Steven Ciobo
Encyclopedia
Steven Ciobo (born 29 May 1974), Australian politician, has been a Liberal
member of the Australian House of Representatives
since November 2001 representing the Division of Moncrieff
, Queensland.
He was born in Mareeba
, Queensland, and was educated at Bond University
and the Queensland University of Technology
. He was a consultant with Coopers & Lybrand, a Senior Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers
and an adviser to Senator Brett Mason
before entering politics.
in North Queensland
, the youngest of three children in an Anglican family. His parents, Bruno and Joan, ran a tourism business in Cairns. Ciobo graduated in law and commerce from Bond University
and earned a masters degree in law from the Queensland University of Technology
.
According to ABC Television
, he worked on the floor of a food processing factory to help support himself while studying. While at university he reportedly toyed with the idea of joining Australia's domestic intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
(ASIO). He instead worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers
following his graduation, before joining the staff of Senator Brett Mason
.
In an interview with Brisbane's Courier Mail
newspaper in August 2010, Ciobo revealed he can juggle, his favourite flavour is custard and that, if an animal, he would be a rhinoceros. Ciobo also told the newspaper he believes Australia is defined as "a land of opportunity refreshingly free of pretension.":
In an opinion piece he wrote for the ABC
in June 2011, Ciobo declared he was a libertarian
who would "attempt to persuasively argue the need for less regulation." In the article he said that "like the Tassie Tiger, personal responsibility has died out" and that "increasingly, I find myself thinking it is not this new law that is required, rather, it is a good dose of 'toughen up and stop blaming others for your bad decision'."
Ciobo is married with one child and lives on the Gold Coast
. In 2010, he told a newspaper his happiest moment was when his son, who was born with a heart condition, came through a five-and-a-half hour operation well. His wife, Astra Ciobo, née Hauquitz, is a successful businesswoman who co-founded a Gold Coast public relations firm.
since the Federal Election on 10 November 2001.
Ciobo has frequently voiced his criticism of the plan by Andrew Wilkie
, and adopted by the Gillard Government
, to require all poker machine players to set a daily betting limit, telling a Queensland newspaper the plan "will place the entire population that want to have a $10 flutter within arms' reach of big brother government."
In April 2011, Ciobo called for a radical rethink of the tourism strategy for the Gold Coast, calling on the city to focus on more casinos and glitz. He said turning Surfers Paradise into a world-class entertainment precinct to rival Las Vegas
and Macau
was the solution to save the Gold Coast from rising unemployment and economic doom.
He was critical of the merger of the Liberal
and National
parties in Queensland, telling ABC Radio in July 2008 "I don’t believe it’s going to have a positive effect on a federal level. But at a state level it certainly is going to make a very big difference."
In 2011 Ciobo and Labor MP Kelvin Thompson were seconded to the United Nations
in New York
for 12 weeks.
Ciobo has repeatedly called for the introduction of daylight saving for South East Queensland
, despite this position being at odds of that of the Liberal National Party in the Queensland Parliament.
In 2005, he urged the Government to change the law to strip naturalised Australians of their citizenship if they incite, support or engage in terrorist activity.
In 2006, Ciobo called for the First Home Owner Grant to be doubled, a policy which was adopted by the Rudd Government
in October 2008 as an economic stimulus measure.
In the lead up to the 2007 Federal Election, responding to a dare from a local radio station, Ciobo and his wife were thrown into the air on a sling shot bungee at the Surfers Paradise Adrenalin Park. While hurled up in the air, Ciobo’s wife spotted one of her husband’s stolen election signs on the balcony of a Surfers Paradise apartment. The radio station has since posted a video of the dare on YouTube.
