Andrew Thomson (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Peter Thomson Australian politician, is a former Liberal
member of the Australian House of Representatives
representing the Division of Wentworth
in New South Wales
.
Thomson is the son of Australian golfer Peter Thomson, and worked as a solicitor, investment banker and golf course designer before entering politics. He entered parliament in April 1995 in a Wentworth by-election
after Dr John Hewson
vacated the seat when he retired from politics after being defeated in a leadership ballot by Alexander Downer
.
When the Coalition took government at the 1996 election, Thomson was made Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. On 6 October 1997 he became Minister for Sport
and Tourism, although he was replaced by Jackie Kelly
a year later.
Thomson lost pre-selection for Wentworth in 2001, and caused a controversy when he embarked on a study tour in the United States several months before his parliamentary term ended, apparently enrolling in post-graduate law studies at Georgetown University
. After considerable political fallout over the incident, Thomson declared that he would return to Australia to serve out his term until the election, and that he would pay for the trip himself due to the controversy. He also stated that the trip was related to his work on the government's treaties committee, although the head of the committee, De-Anne Kelly
, was unaware of Thomson's trip and its purpose.
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 Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
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...
.
Thomson is the son of Australian golfer Peter Thomson, and worked as a solicitor, investment banker and golf course designer before entering politics. He entered parliament in April 1995 in a Wentworth by-election
Wentworth by-election, 1995
The 1995 Wentworth by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Wentworth in New South Wales on 8 April 1995. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Liberal Party of Australia's Dr. John Hewson on 28 February 1995...
after Dr John Hewson
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM is an Australian economist, company director and a former politician. He was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1990 to 1994 and led the party to defeat at the 1993 federal election.-Early life:...
vacated the seat when he retired from politics after being defeated in a leadership ballot by Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
.
When the Coalition took government at the 1996 election, Thomson was made Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. On 6 October 1997 he became Minister for Sport
Minister for Sport (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Sport is Mark Arbib, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election. The ministry is located within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio.-List of Ministers for Sport:...
and Tourism, although he was replaced by Jackie Kelly
Jackie Kelly
Jacqueline Marie Kelly , former Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay, New South Wales.-Early career:...
a year later.
Thomson lost pre-selection for Wentworth in 2001, and caused a controversy when he embarked on a study tour in the United States several months before his parliamentary term ended, apparently enrolling in post-graduate law studies at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. After considerable political fallout over the incident, Thomson declared that he would return to Australia to serve out his term until the election, and that he would pay for the trip himself due to the controversy. He also stated that the trip was related to his work on the government's treaties committee, although the head of the committee, De-Anne Kelly
De-Anne Kelly
De-Anne Margaret Kelly , was an Australian politician. She was a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Dawson, Queensland. She was also the first female member of the National Party to win a seat in the...
, was unaware of Thomson's trip and its purpose.