John Anderson (Australian politician)

Anderson was born in Sydney to Duncan Anderson and Beryl Mann.[2] His family had been graziers and landowners of Mullaley in northern New South Wales since the 1840s.[3] When he was three years old, his mother died of cancer. His father was an acting sergeant in north Africa during World War II, where he sustained significant injuries.[4] Anderson had a younger sister, Jane, who died in childhood as a result of a sporting accident.[5][6]

Anderson has described his religious upbringing as "very, very nominal Presbyterian."[7]

As a young child, Anderson was tutored at home by his Aunt, Margaret, through Blackfriars Correspondence School.[7] At age nine, he was sent to board in Gunnedah where he attended Gunnedah South Public School.[8] Anderson was then sent to The King's School in Parramatta, boarding at Waddy House.[9]

He began a degree in arts and laws at the University of Sydney, where he was a resident of St Paul’s College, but dropped law shortly after commencing.[7] Anderson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history and returned to the family property where he was a farmer and grazier, and completed a Master of Arts during this time.[10]

Anderson became chair of the National Party's Tambar Springs branch in 1984.[11] A few weeks later, MP Frank O'Keefe recommended Anderson run for the seat of Paterson, where he was current member,[12] but the seat was abolished in 1984.[13] In 1989, Ralph Hunt, the sitting MP in the neighbouring seat of Gwydir, retired and supported Anderson to replace him.[14] The ensuing pre-selection contest to become the National Party candidate for the next election was close, Anderson winning over contenders that included future MP, Tony Windsor.[15][16] Facing the by-election he faced right wing candidates John Uebergang, who would later create the Confederate Action Party of Australia, and the anti-immigration Bevan O’Regan, who would later join One Nation.[17]

Anderson won the by election, with a two-party preferred result of 56%.[18] His first remarks to the House of Representatives were part of a condolence motion for his mentor, and former MP, Frank O'Keefe, who had died two weeks before.[19] Anderson gave his official maiden speech on 17 August 1989, describing the country as “in grave economic trouble"[20] Initially, he was seen as a protege of former party leader Ian Sinclair.[21]

In parliament, Anderson advocated reducing interest rates to lower the cost of production, distanced himself from economic rationalists, and supported liberal-conservative political views. Anderson served in parliamentary committees in Transport, Communications and Infrastructure.

After the 1990 federal election, Anderson joined the shadow ministry. He was seen as a protégé of former party leader Ian Sinclair.[21] In April 1992, he was made parliamentary secretary to the Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations.[22][23] In March 1993, following the Coalition's defeat at the 1993 election, Anderson was elected deputy leader of the Nationals in place of Bruce Lloyd. With the backing of Sinclair, who unsuccessfully challenged Tim Fischer for the party leadership, he defeated three more senior candidates – Peter McGauran, John Sharp and Bruce Scott. At the time he was described in The Canberra Times as "a young, good-looking man with a long lineage in farming who has been tipped for party leadership ever since he entered politics because he bridges the traditional interests of the former Country Party and its need to update its image for the 1990s".[21] He was subsequently included in John Hewson's shadow cabinet as Shadow Minister for Primary Industry.[11] As shadow minister he criticised the minister Simon Crean on matters such as the government-set wool floor price.[24]

Anderson served as acting leader of the Nationals for around a month starting in January 1994, in the absence of Fischer who had been badly injured in a car accident.[25]

Anderson became the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy upon the Coalition's victory at the 1996 federal election, where he had promised the establishment of a $1 billion fund “to restore the national estate, including programs to arrest soil degradation". Anderson also reached a high of 68.51% in the two party preferred vote for his seat of Gwydir.

Upon becoming a minister, Anderson was asked by Prime Minister John Howard to join a five-person committee with the brief of making radical cuts to government spending. The goal of the so-called “razor gang” was to cut $6 to $8 billion in expenditure and was led by the new treasurer, Peter Costello. Anderson advocated that agricultural research and development, diesel fuel rebates and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service should be protected from spending cuts.

In response to the Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people were killed by a lone gunman, the Coalition government had passed the National Firearms Agreement, which created an agreement between the states and territories to ban automatic and semiautomatic weapons and create a national register for all other firearms.

Following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Tim Fischer, Anderson was elected unopposed as the new leader and become Deputy Prime Minister himself on 20 July 1999. Anderson kept his ministerial responsibilities in Transport and Regional Development and were extended to the delivery of government services, such as health, to regional and remote centres, and a role in the National Security Committee. Anderson also assumed the role of Acting Prime Minister when John Howard was overseas, such as during the September 11 attacks and in the aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombings.

Anderson is regarded as having succeeded in delaying the privatisation of Telstra.

Anderson's ministerial department was responsible for paying outstanding wages and entitlements for former employees of the insolvent airline Ansett Australia, though allowing it to collapse.

During Anderson's tenure as Deputy Prime Minister, the Coalition government established the National Water Initiative in 2004, allowing producers to gain ongoing access entitlements for a share of water available for use, rather than fixed-term entitlements with no guarantee of renewal.

On 17 November 2004, the MP for New England Tony Windsor accused John Anderson of offering him, via businessman Greg Maguire, of a diplomatic or trade posting if Windsor would surrender his seat. As the statement was made under parliamentary privilege, it was protected from litigation for defamation. Anderson strongly repudiated the claims. A Senate inquiry and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions found that there were no grounds to lay any charges under the Commonwealth Electoral Act.

On the last sitting day of Parliament before the winter recess of 2005, John Anderson announced his resignation from the leadership of the National Party, and as Deputy Prime Minister, citing a citing a "debilitating but thankfully benign prostate condition". He was succeeded in both positions by Mark Vaile, and retired from parliament at the 2007 federal election.

Anderson served as chairman of Eastern Star Gas (ESG) from October 2007 until 2011 when the publicly-listed company and its flagship Narrabri Gas Project was acquired by Santos in a $924 million deal.[26] The ESG board led by Anderson unanimously recommended that shareholders approve the offer in an announcement released to the Australian Securities Exchange on 18 July 2011.

On 13 June 2011, Anderson was named an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, particularly for supporting rural and regional communities, transport development, and water management initiatives.[27]

Prior to the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, Anderson was interviewed on ABC television speaking about his opposition to same-sex marriage.[28]

In the late 2010s, Anderson made an increased presence in online media, as well as newspaper opinion pieces and television appearances. Since 2018, Anderson has hosted a podcast and YouTube channel, interviewing public figures.[29]

In 1998, Anderson and his wife Julia's fifth child was born in January of that year, with Down’s syndrome and Hirschsprung's disease, and died six months later.

Wikiquote has quotations related to: John Anderson (Australian politician)

• National Party of Australia website
• John Anderson website

External video
Australia is in a new culture war says John Anderson, Matter Of Fact With Stan Grant, ABC News