat-warmer, I would have gone for a marginal seat." A bitter preselection campaign ensued, and on 13 May 1995 he gained the party's endorsement on a 96-to-93 vote against incumbent MP and shadow minister David Connolly
, despite the latter having the support of Liberal leader John Howard
and deputy leader Peter Costello
. Nelson claimed his win was "a victory for liberalism". After the preselection, Nelson worked on an Aboriginal health program for the Cape York Peninsula
, and in June, following his retirement as president of the AMA, went to the slums of Nairobi
, Kenya, on behalf of World Vision
to hear about that country's struggles with AIDS—only three months after losing his younger brother to the disease.
On 14 July 1995, as master of ceremonies for a fundraising dinner supporting Howard, he was criticised for his risque humour concerning then-current entertainment and political events, not having realised that Lady Fairfax, Lady McMahon and conservative business leaders were in the audience. The incident attracted considerable publicity and there were calls from inside the Liberal Party to reverse his preselection, but he was supported by key decision-makers including the president of the NSW Liberal Party.
became Prime Minister, Nelson worked as a government backbencher.
Nelson was a vocal opponent of the views of Independent MP Pauline Hanson
following her maiden speech on 10 September 1996, challenging her to visit Palm Island
and other Aboriginal communities with him. On 6 October, he proposed a bipartisan condemnation of her statements along lines already suggested by Labor Opposition leader Kim Beazley
, saying that politicians had an obligation to show leadership on the issue. He questioned the Prime Minister, who offered to cooperate and negotiate, but indicated he would not support the Opposition's motion in full. On 19 October, Nelson said he believed the Government needed to more clearly repudiate Hanson's claims, and that she was "appealing to a primeval instinct" in her statements on Aboriginals and Asian migrants. On 30 October 1996, a bipartisan motion on tolerance, nondiscriminatory immigration and Aboriginal reconciliation was moved and passed.
In December 1996, Liberal MP Kevin Andrews
raised a private members' bill to overturn the Northern Territory
's euthanasia legislation, which had been championed by Dr Philip Nitschke
. Nelson, along with former New South Wales premier John Fahey
, were accused of convincing the son of the first man to die under the law, who had previously been a euthanasia advocate, to change his mind. The man, a branch secretary of a rural Liberal branch, ended up in hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown following the publicity surrounding the matter. When the bill went through the House of Representatives on 10 December, Nelson was one of 88 MPs who voted for Andrews' bill on a conscience vote. Nelson also had to apologise to Parliament in March 1997 when it was found that 11 parts of a speech he had given matched a paper on overseas doctors by immigration expert Dr Bob Birrell of Monash University
published the previous year.
Nelson was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence in 2001.
. He was a popular target for student activism because of these changes.
In 2005 Nelson expressed support for giving parents the option of having students exposed to the controversial subject of intelligent design
. However he emphasized that evolution
should always hold first place saying, "I'd be quite concerned if intelligent design were to replace evolution." He later said intelligent design should only be taught in religion or philosophy classes.
After his rapid promotion to Cabinet, Nelson was spoken of as a possible future Liberal leader. On 24 January 2006, then Prime Minister John Howard
announced Nelson's promotion from the Education, Science and Training portfolio to the high profile Defence portfolio.
As Defence Minister, he made the controversial decision to purchase Boeing
's Super Hornet
aircraft instead of a fighter perceived by some to be more capable.
and therefore Leader of the Opposition, narrowly defeating Malcolm Turnbull
in a 45 to 42 vote, after the withdrawal from the race of Tony Abbott
. After Nelson's election, his political past resurfaced, with him claiming he came from a Labor family.
Nelson became the first person since Billy Snedden
in 1972 to become Opposition Leader without prior experience in Opposition. Nelson is also the first Catholic to lead the Liberal Party.
On 1 December 2007 Nelson attempted to distance himself from some of the conservative policies of his predecessor, saying "I don't support gay marriage, adoption or IVF. But I believe in addressing the social and economic injustices affecting homosexuals."
