Warren Entsch
Encyclopedia
Warren George Entsch is an Australian politician currently serving as a Liberal
member of the Australian House of Representatives
representing the Division of Leichhardt
in Queensland. He first represented Leichhardt from March 1996 to November 2007, and was re-elected to the seat in August 2010.
He was born in Babinda, Queensland and served in the Royal Australian Air Force
1969–78. He was a maintenance fitter and welder, real estate agent, farmer and grazier and company director before entering politics.
Entsch was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources 1998–2001 and was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources from 2001 to 2006. In September 2004 Entsch publicly spoke against his party's anti-gay-marriage stance, describing laws to prevent gay marriage as "offensive" and "unnecessary". As a result of his pro-gay statements, the Family First Party
– which preferenced Liberal/National
Coalition
candidates ahead of Labor
candidates in almost every other seat, nation-wide – directed their preferences to Labor instead of Entsch. Nevertheless, he won re-election with an increased majority of both the primary and two-party-preferred vote.
In December 2005, he pledged support for a civil union
scheme after the UK began granting civil partnerships. He was interviewed for The Pink Broad (Issue 15, published Wednesday 22 February 2006), a fortnightly gay and lesbian newspaper, in which he confirmed that he planned to sponsor a private member’s bill in Federal Parliament within months that promised to eradicate discrimination and the "inequities" faced by Australia's gay and lesbian population under Federal law. He went on to say in the article, "I would think that if I was a gay activist, people would say 'Oh, just another bloody fairy out there trying to push his own agenda', but because of my background, people are a little bit puzzled by it and sitting up and listening. . . and in fact I'm getting a lot of people that are not gay coming up to me and saying to me 'Hey, you know, we've got gay friends and family too'. And this is what I've found here, in this place as well. . . mind you, there are some who are still a little bemused. They don't quite understand it."
In May 2006, he wrote to all coalition MPs asking them to support such a bill. When interviewed, he said this bill would encompass not only same-sex couples but any interdependent relationship: "You need to take the sex out of this debate. There are other emotions of interdependency that come into play – it’s not exclusive to one gender balance or another.". On the 8th of September 2010 Entsch indicated that he did not consider same same sex marriage an important issue.. Entsch voted against the Australian Greens 2010 motion for members of the house to poll their constituents on the issue of same sex marriage.
In his time outside of Parliament between 2007 and 2010, Entsch worked as an independent Director on the board of CEC Group, and a Director of the Australian Rainforest Foundation.
On 10 November 2009, Entsch announced that he would again run for pre-selection for the seat of Leichhardt. He was re-elected to parliament on 21 August 2010.
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....
representing the Division of Leichhardt
Division of Leichhardt
The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was first proclaimed in 1949. It is one of Australia's largest electorates, covering an area stretching from Cairns to Cape York and the Torres Strait, including the Torres Strait Islands.-About the...
in Queensland. He first represented Leichhardt from March 1996 to November 2007, and was re-elected to the seat in August 2010.
He was born in Babinda, Queensland and served in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
1969–78. He was a maintenance fitter and welder, real estate agent, farmer and grazier and company director before entering politics.
Entsch was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources 1998–2001 and was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources from 2001 to 2006. In September 2004 Entsch publicly spoke against his party's anti-gay-marriage stance, describing laws to prevent gay marriage as "offensive" and "unnecessary". As a result of his pro-gay statements, the Family First Party
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
– which preferenced Liberal/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
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
candidates ahead 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...
candidates in almost every other seat, nation-wide – directed their preferences to Labor instead of Entsch. Nevertheless, he won re-election with an increased majority of both the primary and two-party-preferred vote.
In December 2005, he pledged support for a civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
scheme after the UK began granting civil partnerships. He was interviewed for The Pink Broad (Issue 15, published Wednesday 22 February 2006), a fortnightly gay and lesbian newspaper, in which he confirmed that he planned to sponsor a private member’s bill in Federal Parliament within months that promised to eradicate discrimination and the "inequities" faced by Australia's gay and lesbian population under Federal law. He went on to say in the article, "I would think that if I was a gay activist, people would say 'Oh, just another bloody fairy out there trying to push his own agenda', but because of my background, people are a little bit puzzled by it and sitting up and listening. . . and in fact I'm getting a lot of people that are not gay coming up to me and saying to me 'Hey, you know, we've got gay friends and family too'. And this is what I've found here, in this place as well. . . mind you, there are some who are still a little bemused. They don't quite understand it."
In May 2006, he wrote to all coalition MPs asking them to support such a bill. When interviewed, he said this bill would encompass not only same-sex couples but any interdependent relationship: "You need to take the sex out of this debate. There are other emotions of interdependency that come into play – it’s not exclusive to one gender balance or another.". On the 8th of September 2010 Entsch indicated that he did not consider same same sex marriage an important issue.. Entsch voted against the Australian Greens 2010 motion for members of the house to poll their constituents on the issue of same sex marriage.
In his time outside of Parliament between 2007 and 2010, Entsch worked as an independent Director on the board of CEC Group, and a Director of the Australian Rainforest Foundation.
On 10 November 2009, Entsch announced that he would again run for pre-selection for the seat of Leichhardt. He was re-elected to parliament on 21 August 2010.