.gif)
John Moore (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Colinton Moore AO (born 16 November 1936) is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal
member of the House of Representatives
for over 25 years, and a minister from 1980 to 1982 and 1996 to 2001.
Moore was born in Rockhampton, Queensland
. He was raised on a cattle station
west of Bowen
. His early education was through the Australian correspondence system used for isolated families. He finished his secondary education at The Southport School
, an Anglican boarding school for boys, before entering the University of Queensland
(UQ). Moore graduated from UQ with a Bachelor of Commerce with additional study in Accounting.
Before he entered politics, Moore had a very successful career as a businessman and stock broker. He spent four years (1960–1963) with A.R. Walker & Co. before forming his own brokerage (John Moore & Company) in 1964. He was a member of the Brisbane Stock Exchange from 1961 until 1974. He grew his firm into the largest single trader business in Queensland, opening offices in regional centers there and in New South Wales
.
He also held directorship or board membership in a number of Australian companies, such as Brandt Limited and Phillips. He was a board member of the Australian subsidiary of some multinational investment firms including Merrill Lynch and Citigroup
.
Moore became a member of the Liberal Party
in 1964, and by 1966 was serving in its state Executive Committee in Queensland. He was President of the Queensland Party twice; from 1973 to 1976 and again from 1984 to 1990. By party rules this also made him a member of the Federal Executive Committee (FEC) of the party. Indeed, he served on the FEC in one role or another for almost thirty years.
Moore was elected to the House of Representatives for the Division of Ryan
in Brisbane in 1975. His first ministerial office was during the fourth Fraser
government, when he was Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
from 1980 to 1982. He was forced to resign from this portfolio when it was shown that fellow minister Michael MacKellar
had brought a television into Australia without paying customs duty and that Moore as the minister responsible for Customs had failed to adequately respond to a report of the incident.
While the Labor
governments of Bob Hawke
and Paul Keating
were in power 1983–1996, Moore served in the opposition's Shadow Cabinet
for several key ministries including Finance, Industry and Commerce, and Communications.
In March 1996 Moore joined the Cabinet in the new Coalition government of John Howard
, as Minister for Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism
and Vice-President of the Executive Council
. In this position Moore had a major role in shaping new government policies affecting the motor vehicle and pharmaceutical industries. In cooperation with industrial leaders, he created a long range policy package, "Investing for Growth."
In 1996, Moore came close to being forced to resign a ministry for the second time in his career, when it was discovered that his share holdings included significant investments that could potentially create a conflict of interest with his ministerial portfolio. These investments breached the Howard's ministerial code of conduct, but Moore was allowed to stay on.
After the 1998 election, Moore moved to the Defence Ministry. The most significant events during this period were the deployment of forces to East Timor
as a part of the U.N. peace-keeping
effort and the upgrade and operationalisation of the Collins Class Submarine Fleet.
Moore's most lasting legacy within the Australian Defence Force
was the White Paper Defence 2000: Our Future Defence Force, released late in his ministry. John Howard said: "The Defence White Paper is the most far-sighted reshaping of Australia's defence capability in a generation. It would not have been possible without John Moore's determination to improve management within Defence and also win new resources for the ADF".
When John Howard announced his cabinet reorganisation on 19 December 2000, Peter Reith
was the new Minister for Defence. The changeover did not occur officially until 30 January 2001. Moore resigned his seat in Parliament on 5 February 2001. His resignation came at a bad time for the government, and the subsequent Ryan by-election
was won by Labor.
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 of the House of Representatives
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....
for over 25 years, and a minister from 1980 to 1982 and 1996 to 2001.
Moore was born in Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. He was raised on a cattle station
Cattle station
Cattle station is an Australian term for a large farm , whose main activity is the rearing of cattle. In Australia, the owner of a cattle station is called a grazier...
west of Bowen
Bowen, Queensland
Bowen is a town on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Bowen had a population of 7,484.-Geography:Bowen is located on the north-east coast of Australia, at exactly twenty degrees south of the equator. In fact, the twentieth parallel crosses the main street...