Nelson declared that the Liberal Party had "listened and learned" from the Australian public and that WorkChoices
is "dead", and called on the Government to move quickly to introduce draft industrial relations legislation.
In January 2008, Nelson opposed making any formal apology to the indigenous Australians
known as the "Stolen Generations". Nelson said such an apology would fuel guilt among middle Australia, and cause a mentality of "victimhood" among indigenous Australians. In early February 2008, Nelson changed his stance, and declared that he supported the apology, first personally, then also on behalf of his party:
Nelson's leadership came under increased pressure in January 2008, after an MP shifted loyalties to Turnbull, and taking into consideration that former MP David Tollner
was still allowed to vote, the leadership vote would now be deadlocked at 43–43. Newspoll
polling in February 2008 set a record low "Preferred Prime Minister" rating for any opposition leader at 9 percent, with March polling setting another record of 7 percent, with two-party-preferred
setting another Newspoll record at 37–63 percent. Nelson responded by declaring himself the underdog. In response to increased speculation about his leadership Nelson commented in April that he "will keep fighting and standing up for everyday Australians.".
Nelson used his 2008 budget reply to declare the Rudd government
budget a "tax and spend" budget, as well as arguing for a 5-cent reduction in petrol excise, and pledging to block an increase in the "alcopop
" tax. Nelson's performance prompted Deputy Leader Julie Bishop
to declare that Nelson's leadership was "not in question"
In May 2008, Nelson gave his approval to a merger occurring between the Queensland Liberal Party and Queensland National Party.
Support for Nelson as leader within the Liberal Party had all but collapsed by the end of July 2008, in part due to repeated gaffes on emissions trading and climate change. Expected to challenge him was either Peter Costello
or Malcolm Turnbull
, upon the release of Costello's book, The Costello Memoirs
. Costello stated he would not be making any move for the Liberal leadership, however media outlets capitalised on Costello's failure to categorically rule out any future leadership challenge.
Nelson suffered from another gaffe in August 2008, where he stated:
He later attempted to clarify the comment in that he was referring to Costello staying in parliament.
Despite a small and steady increase after record low polling, Nelson lost the leadership of the Liberal Party to Shadow Treasurer, Malcolm Turnbull
, on 16 September 2008 by 45 to 41 votes in a spill motion
. Nelson went to the backbench. On 16 February 2009 he announced that he would retire from politics at the next federal election. On 25 August 2009 he announced that he would resign from Parliament in late September 2009, triggering the 2009 Bradfield by-election
.
appointed Nelson as the Ambassador to the European Union
and NATO along with former Federal Labor
Leader, Kim Beazley
as the Australian Ambassador to the United States of America. Nelson accepted the appointment from his former rival and commended Rudd's decision on appointing Beazley as Ambassador to the USA. Nelson said to both of their appointments "It would be accepted across the political spectrum". Nelson officially resigned from Federal Parliament the same day, ending 13 years as the member for Bradfield.
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member for Bradfield
Division of Bradfield
The Division of Bradfield is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Dr John Bradfield, the designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is located in the upper North Shore, and includes the suburbs of Chatswood, Killara, St Ives and...
, a northern Sydney seat. A doctor by profession, he came to public prominence as the Federal President of the Australian Medical Association
Australian Medical Association
The Australian Medical Association is a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students.The AMA uses a representative structure involving state branches and committees to work with members to promote and protect the interests of doctors.The mechanisms that allow this include:*...
(1993–95), and served as a Minister in the third and fourth terms of the Howard Government
Howard Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
, serving as Minister for Education, Science and Training (2001–06) and Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
(2006–2007). Following the 2007 federal election, at which the Howard Government was defeated, Nelson was elected leader of the federal Liberal parliamentary group in a contest against former Minister for Environment and Water Resources
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is Tony Burke, who took over from Peter Garrett . The Minister and department change took effect in the Second Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010...
