Hugh Morgan (Australian businessman)
Encyclopedia
Hugh Matheson Morgan AC, (born 9 September 1940), an Australia
n businessman, is the son of former Western Mining Corporation
CEO Bill Morgan, and was himself CEO of WMC from 1990 to 2003. He was also President of the Business Council of Australia
from 2003 to 2005. The Howard Government
appointed him to the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia
in 1996. He also was the Founding Chairman of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre. He is currently the Chairman Emeritus of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre.
. He is sceptical of global warming
, opposed to the Kyoto Protocol
and, as a member of the Greenhouse Mafia
and president of the Lavoisier Group
, was central to a campaign to prevent the Federal Liberal
Government from acting to cut emissions (in collaboration with fellow former WMC executive Ray Evans
).
chairman Ron Walker
and fellow mining executive Robert Champion de Crespigny
, planning to build nuclear power
plants in Australia. Morgan has a 20% stake in the company. Controversially, prime minister John Howard
revealed that he had a discussion with Mr Walker about the company days before he announced an inquiry into nuclear power. (The inquiry predicted that Australia could have 25 nuclear reactors producing a third of the country's electricity by 2050). Formerly an outspoken opponent of Aboriginal Land Rights (Morgan claimed Native Title
threatened Australia's sovereignty), Morgan has more recently spoken of reconciling mining with Aboriginal welfare. With less transparent conservation agreements under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Morgan flagged how an internationally owned nuclear waste repository could be built (such as the one announced on Aboriginal land late in the Howard
government era).
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n businessman, is the son of former Western Mining Corporation
WMC Resources
WMC Resources Limited was an Australian diversified mining and fertilizer company formerly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. WMC was an acronym for Western Mining Corporation. It was delisted on 29 June 2005 following a successful takeover by BHP Billiton...
CEO Bill Morgan, and was himself CEO of WMC from 1990 to 2003. He was also President of the Business Council of Australia
Business Council of Australia
The Business Council of Australia represents the chief executives of approximately 100 large Australian corporations. It was formed in 1983 by the merger of the Business Roundtable - a spin-off of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia - and the Australian Industry Development...
from 2003 to 2005. 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...
appointed him to the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia
Reserve Bank of Australia
The Reserve Bank of Australia came into being on 14 January 1960 as Australia's central bank and banknote issuing authority, when the Reserve Bank Act 1959 removed the central banking functions from the Commonwealth Bank to it....
in 1996. He also was the Founding Chairman of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre. He is currently the Chairman Emeritus of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre.
Opposition to action on climate-change
Morgan is a politically vocal member of the Liberal partyLiberal 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...
. He is sceptical of global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, opposed to the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
and, as a member of the Greenhouse Mafia
Greenhouse Mafia
Greenhouse Mafia is allegedly the "in house" name used by Australia’s carbon lobby for itself. It was also the title of a program aired by the ABC on the 13 February 2006 episode of its weekly current affairs program Four Corners....
and president of the Lavoisier Group
Lavoisier Group
The Lavoisier Group is an organisation based in Australia that promotes scepticism of current scientific consensus on global warming. The organisation questions the fears of the effects of global warming, the idea that human activity causes it, and the wisdom of policies designed to curtail it...
, was central to a campaign to prevent the Federal 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...
Government from acting to cut emissions (in collaboration with fellow former WMC executive Ray Evans
Ray Evans (Australian businessman)
Ray Evans is an Australian business leader, a conservative, and campaigner against climate change mitigation efforts.-Early years:Evans was educated at the Melbourne High School before he attended University of Melbourne and graduated in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering...
).
Advocacy of nuclear industries
In June 2006, Hugh Morgan formed the company Australian Nuclear Energy with FairfaxFairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
chairman Ron Walker
Ron Walker
Ronald Joseph Walker AC CBE is a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and Australian businessman, renowned for his work in managing sporting events.-Biography:...
and fellow mining executive Robert Champion de Crespigny
Robert Champion de Crespigny
Robert James Champion de Crespigny, AC is an Australian businessman.-Early life and education:Champion de Crespigny was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.-Accounting:Upon completing his studies, he...
, planning to build nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plants in Australia. Morgan has a 20% stake in the company. Controversially, 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....
revealed that he had a discussion with Mr Walker about the company days before he announced an inquiry into nuclear power. (The inquiry predicted that Australia could have 25 nuclear reactors producing a third of the country's electricity by 2050). Formerly an outspoken opponent of Aboriginal Land Rights (Morgan claimed Native Title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
threatened Australia's sovereignty), Morgan has more recently spoken of reconciling mining with Aboriginal welfare. With less transparent conservation agreements under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Morgan flagged how an internationally owned nuclear waste repository could be built (such as the one announced on Aboriginal land late in the 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....
government era).
Current appointments
- President of the Lavoisier GroupLavoisier GroupThe Lavoisier Group is an organisation based in Australia that promotes scepticism of current scientific consensus on global warming. The organisation questions the fears of the effects of global warming, the idea that human activity causes it, and the wisdom of policies designed to curtail it...
- Trustee Emeritus The Asia Society, New York
- Chairman Emeritus of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre
- President of the Australian German Association
- Immediate Past Chairman of the International Council on Metals and the Environment
- Chairman of BioDiem Limited
- Member of the Trilateral Commission
Past appointments
- Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of AustraliaReserve Bank of AustraliaThe Reserve Bank of Australia came into being on 14 January 1960 as Australia's central bank and banknote issuing authority, when the Reserve Bank Act 1959 removed the central banking functions from the Commonwealth Bank to it....
- President of the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee
- Chief Executive Officer of WMC Limited since 1990
- President of the German Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce form 1991-1994
- Chairman of the World Gold Council from 1989–1991
- Director of the World Gold Council from 1986–1991
- Member of the Executive Board of CSIRO from 1978–1983
- President of the Australian Mining Industry Council (now the Minerals Council of Australia) from 1981–1983
- Director of Alcoa of Australia from 1977 until 1998. Director of Alcoa Inc since 1998
- Graduate in Law and Commerce from the University of Melbourne
Honours
- 2002 – Companion of the Order of AustraliaOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
. - 2003 – Centenary MedalCentenary MedalThe Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
. - 2007 – Order of the Rising Sun, Grand CordonOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(Japan).