The electorate of Moncrieff
covers the central Gold Coast
and stretches from the suburb of Miami in the south to the suburb of Southport
in the North and west to the suburb of Gilston. The electorate includes the tourism landmark Surfers Paradise as well as the Pacific Fair shopping centre, the Conrad Jupiters
casino and hotel complex and the marine mammal park Sea World
.
removed Steven Ciobo from his Shadow Ministry, relegating him to the backbench. Abbott refused to answer questions on the reason for Ciobo’s demotion, other than to say: "There is something of the quality of snakes and ladders about the business of politics." In an article in The Australian
, contributing editor Peter van Onselen
speculated the reasons for Ciobo's demotion were that "Abbott has never especially gotten along with Ciobo personally" and that Ciobo was "a Malcolm Turnbull lieutenant." Van Onselen said the demotion reflected poorly on Abbott because Ciobo is "talented, a good media performer and part of the next generation in the Liberal Party."
In December 2009, upon his election
as the Leader of the Opposition, Abbott had demoted Ciobo from the Shadow Cabinet
to the outer ministry to be the Shadow Minister for Tourism and the Arts and the Shadow Minister for Youth and Sport.
He was previously the Shadow Minister for Small Business
, Independent Contractors, Tourism
and the Arts
on 22 September 2008 as part of Malcolm Turnbull’s
Shadow Cabinet.
In 2009 Ciobo raised the Government's slow pace in acting on a report recommending reforms to the franchising sector as a Matter of Public Importance
in Parliament
, saying "I plead on behalf of all those people in the franchising sector for Dr Emerson
and this government to start doing something."
He challenged an 11th hour change to the Rudd Government's unfair dismissal checklist, saying it will force many small companies to pay "go away" money to terminated employees with a grievance.
Ciobo said Peter Garrett
's move to scrap the Uluru
climb would be another setback to the tourism industry which had been hit hard by the global economic downturn.
On 23 November 2009 Ciobo introduced his first Private Member’s Bill as a Shadow Minister. The Bill proposed changes to the Government’s Producer Offset
to encourage more local feature film
production.
He was previously the Shadow Minister for Small Business, the Service Economy and Tourism as part of the first Opposition front bench, led by The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP
, following the defeat of the Howard Government
at the 2007 Federal Election. Nelson promoted Ciobo into the Shadow Ministry despite Ciobo publicly pledging his support for his opponent, Malcolm Turnbull
, in the previous month's leadership ballot
.
In 2008 Ciobo called the Prime Minister
and Treasurer
'wimpish' for failing to get Australian banks to pass on interest rate cuts to small businesses.
He attacked the Rudd Government
over Peter Garrett's
decision to axe funding for the Australian National Academy of Music
, saying the decision was "the latest chapter in bungled Labor decisions that have ended one of Australia's centres of excellence and left students' futures in limbo".
Ciobo has also called for Captain Cook's landing place at Kurnell in Sydney to be upgraded and promoted as a tourism icon.
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 Australian 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....
since November 2001 representing the Division of Moncrieff
Division of Moncrieff
The Division of Moncrieff is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Gladys Moncrieff, an Australian singer who resided in the area....
, Queensland.
He was born in Mareeba
Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The town is above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters...
, Queensland, and was educated at Bond University
Bond University
Bond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
and the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
. He was a consultant with Coopers & Lybrand, a Senior Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
and an adviser to Senator Brett Mason
Brett Mason
Dr Brett John Mason , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since July 1999, representing the state of Queensland. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Health....
before entering politics.
Personal
Steven Ciobo grew up in MareebaMareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. The town is above sea level on the confluence of the Barron River, Granite Creek and Emerald Creek. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning meeting of the waters...
in North Queensland
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than most countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and...
, the youngest of three children in an Anglican family. His parents, Bruno and Joan, ran a tourism business in Cairns. Ciobo graduated in law and commerce from Bond University
Bond University
Bond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
and earned a masters degree in law from the Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
.
According to ABC Television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
, he worked on the floor of a food processing factory to help support himself while studying. While at university he reportedly toyed with the idea of joining Australia's domestic intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
(ASIO). He instead worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
following his graduation, before joining the staff of Senator Brett Mason
Brett Mason
Dr Brett John Mason , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since July 1999, representing the state of Queensland. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Health....
.