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
, and became the Leader of the Opposition on 3 December 2007. On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion
Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2008
An election for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 16 September 2008. The successful candidate was Malcolm Turnbull who defeated former leader Brendan Nelson...
, Nelson lost the leadership of the Opposition and the Liberal Party to Turnbull. On 25 August 2009 he announced his forthcoming retirement from politics. In September 2009, the Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
announced Nelson as the next Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
as well as Australia's Special Representative at the World Health Organisation and NATO. He remained Member for Bradfield until oficially resigning on 19 October 2009, sparking the 2009 Bradfield by-election
Bradfield by-election, 2009
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Bradfield on 5 December 2009. This was triggered as a result of the resignation of former minister and ex-Liberal Party leader Brendan Nelson...
.
Early life
Nelson was born in CoburgCoburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
, a suburb of Melbourne, as the eldest of three children of Des Nelson, a marine chief steward active in the Seamen's Union, and his wife Patricia. In his infancy, his family moved to his mother's home town of Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania. In his early teenage years they relocated again to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia, where he matriculated at Saint Ignatius' College
Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide
The College has two campuses, the Junior school and Early Childhood Centre in Norwood and the Senior campus in Athelstone.Saint Ignatius' College is part of the international network of Jesuit schools which began in Messina, Sicily in 1548...
before going on to study economics at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
. However, he dropped out in his first year, working in various casual jobs in retail and hospitality before returning to university to study medicine. He switched to Flinders University
Flinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
to complete his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). He married his first wife, Deanna, while a student at Flinders, but they lasted only a year together.
Medical career
Nelson then relocated to HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania, taking up practice as a medical practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
from 1985 until 1995. In 1986, he married for a second time, and became a father to twins. In 1987, he and Dr David Crean
David Crean
David Crean is a former Labor member of the Parliament of Tasmania. He is the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Frank Crean and brother to former Australian federal opposition leader Simon Crean....
, brother of Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
politician Simon Crean
Simon Crean
Simon Findlay Crean is an Australian politician, and the current Minister for the Arts and Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government in the Australian Federal Government. He was leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition at the Federal level,...
and later a Tasmanian state Labor minister, established an after-hours locum service which he worked in until 1991.
In 1988, he joined the Australian Medical Association
Australian Medical Association
The Australian Medical Association is a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students.The AMA uses a representative structure involving state branches and committees to work with members to promote and protect the interests of doctors.The mechanisms that allow this include:*...
, and in 1990 became the Tasmanian State president of the organisation, taking a reformist approach to the role, and assisted the State branch in growing its membership. In 1991, he replaced Dr Michael Jones, a former AMA president from Western Australia, as federal AMA vice-president. He took a strong public stand against sponsorship of sports events by cigarette companies, lobbying politicians directly for legislative change, and also encouraged airlines to increase the number of non-smoking seats.
On 30 May 1993, Nelson was elected unopposed as federal president of the Australian Medical Association
Australian Medical Association
The Australian Medical Association is a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students.The AMA uses a representative structure involving state branches and committees to work with members to promote and protect the interests of doctors.The mechanisms that allow this include:*...
, at 34 being the youngest ever holder of the office. He came to the office after significant hostility between the AMA and the federal Labor government, which peaked at the 1993 election under former AMA president Dr Bruce Shepherd and former Health Minister Brian Howe
Brian Howe (politician)
Brian Leslie Howe, AO , Australian politician, was Deputy Prime Minister in the Labor government of Paul Keating from 1991 to 1995....
. Nelson attempted to establish better relations with the government and its new Health Minister, Graham Richardson
Graham Richardson
Graham Frederick Richardson , a former Australian politician, was a Senator for New South Wales from 1983–94 for the Australian Labor Party, a senior minister in Hawke and Keating governments, and is now a political lobbyist, public speaker, and media commentator. During his time in politics,...
, and pledged to make Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
health and the effects of unemployment on health a high priority during his term, and would appoint a full-time worker based in Canberra to look after these issues.
