Joe Hockey
Encyclopedia
Joseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey (born 2 August 1965), is an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives
, representing the Division of North Sydney
for the Liberal Party of Australia
since 1996.
Hockey was a Minister in the Howard Government
and is currently the Shadow Treasurer under Opposition Leader Tony Abbott
in the Liberal
/National
Coalition. Unlike Abbott, he is a republican.
as the youngest of four children. His father, Richard Hockey was born in Bethlehem
(then in the British Mandate of Palestine) and migrated to Australia in 1948. Hockey is of Armenia
n and Palestinian
background and the family name was originally Hokeidonian. Hockey attended St Aloysius' College in Milson's Point and the University of Sydney
, residing at St John's College
, where he graduated with degrees in Arts and Law. While at university he was President of the Student Representative Council. He was a banking and finance lawyer, and Director of Policy to the Premier of New South Wales, before entering politics.
Hockey was Minister for Financial Services and Regulation 1998–2001 and Minister for Small Business
and Tourism
2001–04. With the return of the Howard Government in 2004, Hockey was appointed Minister for Human Services
and was elevated to the Cabinet in January 2007, when appointed Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
Hockey regularly appeared on the Seven Network's morning program Sunrise
in the 'Big Guns of Politics' section debating Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd
until the arrangement was mutually terminated on 16 April 2007, following controversy over plans to stage a pre-dawn Anzac Day
service in Vietnam.
In December 2007, Joe Hockey was made Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, and Manager of Opposition Business in the House. In September 2008 he became Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation. Hockey became Shadow Treasurer in February 2009 when Julie Bishop
stepped down from the portfolio.
Hockey's popularity among voters grew under the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull
, and in October 2009 polls showed him as the preferred liberal leader. However Hockey announced that he had no intentions to challenge for the leadership.
On 9 November 2009, Hockey gave a speech, In Defence of God, at the Sydney Institute
. "Australia has embraced religious diversity. It must always remain so, and as a Member of Parliament I am a custodian of that principle of tolerance. That is why it is disturbing to hear people rail against Muslims and Jews, or Pentecostals and Catholics. Australia must continue, without fear, to embrace diversity of faith provided that those gods are loving, compassionate and just."
On 1 December 2009, Hockey chose to include his candidacy in a party room ballot to determine the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia. The ballot was between
Hockey, Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott. Hockey was eliminated in the first round of the ballot, with the eventuating winner being Tony Abbott. Following the change of leadership, Hockey remained Shadow Treasurer.
Hockey told ABC
TV's Q&A audience on 7 March 2011 that corporate Australia had fallen behind in female boardroom representation, and if companies failed to meet a reasonable target within a period of time, then "more punitive measures" needed to be taken by parliament. He later said that, "quotas must be a last resort".
and has climbed Mt Kilimanjaro to raise funds for medical equipment. In February 2010, Hockey appeared on the television program Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
where he was involved in a segment that required him to hold up a tutu and wave a magic wand which attracted criticism from Treasurer Wayne Swan
. Hockey was the first Australian politician invited on to the show. He plays rugby union
and is a loosehead prop.
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....
, representing the Division of North Sydney
Division of North Sydney
The Division of North Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division is named after the North Sydney area where it is located. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
for 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...
since 1996.
Hockey was a Minister in 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...
and is currently the Shadow Treasurer under Opposition Leader 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...
in 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...
/National
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...
Coalition. Unlike Abbott, he is a republican.
Early life and career
Hockey was born in North SydneyNorth Sydney
North Sydney may refer to:*North Sydney Council, a Local government area in Sydney*North Sydney, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia*Division of North Sydney, an electoral division serving the suburb...
as the youngest of four children. His father, Richard Hockey was born in Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
(then in the British Mandate of Palestine) and migrated to Australia in 1948. Hockey is of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n and Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
background and the family name was originally Hokeidonian. Hockey attended St Aloysius' College in Milson's Point and the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, residing at St John's College
St John's College, University of Sydney
]St John's College, or the College of St John the Evangelist, is a residential College within the University of Sydney.Established in 1857, the College of St John the Evangelist is the oldest Roman Catholic university college and second-oldest university college in Australia, and is one of the...