In an interview with Brisbane's Courier Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
newspaper in August 2010, Ciobo revealed he can juggle, his favourite flavour is custard and that, if an animal, he would be a rhinoceros. Ciobo also told the newspaper he believes Australia is defined as "a land of opportunity refreshingly free of pretension.":
In an opinion piece he wrote for the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
in June 2011, Ciobo declared he was a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
who would "attempt to persuasively argue the need for less regulation." In the article he said that "like the Tassie Tiger, personal responsibility has died out" and that "increasingly, I find myself thinking it is not this new law that is required, rather, it is a good dose of 'toughen up and stop blaming others for your bad decision'."
Ciobo is married with one child and lives on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. In 2010, he told a newspaper his happiest moment was when his son, who was born with a heart condition, came through a five-and-a-half hour operation well. His wife, Astra Ciobo, née Hauquitz, is a successful businesswoman who co-founded a Gold Coast public relations firm.
Federal Member for Moncrieff
Steven Ciobo has been the Federal Member for MoncrieffDivision of Moncrieff
The Division of Moncrieff is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Gladys Moncrieff, an Australian singer who resided in the area....
since the Federal Election on 10 November 2001.
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
, and adopted by the Gillard Government
Gillard Government
The Gillard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia, which is led by the Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard. Julia Gillard became Prime Minister on the 24th of June 2010 after challenging her predecessor, Kevin Rudd for the position of leader of the parliamentary...
, to require all poker machine players to set a daily betting limit, telling a Queensland newspaper the plan "will place the entire population that want to have a $10 flutter within arms' reach of big brother government."
In April 2011, Ciobo called for a radical rethink of the tourism strategy for the Gold Coast, calling on the city to focus on more casinos and glitz. He said turning Surfers Paradise into a world-class entertainment precinct to rival Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
was the solution to save the Gold Coast from rising unemployment and economic doom.
He was critical of the merger of 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...
and 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...
parties in Queensland, telling ABC Radio in July 2008 "I don’t believe it’s going to have a positive effect on a federal level. But at a state level it certainly is going to make a very big difference."
In 2011 Ciobo and Labor MP Kelvin Thompson were seconded to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for 12 weeks.
Ciobo has repeatedly called for the introduction of daylight saving for South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, despite this position being at odds of that of the Liberal National Party in the Queensland Parliament.
In 2005, he urged the Government to change the law to strip naturalised Australians of their citizenship if they incite, support or engage in terrorist activity.
In 2006, Ciobo called for the First Home Owner Grant to be doubled, a policy which was adopted by 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...
in October 2008 as an economic stimulus measure.
In the lead up to the 2007 Federal Election, responding to a dare from a local radio station, Ciobo and his wife were thrown into the air on a sling shot bungee at the Surfers Paradise Adrenalin Park. While hurled up in the air, Ciobo’s wife spotted one of her husband’s stolen election signs on the balcony of a Surfers Paradise apartment. The radio station has since posted a video of the dare on YouTube.
The electorate of Moncrieff
Division of Moncrieff
The Division of Moncrieff is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Gladys Moncrieff, an Australian singer who resided in the area....
covers the central Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and stretches from the suburb of Miami in the south to the suburb of Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
in the North and west to the suburb of Gilston. The electorate includes the tourism landmark Surfers Paradise as well as the Pacific Fair shopping centre, the Conrad Jupiters
Conrad Jupiters
Jupiters Hotel and Casino was Queensland's first casino and hotel complex, which is located in the suburb of Broadbeach on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The casino is situated next to the Nerang River and is operated by Echo Entertainment Group...
casino and hotel complex and the marine mammal park Sea World
Sea World
Sea World is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and theme park located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The...