In an address to the National Press Club
National Press Club (Australia)
The National Press Club is an association of primarily news journalists, but also includes academics, business people and members of the public service, and is based in Canberra, Australia. It was founded in the 1960s as the National Press Luncheon Club by a few journalists with the backing of the...
on 30 September 1993, acknowledging the AMA's reputation for conservatism, he said he would not "lead the AMA safely", but believed doctors should "lead the way in showing that national progress can be made by placing the welfare and consideration of other human beings ahead of their own," asserting their obligation to speak out on issues for the public good. In the address, he advocated gay law reform, greater concern for the environment, more attention to Aboriginal and unemployed health, and greater co-operation between the medical profession and politicians of all sides to build a better health system. In November, he told a national Aboriginal conference in Sydney that he was ashamed of the medical profession's track record on Aboriginal health, arguing that "doctors need to ask themselves how a person can be well when they've been denied their land, their hunting grounds, their citizenship and freedom and even their own children. Of course Aboriginal people's health has suffered when you look at this litany of misery". As president, while personally opposing euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, he supported the right of doctors to withdraw treatment from consenting critically ill patients, and supported euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke
Philip Nitschke
Dr. Philip Nitschke is an Australian medical doctor, humanist, author and founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International. He campaigned successfully to have a legal euthanasia law passed in Australia's Northern Territory and assisted four people in ending their lives before...
's case against the Royal Darwin Hospital
Royal Darwin Hospital
Royal Darwin Hospital is a 345-bed teaching hospital located in the northern suburbs of Darwin, Northern Territory.-History:The first hospital of the settlement of Palmerston was built in 1874. The hospital was built on Packard Street overlooking Doctors Gully under the authority of Dr James...
.
The role of private health in the health care mix, Aboriginal health, the AMA's ongoing campaign against cigarette sponsorship of sports events, and the size of the Medicare levy were other significant issues which occupied a lot of Nelson's time and attention as federal president, as they did the various Ministers for Health in the final years of the Keating Government
Keating Government
The Hawke-Keating Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia of the Australian Labor Party from 1983 to 1996. The government was led initially by Bob Hawke as Prime Minister, who was succeeded by Paul Keating in 1991....
. Nelson took ministers and shadow ministers around Central Australia to view Aboriginal communities. In October 1994, the World Conference on Tobacco and Health in Paris unanimously adopted an AMA resolution calling for a formal United Nations strategy on tobacco control.
Political career
Nelson's father's strong involvement in the union movementAustralian labour movement
The Australian labour movement has its origins in the early 19th century and includes both trade unions and political activity. At its broadest, the movement can be defined as encompassing the industrial wing, the unions in Australia, and the political wing, the Australian Labor Party and minor...
and the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
influenced his early political development, and he joined Labor at the age of 13. However, he resigned from the Labor Party in 1991 before accepting a role on the AMA executive, on account of his perception of it as an apolitical position. At a rowdy pre-election rally during the 1993 election campaign in Toorak
Toorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
, as vice-president of the AMA, he declared via a loud-hailer that "I have never voted Liberal in my life!" On 25 November 1993, he told journalist and medical writer Steve Dow that Labor governments generally were better for Australia but not always in their handling of health care.
In January 1994, Nelson joined the Tasmanian branch of the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. After initially being tipped for the South Australian seat of Boothby
Division of Boothby
The Division of Boothby is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. The division was created in 1903 and is named after William Boothby , the Returning Officer for the first election of Members of the House of Representatives in 1901....
, being vacated by outgoing Liberal MP Steele Hall
Steele Hall
Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
, he sold his Tasmanian home, and moved to Lindfield
Lindfield, New South Wales
Lindfield is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lindfield is 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council.- Location and history :...
in the affluent North Shore
North Shore (Sydney)
The North Shore is an informal term used to describe the primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The term usually refers to the suburbs located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River, up to...
region of Sydney, establishing a surgery at The Rocks
The Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district...
and switching his membership to the Pymble
Pymble, New South Wales
Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council....
branch. On 30 January 1995, he announced his nomination for the preselection contest for Bradfield
Division of Bradfield
The Division of Bradfield is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Dr John Bradfield, the designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is located in the upper North Shore, and includes the suburbs of Chatswood, Killara, St Ives and...
