Chris Crewther

Crewther was born in Mitcham and spent the first few years of his life in Kilsyth and Mooroolbark, before moving to Horsham in the Wimmera when he was four.[4] He grew up and undertook his schooling in the Wimmera, attending Horsham 298 Primary School, Horsham Lutheran Primary School, Murtoa Secondary College (now Murtoa College) and Horsham College.[5] He has two master's degrees from the Australian National University in international law and diplomacy,[6] the latter in which he was awarded the James Ingram AO Prize for Excellence in Diplomatic Studies for achieving top student.[7] He also has a law degree with honours from the University of Canberra, with a science minor. Before transferring to law, he undertook part of a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne.[4]

Before entering politics, Crewther ran his own small business, was CEO of Mildura Development Corporation (now Mildura Regional Development), was an International Lawyer through the United Nations at the Kosovo Property Agency in Kosovo (resolving property claims for those who lost possession of their property due to the 1998–99 conflict), worked in legal, policy and project management roles for the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture and AIATSIS, was an Associate to then Magistrate (now Supreme Court Justice) John Burns in the ACT Magistrates' Court, worked as a lawyer in private practice, and was a Political and Legislative Adviser to former Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson.[8]

Crewther has also been a Board Director of Zoe Support Australia (helping young pregnant and parenting mothers to get back into education), Global Voices (helping engage and involve young people in international diplomacy), and several other boards and committees.[2][8]

Crewther currently runs his own small business, is a Member of the Australian Government's Modern Slavery Expert Advisory Group and is Patron of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia.[8]

Crewther is also an avid supporter of the Collingwood Football Club, having a proud family history associated with it. He is related to Tom Sherrin, who developed the modern shape of the ball used in Australian football,[9] and was president of Collingwood, two other Collingwood presidents or vice-presidents Syd Sherrin and Tom Sherrin Jnr, and two former Collingwood players, Norm Crewther and Bill Proudfoot.[10]

Crewther was the Liberal candidate for the outer regional/rural seat of Mallee in 2013, which has been held by the National Party since its establishment in 1949, achieving a 17% swing to bring the seat down to a 6% margin at the time.[11] He was subsequently elected to parliament in 2016 in the inner regional/outer metropolitan seat of Dunkley.[2]

In a speech to parliament in late 2016, Crewther discussed living with Tourette syndrome and established the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Tourette Syndrome as its Founding Chair. He further discussed this during an interview on the Lateline program on 2 March 2017.[12] Through his efforts advocating for people living with Tourette Syndrome, particularly children, Crewther achieved ongoing funding from the Australian Government for nationwide Tourette Syndrome camps across Australia.[13][14]

In Parliament, Crewther was Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee, under the Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. In this role he instigated, led and undertook the Modern Slavery Inquiry,[15] tabling the Inquiry's interim report in August 2017 and final report, 'Hidden In Plain Sight', in December 2017.[16][17] As a result of this Inquiry and the recommendations in its final report, a Modern Slavery Bill was introduced into Parliament in June 2018, passed by the Australian House of Representatives on 17 September 2018, and passed by the Australian Senate in December 2018.[18] Australia's new Modern Slavery Act then came into force on 1 January 2019.[19]

In recognition of his work instigating and leading the Modern Slavery Inquiry and bringing about Australia's Modern Slavery Act, Crewther was named in the global Top 100 Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Leaders for 2018[20] and awarded a prestigious Freedom Award from Anti-Slavery Australia in October 2019.[21]

As Chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee, Crewther also instigated, led and undertook an Inquiry into the Strategic Effectiveness and Outcomes of Australia’s Aid Programme in the Indo-Pacific, tabling the Inquiry's First Report to Parliament in April 2019.[22][23][24] Reflecting the First Report's recommendations to increase international development spending, in its October 2020 Budget the Australian Government increased overall spending for the first time in several years.[25]

Crewther was also a member of the Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and Joint Standing Committee on Migration.[1] In addition, within the Coalition Government Crewther was Secretary then Chair of the Home Affairs and Legal Affairs Policy Committee, Secretary of the Immigration and Border Protection Policy Committee, Member of the Infrastructure, Regional Development and Northern Australia Policy Committee, and Member of the Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism and Investment Policy Committee.[1]

Following a redistribution of boundaries by the Australian Electoral Commission in 2018, which meant that Dunkley became a notional marginal Labor Party seat, Crewther lost to his Labor opponent at the 2019 federal election.[26]