.
| Election | Share of First Preference Vote | Share of Two Party Preferred Vote |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 Federal Election | 51% | 65% |
| 2004 Federal Election | 64% | 70% |
| 2007 Federal Election | 60% | 64% |
| 2010 Federal Election | 62% | 68% |
Shadow Minister
In September 2010, shortly after the 2010 Federal Election, Opposition Leader Tony AbbottTony 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...
removed Steven Ciobo from his Shadow Ministry, relegating him to the backbench. Abbott refused to answer questions on the reason for Ciobo’s demotion, other than to say: "There is something of the quality of snakes and ladders about the business of politics." In an article in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, contributing editor Peter van Onselen
Peter van Onselen
Professor Peter van Onselen is the Contributing Editor at The Australian newspaper where he writes a weekly Saturday Focus column, a Wednesday column for the Business back-page and a fortnightly column in the Higher Education section. He also writes a weekly column in the Sunday Telegraph and...
speculated the reasons for Ciobo's demotion were that "Abbott has never especially gotten along with Ciobo personally" and that Ciobo was "a Malcolm Turnbull lieutenant." Van Onselen said the demotion reflected poorly on Abbott because Ciobo is "talented, a good media performer and part of the next generation in the Liberal Party."
In December 2009, upon his election
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...
as the Leader of the Opposition, Abbott had demoted Ciobo from the 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...
to the outer ministry to be the Shadow Minister for Tourism and the Arts and the Shadow Minister for Youth and Sport.
He was previously the Shadow Minister for Small Business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
, Independent Contractors, Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and the Arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
on 22 September 2008 as part of Malcolm Turnbull’s
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...
Shadow Cabinet.
Matter of public importance
A matter of public importance is a term used in the Australian Parliament where a subject is put forward for debate by the parliament. It can be put forward by a Senator in the Senate or a member of the House of Representatives...
in Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
, saying "I plead on behalf of all those people in the franchising sector for Dr Emerson
Craig Emerson
Craig Anthony Emerson , Australian politician, has represented the House of Representatives seat of Rankin in Queensland for the Australian Labor Party since the 1998 federal election...
and this government to start doing something."
He challenged an 11th hour change to the Rudd Government's unfair dismissal checklist, saying it will force many small companies to pay "go away" money to terminated employees with a grievance.
Ciobo said Peter Garrett
Peter Garrett
Peter Robert Garrett, AM, MP , is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and politician.Garrett was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002...
's move to scrap the Uluru
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
climb would be another setback to the tourism industry which had been hit hard by the global economic downturn.
On 23 November 2009 Ciobo introduced his first Private Member’s Bill as a Shadow Minister. The Bill proposed changes to the Government’s Producer Offset
Film and television financing in Australia
Film and TV financing in Australia refers to government assistance to TV and cinema in Australia. Over the past 30 years, government assistance has involved a mixture of government support, distributor/ broadcaster involvement and private investment...
to encourage more local feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
production.
He was previously the Shadow Minister for Small Business, the Service Economy and Tourism as part of the first Opposition front bench, led by The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP
Brendan Nelson
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...
, following the defeat 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...
at the 2007 Federal Election. Nelson promoted Ciobo into the Shadow Ministry despite Ciobo publicly pledging his support for his opponent, 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 the previous month's leadership ballot
Liberal 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...
.
In 2008 Ciobo called the Prime Minister
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...
and Treasurer
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...
'wimpish' for failing to get Australian banks to pass on interest rate cuts to small businesses.
He attacked 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...
over Peter Garrett's
Peter Garrett
Peter Robert Garrett, AM, MP , is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and politician.Garrett was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002...
decision to axe funding for the Australian National Academy of Music
Australian National Academy of Music
The Australian National Academy of Music is Australia's centre of excellence responsible for training the country's finest young musicians. Located in the South Melbourne, Victoria, it is a member of the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence...
, saying the decision was "the latest chapter in bungled Labor decisions that have ended one of Australia's centres of excellence and left students' futures in limbo".
Ciobo has also called for Captain Cook's landing place at Kurnell in Sydney to be upgraded and promoted as a tourism icon.
See also
- Liberal National Party
- Federal Electorate of MoncrieffDivision of MoncrieffThe Division of Moncrieff is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Gladys Moncrieff, an Australian singer who resided in the area....
- Parliament of AustraliaParliament of AustraliaThe Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...