, a safe Liberal seat in which Pymble was located and held since 1974 by shadow minister David Connolly
David Connolly (Australian politician)
David Miles Connolly, AM is an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he attended the University of Sydney before becoming private secretary to Senator Alister McMullin, the President of the Senate, in 1963, holding the position until 1965. In that year he joined the Australian Diplomatic Service,...
. He was supported in his bid by former AMA president Dr Bruce Shepherd, who served as his campaign treasurer. On 1 March 1995 at a Liberal gathering, he renounced his view that Labor governments had been better for Australia, and stated that he believed Medicare was unsustainable and that voluntary work programs for the unemployed would build self-esteem, and advocated a consumption tax
Consumption tax
A consumption tax is a tax on spending on goods and services. The tax base of such a tax is the money spent on consumption. Consumption taxes are usually indirect, such as a sales tax or a value added tax...
. He declared that "if all I wanted to do was be a parliamentarian, a seat-warmer, I would have gone for a marginal seat." A bitter preselection campaign ensued, and on 13 May 1995 he gained the party's endorsement on a 96-to-93 vote against incumbent MP and shadow minister David Connolly
David Connolly (Australian politician)
David Miles Connolly, AM is an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he attended the University of Sydney before becoming private secretary to Senator Alister McMullin, the President of the Senate, in 1963, holding the position until 1965. In that year he joined the Australian Diplomatic Service,...
, despite the latter having the support of Liberal leader 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....
and deputy leader Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
. Nelson claimed his win was "a victory for liberalism". After the preselection, Nelson worked on an Aboriginal health program for the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, and in June, following his retirement as president of the AMA, went to the slums of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya, on behalf of World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
to hear about that country's struggles with AIDS—only three months after losing his younger brother to the disease.
On 14 July 1995, as master of ceremonies for a fundraising dinner supporting Howard, he was criticised for his risque humour concerning then-current entertainment and political events, not having realised that Lady Fairfax, Lady McMahon and conservative business leaders were in the audience. The incident attracted considerable publicity and there were calls from inside the Liberal Party to reverse his preselection, but he was supported by key decision-makers including the president of the NSW Liberal Party.
Member for Bradfield
After being elected as the member for Bradfield in the federal election on 2 March 1996, at which the Keating government was defeated and John HowardJohn 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....
became Prime Minister, Nelson worked as a government backbencher.
Nelson was a vocal opponent of the views of Independent MP Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
following her maiden speech on 10 September 1996, challenging her to visit Palm Island
Palm Island, Queensland
Palm Island is an Aboriginal community located on Great Palm Island, also called by the Aboriginal name "Bwgcolman", an island on the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland, Australia The settlement is also known by a variety of other names including "the Mission", Palm Island Settlement or Palm...
and other Aboriginal communities with him. On 6 October, he proposed a bipartisan condemnation of her statements along lines already suggested by Labor Opposition leader Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
, saying that politicians had an obligation to show leadership on the issue. He questioned the Prime Minister, who offered to cooperate and negotiate, but indicated he would not support the Opposition's motion in full. On 19 October, Nelson said he believed the Government needed to more clearly repudiate Hanson's claims, and that she was "appealing to a primeval instinct" in her statements on Aboriginals and Asian migrants. On 30 October 1996, a bipartisan motion on tolerance, nondiscriminatory immigration and Aboriginal reconciliation was moved and passed.
In December 1996, Liberal MP Kevin Andrews
Kevin Andrews (Australian politician)
Kevin James Andrews is an Australian politician and member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He is a member of the House of Representatives and was Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Howard Government, having previously been Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 7...
raised a private members' bill to overturn the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
's euthanasia legislation, which had been championed by Dr Philip Nitschke
Philip Nitschke
Dr. Philip Nitschke is an Australian medical doctor, humanist, author and founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International. He campaigned successfully to have a legal euthanasia law passed in Australia's Northern Territory and assisted four people in ending their lives before...