, where he graduated with degrees in Arts and Law. While at university he was President of the Student Representative Council. He was a banking and finance lawyer, and Director of Policy to the Premier of New South Wales, before entering politics.
Political career
Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Small Business is Nick Sherry, appointed on 14 September 2010. The Minister administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research...
and Tourism
Minister for Tourism (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Tourism is Martin Ferguson, appointed on 3 December 2007. The Minister administers his portfolio through the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.-List of Ministers for Tourism:...
2001–04. With the return of the Howard Government in 2004, Hockey was appointed Minister for Human Services
Minister for Human Services (Australia)
The position of Minister for Human Services within Australian politics is currently held by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP. The Minister is responsible for a number of welfare agencies and administers her portfolio through the Department of Human Services and its component bodies:* Child Support...
and was elevated to the Cabinet in January 2007, when appointed Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
Hockey regularly appeared on the Seven Network's morning program Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
in the 'Big Guns of Politics' section debating Opposition Leader, 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...
until the arrangement was mutually terminated on 16 April 2007, following controversy over plans to stage a pre-dawn Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
service in Vietnam.
In December 2007, Joe Hockey was made Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, and Manager of Opposition Business in the House. In September 2008 he became Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation. Hockey became Shadow Treasurer in February 2009 when 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...
stepped down from the portfolio.
Hockey's popularity among voters grew under the leadership of 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 in October 2009 polls showed him as the preferred liberal leader. However Hockey announced that he had no intentions to challenge for the leadership.
On 9 November 2009, Hockey gave a speech, In Defence of God, at the Sydney Institute
Sydney Institute
The Sydney Institute, founded in 1989, is a privately funded, conservative, Australian current affairs forum. The Sydney Institute took over the resources of the Sydney Institute of Public Affairs which ceased activity in the late 1980s...
. "Australia has embraced religious diversity. It must always remain so, and as a Member of Parliament I am a custodian of that principle of tolerance. That is why it is disturbing to hear people rail against Muslims and Jews, or Pentecostals and Catholics. Australia must continue, without fear, to embrace diversity of faith provided that those gods are loving, compassionate and just."
On 1 December 2009, Hockey chose to include his candidacy in a party room ballot to determine the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia. The ballot was between
Liberal Party of Australia leadership election, 2009
An election for the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia was held on 1 December 2009. The incumbent, Malcolm Turnbull, was defeated by Tony Abbott in a three-way vote of Liberal Party Members of Parliament . Joe Hockey also stood as a candidate...
Hockey, Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott. Hockey was eliminated in the first round of the ballot, with the eventuating winner being Tony Abbott. Following the change of leadership, Hockey remained Shadow Treasurer.
Hockey told ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
TV's Q&A audience on 7 March 2011 that corporate Australia had fallen behind in female boardroom representation, and if companies failed to meet a reasonable target within a period of time, then "more punitive measures" needed to be taken by parliament. He later said that, "quotas must be a last resort".
Personal life
Hockey is married to investment banker Melissa Babbage and has three children, Xavier, Adelaide and Ignatius. Hockey has ventured the Kokoda TrackKokoda Track
The Kokoda Trail or Track is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland — in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea...
and has climbed Mt Kilimanjaro to raise funds for medical equipment. In February 2010, Hockey appeared on the television program Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
Talkin' 'bout your Generation
Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. It is hosted by Shaun Micallef....
where he was involved in a segment that required him to hold up a tutu and wave a magic wand which attracted criticism from Treasurer Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and then re elected in 1998 till today , representing the Division of Lilley, QLD...
. Hockey was the first Australian politician invited on to the show. He plays rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and is a loosehead prop.