Name Nigel Scullion | Role Australian Senator | |
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Prime Minister Tony AbbottMalcolm Turnbull Office Australian Senator since 2001 Profiles | ||
Deputy leader of the nationals senator the hon nigel scullion 2013 federal council address
Nigel Gregory Scullion (born 4 May 1956 in London, England) is an Australian politician. He has been a Country Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate for the Northern Territory since November 2001. He sits with the National Party in the Senate, and has been the Leader of the Nationals in the Senate since 2013; having previously served in that role between 2007 and 2008; and as Deputy Leader of the National Party between 2007 and 2013. Scullion has been the Minister for Indigenous Affairs since 18 September 2013, first in the Abbott Government and then the Turnbull Government.
Contents
- Deputy leader of the nationals senator the hon nigel scullion 2013 federal council address
- Minister for indigenous affairs nigel scullion talks about low aromatic unleaded fuel
- Early years and background
- Career
- References
Minister for indigenous affairs nigel scullion talks about low aromatic unleaded fuel
Early years and background
He was born in London, England then lived in Deakin, Canberra, during high school. He is married with 3 children. Before entering the Senate he was a professional fisherman and graduated from the Australian Rural Leadership Program.
Career
Scullion received media attention early in his career when questions arose over how his business relationships with government bodies might have affected his eligibility to sit in the Parliament. Investigations continued for some time, but in the end did not affect his membership of Parliament.
On 30 January 2007, he was appointed Minister for Community Services in the Australian Government. He held office for only 10 months before the Howard Government was defeated in an election.
In February 2007, Scullion was elected to the position of deputy Senate leader of the federal National Party and was subsequently promoted to the positions of deputy parliamentary leader of the National Party and leader of the party in the Senate on 3 December 2007, following the coalition's defeat. On 6 December 2007 he was named as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the shadow ministry chosen by new Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson. In 2008, he was defeated by Barnaby Joyce for the Senate leadership, but retained the deputy leadership of the National Party.
Scullion was re-elected at the 2010 election and appointed Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs by Opposition leader, Tony Abbott. In February 2012, Scullion appeared in the second episode of Kitchen Cabinet with Annabel Crabb, when they went into the mud flats for crustaceans, which she has recalled as the most memorable show. Following Joyce's move to the House of Representatives in 2013, Scullion reclaimed his position of Senate leader but lost the deputy parliamentary leadership to Joyce.
On February 11, 2016, Joyce was elected leader of the Nationals with Fiona Nash as his deputy. As Nash is a Senator like Scullion, it looks like Scullion would have to relinquish the Senate leadership to deputy parliamentary leader Senator Nash. In fact Senator Nash had been Senator Scullion's Senate deputy prior to her election as deputy leader of the parliamentary party.
The prospect of Senator Scullion retaining the Senate leadership under new parliamentary leader Joyce is unlikely due to their past rivalry in leadership positions and new deputy parliamentary leader Senator Nash is a long standing ally of Joyce.