. Nelson, along with former New South Wales premier John Fahey
John Fahey (politician)
John Joseph Fahey, AC is a former Premier of New South Wales and Federal Minister for Finance in Australia. John Fahey is currently the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1984 to 1996 and the federal House of Representatives...
, were accused of convincing the son of the first man to die under the law, who had previously been a euthanasia advocate, to change his mind. The man, a branch secretary of a rural Liberal branch, ended up in hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown following the publicity surrounding the matter. When the bill went through the House of Representatives on 10 December, Nelson was one of 88 MPs who voted for Andrews' bill on a conscience vote. Nelson also had to apologise to Parliament in March 1997 when it was found that 11 parts of a speech he had given matched a paper on overseas doctors by immigration expert Dr Bob Birrell of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
published the previous year.
Nelson was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence in 2001.
Minister for Education, Science and Training
After the 2001 federal election he was promoted directly to Cabinet with the senior portfolio of Minister for Education, Science and Training. He introduced a series of radical changes to Australia's higher education system that simultaneously imposed more direct government control over the management of universities while also allowing them to earn more revenue by charging higher fees to students. He extended the government's policy of directing more federal funding to non-government schools, as well as becoming more involved in reviewing the state education systems. In 2005 he introduced Voluntary Student UnionismVoluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
. He was a popular target for student activism because of these changes.
In 2005 Nelson expressed support for giving parents the option of having students exposed to the controversial subject of intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
. However he emphasized that evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
should always hold first place saying, "I'd be quite concerned if intelligent design were to replace evolution." He later said intelligent design should only be taught in religion or philosophy classes.
Minister for Defence
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....
announced Nelson's promotion from the Education, Science and Training portfolio to the high profile Defence portfolio.
As Defence Minister, he made the controversial decision to purchase Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
's Super Hornet
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry air-to-air...
aircraft instead of a fighter perceived by some to be more capable.
Leader of the Opposition
Following the defeat of the Howard government at the 2007 federal election, he was elected Liberal party leaderLiberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2007
An election for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 29 November 2007. At the same time an election for the deputy leadership of the party was held, as under Liberal Party rules, all leadership positions are declared vacant after a general election, no matter what the...
and therefore Leader of the Opposition, narrowly defeating Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
in a 45 to 42 vote, after the withdrawal from the race of Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
. After Nelson's election, his political past resurfaced, with him claiming he came from a Labor family.
Nelson became the first person since Billy Snedden
Billy Snedden
Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, KCMG, QC was an Australian politician representing the Liberal Party. He was Leader of the Opposition at the 1974 federal election, failing to defeat the Labor incumbent Gough Whitlam.-Early life:...
in 1972 to become Opposition Leader without prior experience in Opposition. Nelson is also the first Catholic to lead the Liberal Party.
On 1 December 2007 Nelson attempted to distance himself from some of the conservative policies of his predecessor, saying "I don't support gay marriage, adoption or IVF. But I believe in addressing the social and economic injustices affecting homosexuals."
Nelson declared that the Liberal Party had "listened and learned" from the Australian public and that WorkChoices
WorkChoices
The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, popularly known as Work Choices, was a Legislative Act of the Australian Parliament that came into effect in March 2006 which involved many controversial amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the...
is "dead", and called on the Government to move quickly to introduce draft industrial relations legislation.
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
known as the "Stolen Generations". Nelson said such an apology would fuel guilt among middle Australia, and cause a mentality of "victimhood" among indigenous Australians. In early February 2008, Nelson changed his stance, and declared that he supported the apology, first personally, then also on behalf of his party:
I, on behalf of the Coalition, of the alternative government of Australia, are [sic] providing in-principle support for the offer of an apology to the forcibly removed generations of Aboriginal children.
