Tim Fischer
Encyclopedia
Timothy Andrew Fischer, AC
(born 3 May 1946), is a former Australia
n politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government
from 1996 before retiring from Cabinet in 1999. He retired from Parliament in 2001, and is currently the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See
.
, in the Riverina
district of New South Wales
, son of a farmer of German descent. He was educated at Xavier College, Melbourne. In 1966 he was conscripted
into the Australian Army
, and served in the Vietnam War
- an experience which left him with a lifelong identification with the Australian armed forces, as well as an affinity with Asia.
On his return from Vietnam, Fischer took up farming at Boree Creek
in the Riverina, and became active in the Country Party
, as the party was then called. He represented Sturt in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1971 to 1980 and Murray
from 1980 to 1984. He served on the opposition frontbench from 1978 to 1984.
for the National Party of Australia
(NPA), as the Country Party had been renamed. Within a year he was on the opposition frontbench, and soon became a popular figure in both the NPA and the Parliament: his sometimes rustic manner and bumbling English concealing a shrewd political brain. In 1990, when an attempt by Charles Blunt
to modernise the NPA's image ended with his losing his seat, Fischer was elected NPA leader, defeating the former leader Ian Sinclair
.
Fischer was an enthusiastic supporter of the "Fightback" package of economic and tax reforms proposed by the Liberal
leader Dr John Hewson
in 1991. But he was unsuccessful in persuading the majority of rural voters, particularly in Queensland
, that the proposed changes, particularly the goods and services tax
(GST) was in their interests, and Labor
under Paul Keating
won the 1993 election.
The Liberals finally regained office under John Howard
in 1996. Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade
. The Liberals had won a majority in their own right in the 1996 election, leaving the Nationals in a much weaker position compared to previous Coalition governments. Nonetheless, Fischer was fairly active. He supported the government introducing tough gun control
measures following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, measures which were opposed by much of his party's rural base.
Fischer also had difficulty with the determination of many Liberals, including the Treasurer, Peter Costello
, to carry out sweeping free-market reforms, including abolishing tariff protection for rural industries, deregulating petrol prices and other measures seen as harmful by farmers' organisations. The issue of native title
for indigenous Australians
following the Mabo and Wik decisions also caused much political difficulty for Fischer.
Further trouble for Fischer and the NPA came with the rise of One Nation, a right-wing populist party led by Pauline Hanson
, a disendorsed Liberal candidate who was nonetheless elected member for the Queensland
seat Oxley at the 1996 federal election. One Nation had its greatest appeal in country areas of New South Wales and Queensland, and during 1997 and 1998 it looked as though One Nation might sweep the NPA out of existence. In the 1998 election campaign, however, Fischer strongly counter-attacked One Nation, mainly on the grounds of their "flat tax" economic policies, and succeeded in holding the NPA's losses to one Senate
seat in Queensland.
In 1999 he surprised his colleagues by resigning as party leader and as a minister, and by announcing that he would retire at the election due in 2001. His decision to quit politics was motivated partly by the demands of his family, in particular that his son Harrison suffers from autism (Fischer claims that he himself also suffered from autism when younger). After his retirement, he returned to farming at Boree Creek, and became involved in charity work, assisting organisations such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Fred Hollows
Foundation and Autism New South Wales.
In 2004, Fisher was appointed chairman of Tourism Australia
. His term as chairman ended on 30 June 2007.
In 2005 Fischer received Australia's highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia
(AC).
Fischer is noted as a tireless advocate for rail transport
and is probably Australia's best known railfan
. He had a childhood hobby of studying rail gauges of the world. Since retiring from politics he has continued his association with rail as Special Envoy to the Adelaide
to Darwin
railway line and travelled on the first freight train and first Ghan passenger train to Darwin in 2004.
Fischer was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
(FTSE) in 2001. He served as Chairman of the ATSE Crawford Fund supporting international agricultural research from 2001 to 2006.
In 2007 he led the Rail Freight Network Review into rail freight in Victoria
, as commissioned by the Victorian Government.
On 21 July 2008 Tim Fischer was nominated by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
as the first resident Australian Ambassador
to the Holy See
since 1973, when diplomatic relations with the Vatican and Australia was first established.. Tim Fischer worked closeley with the Vatican on all aspects of the Canonisation of Australia's first saint, Mary MacKillop.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 3 May 1946), is a former Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He served as Deputy Prime 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...
from 1996 before retiring from Cabinet in 1999. He retired from Parliament in 2001, and is currently the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Early history
Fischer was born in LockhartLockhart, New South Wales
Lockhart is a town and a Local Government Area in the Riverina Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the location of the Lockhart Shire Council offices. At the 2006 census, Lockhart had a population of 837 people.-History:...
, in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
district of 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...
, son of a farmer of German descent. He was educated at Xavier College, Melbourne. In 1966 he was conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
, and served in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
- an experience which left him with a lifelong identification with the Australian armed forces, as well as an affinity with Asia.
On his return from Vietnam, Fischer took up farming at Boree Creek
Boree Creek, New South Wales
Boree Creek is a town in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located south west of the state capital, Sydney and west of the regional centre, Wagga Wagga. Boree Creek is situated in the Urana Shire Local Government Area but is closer to the town of Lockhart...
in the Riverina, and became active in the Country Party
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...
, as the party was then called. He represented Sturt in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1971 to 1980 and Murray
Electoral district of Murray-Darling
Murray-Darling is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Williams of the National Party of Australia....
from 1980 to 1984. He served on the opposition frontbench from 1978 to 1984.
Federal political career
In 1984 Fischer won the federal seat of FarrerDivision of Farrer
The Division of Farrer is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for William Farrer, agricultural scientist. It is located in the southern rural area of the state and includes Albury, Balranald, Deniliquin and Jerilderie. It has always...
for the National Party of Australia
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...
