John Tingle

Born in Edgecliff, New South Wales, Tingle attended Sydney Boys High School from 1944 to 1949.[1] He was a broadcaster and news editor at Deniliquin from 1949 to 1951 before becoming a journalist for the ABC from 1951 to 1968. During that time, he was Supervisor of ABC TV News and Chief of Staff of the ABC News Service, among other positions. He switched to commercial radio in 1969, and presented current affairs programmes on stations including 2UE, 2UW, Radio Australia, 2SM, 3AW in Melbourne (1996), and 4BK in Brisbane (1997), before returning to Sydney to work for 2SM (1978–1982). He then worked at 2GB (1982–1992) and 2CH (1992–1995).

During his radio career, Tingle also presented TV programmes on Channels 7 and 9 in Sydney, ABCTV Queensland/Northern Territory, and WIN4 Wollongong and SBS. His 1982 radio documentary on the Polish background of Pope John Paul II won a UN Media Peace Prize.

Tingle founded the Shooters Party in 1992, and was its vice-chairman until late 2013, when he resigned from the party. He rejoined in 2019, and was reinstated as patron and founder.[2]

Despite being the founder of the Shooters Party, Tingle at one time denied a claim made by a journalist he was leader of the party.

In 1995, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council as a Shooters Party (later Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party) member, serving for eleven years until his resignation in 2006. During that time, he initiated seven successful bills, served on the Staysafe Committee for 11 years, and on the Ministerial Advisory Council on Shooting Clubs for 10 years. In 2007, he was appointed to the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal.

Tingle has three children.[2] His daughter, Laura Tingle, is a political journalist in Canberra, and chief political correspondent of the ABC current affairs program, 7.30.[3]