Nelson's leadership came under increased pressure in January 2008, after an MP shifted loyalties to Turnbull, and taking into consideration that former MP David Tollner
Dave Tollner
David William Tollner is an Australian politician, currently representing the Fong Lim in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the Country Liberal Party since the 2008 election...
was still allowed to vote, the leadership vote would now be deadlocked at 43–43. Newspoll
Newspoll
Newspoll Market Research is an Australian company providing opinion polling and other market research services. Its chief executive is Martin O'Shannessy.Newspoll's surveys of voter opinion are published in The Australian....
polling in February 2008 set a record low "Preferred Prime Minister" rating for any opposition leader at 9 percent, with March polling setting another record of 7 percent, with two-party-preferred
Two-party-preferred vote
In politics, the two-party-preferred vote , or two-candidate-preferred vote , in an election or opinion poll uses preferential voting to express the electoral result after the distribution of preferences...
setting another Newspoll record at 37–63 percent. Nelson responded by declaring himself the underdog. In response to increased speculation about his leadership Nelson commented in April that he "will keep fighting and standing up for everyday Australians.".
Nelson used his 2008 budget reply to declare the Rudd government
Rudd Government
The Rudd Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia of the Australian Labor Party from 2007 to 2010, led by Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister. The Rudd Government commenced on 3 December 2007, when Rudd was sworn in along with his ministry...
budget a "tax and spend" budget, as well as arguing for a 5-cent reduction in petrol excise, and pledging to block an increase in the "alcopop
Alcopop
Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added...
" tax. Nelson's performance prompted Deputy Leader Julie Bishop
Julie Bishop
Julie Isabel Bishop is an Australian politician and the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia. She holds this title as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. She is the party's first female Deputy Leader and the third woman in Australian history to...
to declare that Nelson's leadership was "not in question"
In May 2008, Nelson gave his approval to a merger occurring between the Queensland Liberal Party and Queensland National Party.
Support for Nelson as leader within the Liberal Party had all but collapsed by the end of July 2008, in part due to repeated gaffes on emissions trading and climate change. Expected to challenge him was either Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
or Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
, upon the release of Costello's book, The Costello Memoirs
The Costello Memoirs
The Costello Memoirs is a collection of writings by Australian politician and long-standing treasurer Peter Costello and co-authored by former politician and Costello's father-in-law, Peter Coleman...
. Costello stated he would not be making any move for the Liberal leadership, however media outlets capitalised on Costello's failure to categorically rule out any future leadership challenge.
Nelson suffered from another gaffe in August 2008, where he stated:
Peter's made his decision that he did not seek the leadership of the party. As I've said before, I'd be very happy if he changes his mind.
He later attempted to clarify the comment in that he was referring to Costello staying in parliament.
Despite a small and steady increase after record low polling, Nelson lost the leadership of the Liberal Party to Shadow Treasurer, Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
, on 16 September 2008 by 45 to 41 votes in a spill motion
Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2008
An election for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 16 September 2008. The successful candidate was Malcolm Turnbull who defeated former leader Brendan Nelson...
. Nelson went to the backbench. On 16 February 2009 he announced that he would retire from politics at the next federal election. On 25 August 2009 he announced that he would resign from Parliament in late September 2009, triggering the 2009 Bradfield by-election
Bradfield by-election, 2009
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Bradfield on 5 December 2009. This was triggered as a result of the resignation of former minister and ex-Liberal Party leader Brendan Nelson...
.
Ambassador to the European Union and NATO
On 16 September 2009, Prime Minister Kevin RuddKevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
appointed Nelson as the Ambassador to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and NATO along with former Federal Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Leader, Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
as the Australian Ambassador to the United States of America. Nelson accepted the appointment from his former rival and commended Rudd's decision on appointing Beazley as Ambassador to the USA. Nelson said to both of their appointments "It would be accepted across the political spectrum". Nelson officially resigned from Federal Parliament the same day, ending 13 years as the member for Bradfield.