. His early education was through the Australian correspondence system used for isolated families. He finished his secondary education 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....
, an Anglican boarding school for boys, before entering the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
(UQ). Moore graduated from UQ with a Bachelor of Commerce with additional study in Accounting.
Before he entered politics, Moore had a very successful career as a businessman and stock broker. He spent four years (1960–1963) with A.R. Walker & Co. before forming his own brokerage (John Moore & Company) in 1964. He was a member of the Brisbane Stock Exchange from 1961 until 1974. He grew his firm into the largest single trader business in Queensland, opening offices in regional centers there and in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
He also held directorship or board membership in a number of Australian companies, such as Brandt Limited and Phillips. He was a board member of the Australian subsidiary of some multinational investment firms including Merrill Lynch and Citigroup
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
.
Moore became a member of the Liberal Party
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...
in 1964, and by 1966 was serving in its state Executive Committee in Queensland. He was President of the Queensland Party twice; from 1973 to 1976 and again from 1984 to 1990. By party rules this also made him a member of the Federal Executive Committee (FEC) of the party. Indeed, he served on the FEC in one role or another for almost thirty years.
Moore was elected to the House of Representatives for the Division of Ryan
Division of Ryan
The Division of Ryan is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and is named for T.J. Ryan, a former Premier of Queensland from 1915 to 1919...
in Brisbane in 1975. His first ministerial office was during the fourth Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
government, when he was Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
from 1980 to 1982. He was forced to resign from this portfolio when it was shown that fellow minister Michael MacKellar
Michael MacKellar
Michael John Randal MacKellar, AM is an Australian politician and was the Liberal Member for Warringah from 1969 until 1994. He is the current president of the National Ageing Research Institute , Melbourne, Australia....
had brought a television into Australia without paying customs duty and that Moore as the minister responsible for Customs had failed to adequately respond to a report of the incident.
While the 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...
governments of Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
and Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
were in power 1983–1996, Moore served in the opposition's Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
for several key ministries including Finance, Industry and Commerce, and Communications.
In March 1996 Moore joined the Cabinet in the new Coalition government of 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....
, as Minister for Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia)
The current Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Kim Carr, appointed on 3 December 2007. He administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.-List of Ministers for Industry :...
and Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
. In this position Moore had a major role in shaping new government policies affecting the motor vehicle and pharmaceutical industries. In cooperation with industrial leaders, he created a long range policy package, "Investing for Growth."
In 1996, Moore came close to being forced to resign a ministry for the second time in his career, when it was discovered that his share holdings included significant investments that could potentially create a conflict of interest with his ministerial portfolio. These investments breached the Howard's ministerial code of conduct, but Moore was allowed to stay on.
After the 1998 election, Moore moved to the Defence Ministry. The most significant events during this period were the deployment of forces to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
as a part of the U.N. peace-keeping
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...
effort and the upgrade and operationalisation of the Collins Class Submarine Fleet.
Moore's most lasting legacy within the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
was the White Paper Defence 2000: Our Future Defence Force, released late in his ministry. John Howard said: "The Defence White Paper is the most far-sighted reshaping of Australia's defence capability in a generation. It would not have been possible without John Moore's determination to improve management within Defence and also win new resources for the ADF".
When John Howard announced his cabinet reorganisation on 19 December 2000, Peter Reith
Peter Reith
Peter Keaston Reith, , former Australian politician, was a Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and then a senior Cabinet minister in the first two terms of the Howard Government.-Early life:...
was the new Minister for Defence. The changeover did not occur officially until 30 January 2001. Moore resigned his seat in Parliament on 5 February 2001. His resignation came at a bad time for the government, and the subsequent Ryan by-election
Ryan by-election, 2001
The 2001 Ryan by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Ryan in Queensland on 17 March 2001. The by-election was triggered by the retirement of the sitting member, the Liberal Party of Australia's John Moore, on 5 February 2001...
was won by Labor.