Bridget McKenzie
Senator The Honourable Bridget McKenzie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Deputy Leader of the National Party | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 7 December 2017 (2017-12-07) | |
| Leader | Barnaby Joyce Michael McCormack |
| Preceded by | Fiona Nash |
| Minister for Sport | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | |
| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Greg Hunt |
| Minister for Rural Health | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | |
| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | New portfolio |
| Minister for Regional Communications | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | |
| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Mitch Fifield |
Senator for Victoria | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 1 July 2011 (2011-07-01) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1969-12-27) 27 December 1969 Alexandra, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | The Nationals |
| Alma mater | Deakin University |
Bridget McKenzie (born 27 December 1969) is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Victoria since 2011, representing the National Party. She has been her party's deputy leader since December 2017, and shortly after her election to that position was appointed to cabinet as Minister for Sport, Minister for Rural Health, and Minister for Regional Communications in the Turnbull Government.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Politics
2.1 Controversies
3 Political positions
3.1 Gun rights
3.2 Same-sex marriage
4 Personal life
5 References
6 External links
Early life
McKenzie was born in Alexandra, Victoria. She grew up in Benalla, where her mother was a primary school teacher and her father was a dairyman. She attended Tintern Grammar, on the outskirts of Melbourne, where she was a house captain and swimming captain. After starting a family, McKenzie began studying at Deakin University as a mature-age student, completing a double degree in applied science (specialising in human movement) and teaching (specialising in mathematics). She served as the president of the Deakin University Student Association in 2003.[1] McKenzie subsequently taught physical education and mathematics for several years at Yarram Secondary College, Gippsland. She later lectured in education at Monash University.[2]
Politics
McKenzie in November 2014
McKenzie joined the National Party at the age of 18, and was a junior vice-president of the Victorian branch from 2006 to 2009. She first stood for parliament at the 2004 federal election, unsuccessfully standing for the House of Representatives in the Division of McMillan.[3] At the 2010 election, McKenzie was elected to the Senate in the third place on a joint Coalition ticket. Her term began on 1 July 2011.[4]
McKenzie was her party's Senate whip from September 2013 to June 2014, when she was replaced by Barry O'Sullivan. She was elected deputy leader to Barnaby Joyce in December 2017, replacing Fiona Nash after her disqualification from parliament due to dual citizenship.[5] She reportedly defeated several other candidates, including Matt Canavan and Michael McCormack.[6] Under the terms of the Coalition Agreement with the Liberals, she was subsequently elevated to cabinet as Minister for Sport, Minister for Rural Health, and Minister for Regional Communications.[7]
In July 2018, as Minister for Sport, McKenzie unveiled the National Sport Plan in a speech to the National Press Club. The plan includes the transformation of the current Australian Sports Commission into an expanded agency called Sport Australia.[8][9]
Controversies
McKenzie's electorate office is in the regional city of Bendigo, and she was described as "Bendigo-based" on a number of occasions. However, in 2016 it was noted that her primary residence was a flat in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Elwood, and she stayed in hotels when she visited Bendigo.[10]
In 2017, McKenzie was accused of using parliamentary travel entitlements for personal benefit, in a weekend trip to the Gold Coast in September 2014.[11] Also questioned was a February 2017 trip to Sydney to speak at a Shooting Australia awards ceremony, which was claimed as "electorate business"; media reports suggested that it did not fall under the usual category of parliamentary business.[12]
Political positions
Gun rights
McKenzie is a shooting enthusiast, and is chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Shooting. She owns several shotguns, and has taken part in hunting expeditions in New Zealand and Scotland. In 2015, she said that the National Firearms Agreement was "not perfect", although she supports it in principle.[13] McKenzie opposed the federal government's import ban on the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun. In November 2016, she and John Williams crossed the floor to vote for a motion that would have overturned the ban; the motion was defeated 54–7. In the debate over the motion, she said that she was "not arguing for a weakening of gun laws and I never have".[14]
Same-sex marriage
McKenzie is opposed to same-sex marriage, and publicly campaigned for the "No" vote in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey. In 2015, she promised "to oppose any such bill which seeks to legislate for same sex marriage", but also stated that she supported allowing a conscience vote on the issue.[15] She abstained from voting on the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, which legalised same-sex marriage.[16] McKenzie's younger brother Alastair is gay, and has publicly confronted her on her views on several occasions, including in a letter to the Bendigo Advertiser and in an appearance on the panel discussion program Q&A.[17][18]
Personal life
McKenzie has four children from her first marriage, which ended in divorce.[19] Since 2015, she has been in a long-distance relationship with David Bennett, a member of the New Zealand Parliament.[20][21]
References
^ "A Degree of Rivalry", Sunday Age, 10 August 2003.
^ Senator Bridget McKenzie, Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ Women in Politics: Bridget McKenzie, National Party Senator for Victoria, Australian Women Online. Retrieved 18 August 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ "Senate Results - Victoria - 2010 Federal Election". Retrieved 12 September 2010..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Gun-loving senator Bridget McKenzie elected Barnaby Joyce's new deputy, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ "Nationals elect Bridget McKenzie new deputy leader". The Weekly Times. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
^ Turnbull, Malcolm (19 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.Deputy Nationals Leader Bridget McKenzie joins Cabinet as Minister for Sport, Rural Health and Regional Communications. Bridget has long campaigned for better services for regional communities.
^ Mary Gearin (1 August 2018). "National Sport Plan: Map of Australian sport's future high on ideals but light on detail". ABC News. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
^ Nadia Cameron (1 August 2018). "How Sport Australia plans to build out a new national sporting agenda". CMO. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
^ "Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie responds to criticism she lives in the inner-city". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
^ "Nationals new deputy silent on weekend trip to Gold Coast". The Australian. 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
^ "Nationals deputy Bridget McKenzie charged taxpayers to attend shooting awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
^ Meet Bridget McKenzie, the Turnbull government senator out to change your mind about guns, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 October 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ Nationals stage a late-night revolt in the Senate over the Adler shotgun ban, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 November 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ McKenzie against same sex marriage, supports conscience vote, Bendigo Advertiser, 10 June 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ "SENATE - Hansard". Record of Proceedings (Hansard). Australia: Australian Senate. 29 November 2017. p. 33-34.
^ Q&A recap: Coalition senator Bridget McKenzie confronted by gay brother over plebiscite, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 September 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ Brother of Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie hits out against sister's comments on same-sex marriage, ABC News, 13 June 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
^ "Meet Bridget McKenzie, the Turnbull government senator out to change your mind about guns". Sydney Morning Herald. 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
^ "Trans-Tasman relations: Long-distance love for Hamilton East MP David Bennett, who confirms he is in a relationship with Australian senator". NZ Herald. 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2017-11-02.
^ Bridget McKenzie: New Zealand enchants another National, The Australian, 9 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
External links
- Official website
- Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Bridget McKenzie on TheyVoteForYou.org.au
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Greg Hunt | Minister for Sport 2017–present | Incumbent |
New title | Minister for Rural Health 2017–present | |
| Preceded by Mitch Fifield | Minister for Regional Communications 2017–present | |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Fiona Nash | Deputy Leader of the National Party of Australia 2017–present | Incumbent |
(Turnbull ←) Second Turnbull Ministry (→ Morrison) | ||
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Prime Minister: Malcolm Turnbull | ||
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(Turnbull ←) Morrison Ministry | ||
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Prime Minister: Scott Morrison | ||
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