(NPA), as the Country Party had been renamed. Within a year he was on the opposition frontbench, and soon became a popular figure in both the NPA and the Parliament: his sometimes rustic manner and bumbling English concealing a shrewd political brain. In 1990, when an attempt by Charles Blunt
Charles Blunt
Charles William Blunt Australian politician and businessman, was leader of the National Party of Australia from 1989 to 1990....
to modernise the NPA's image ended with his losing his seat, Fischer was elected NPA leader, defeating the former leader Ian Sinclair
Ian Sinclair
Ian McCahon Sinclair AC , is an Australian politician and former leader of the National Party of Australia.Sinclair was born in Sydney, the son of a suburban accountant. He was educated at Knox Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law...
.
Fischer was an enthusiastic supporter of the "Fightback" package of economic and tax reforms proposed by 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...
leader 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:...
in 1991. But he was unsuccessful in persuading the majority of rural voters, particularly in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, that the proposed changes, particularly the goods and services tax
Goods and Services Tax (Australia)
The GST is a broad sales tax of 10% on most goods and services transactions in Australia. It is a value added tax, not a sales tax, in that it is refunded to all parties in the chain of production other than the final consumer....
(GST) was in their interests, and 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...
under 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...
won the 1993 election.
The Liberals finally regained office under 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....
in 1996. Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade
Minister for Trade (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Trade has been Dr. Craig Emerson since 14 September 2010.-Portfolio:Currently the Minister for Trade administers the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade jointly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, although prior to 1987 there was a separate Department of Trade...
. The Liberals had won a majority in their own right in the 1996 election, leaving the Nationals in a much weaker position compared to previous Coalition governments. Nonetheless, Fischer was fairly active. He supported the government introducing tough gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
measures following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, measures which were opposed by much of his party's rural base.
Fischer also had difficulty with the determination of many Liberals, including the Treasurer, Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
, to carry out sweeping free-market reforms, including abolishing tariff protection for rural industries, deregulating petrol prices and other measures seen as harmful by farmers' organisations. The issue of native title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
for indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
following the Mabo and Wik decisions also caused much political difficulty for Fischer.
Further trouble for Fischer and the NPA came with the rise of One Nation, a right-wing populist party led by Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
, a disendorsed Liberal candidate who was nonetheless elected member for the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
seat Oxley at the 1996 federal election. One Nation had its greatest appeal in country areas of New South Wales and Queensland, and during 1997 and 1998 it looked as though One Nation might sweep the NPA out of existence. In the 1998 election campaign, however, Fischer strongly counter-attacked One Nation, mainly on the grounds of their "flat tax" economic policies, and succeeded in holding the NPA's losses to one Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
seat in Queensland.
Family life and post-political career
In 1992 Fischer married Judy Brewer, and they had two sons called Dominic and Harrison.In 1999 he surprised his colleagues by resigning as party leader and as a minister, and by announcing that he would retire at the election due in 2001. His decision to quit politics was motivated partly by the demands of his family, in particular that his son Harrison suffers from autism (Fischer claims that he himself also suffered from autism when younger). After his retirement, he returned to farming at Boree Creek, and became involved in charity work, assisting organisations such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Fred Hollows
Fred Hollows
Frederick "Fred" Cossom Hollows, AC was an ophthalmologist who became known for his work in restoring eyesight for countless thousands of people in Australia and many other countries...
Foundation and Autism New South Wales.
In 2004, Fisher was appointed chairman of Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Government of Australia, with responsibility for tourism marketing within Australia and internationally, as well as research and forecasting of domestic and global tourism trends...
. His term as chairman ended on 30 June 2007.
In 2005 Fischer received Australia's highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AC).
Fischer is noted as a tireless advocate for rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
and is probably Australia's best known railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
. He had a childhood hobby of studying rail gauges of the world. Since retiring from politics he has continued his association with rail as Special Envoy to the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
railway line and travelled on the first freight train and first Ghan passenger train to Darwin in 2004.
Fischer was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering is an independent non-government organization dedicated to the promotion in Australia of scientific and engineering knowledge to practical purposes. Professor Robin Batterham is the current President of ATSE....
(FTSE) in 2001. He served as Chairman of the ATSE Crawford Fund supporting international agricultural research from 2001 to 2006.
In 2007 he led the Rail Freight Network Review into rail freight in Victoria
Rail transport in Victoria
Rail transport in Victoria, Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. Victorian lines use broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental narrow gauge lines, and...
, as commissioned by the Victorian Government.
On 21 July 2008 Tim Fischer was nominated by Prime Minister 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...
as the first resident Australian Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
since 1973, when diplomatic relations with the Vatican and Australia was first established.. Tim Fischer worked closeley with the Vatican on all aspects of the Canonisation of Australia's first saint, Mary MacKillop.
Publications
- Seven days in East Timor: ballot and bullets by Tim Fischer, Allen & Unwin, 2000. ISBN 9781865082776.
- Tim Fischer's Outback Heroes: and communities that count by Peter Rees and Tim Fischer, Allen & Unwin, 2003. ISBN 9781865088310.
- Transcontinental Train Odyssey: the Ghan, the Khyber, the Globe by Tim Fischer, Allen & Unwin, 2004. ISBN 9781741144505. A personal guide to the great transcontinental railways of the world.
- Asia & Australia: tango in trade, tourism and transport by Tim Fischer, University of New England Press, 2005. ISBN 9781863899222.
- Trains Unlimited by Tim Fischer, Harper Collins, 2011. ISBN: 9780730497400
External links
- Parliament biography
- Interview with Tim Fischer by Kerry O'Brien (The 7.30 ReportThe 7.30 ReportThe 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...
) - Inauguration of Tourism Australia