Mathias Cormann

Cormann was born on 20 September 1970 in Eupen, Belgium, within the country's German-speaking Community.[12] He is the oldest of four children and only son born to Hildegard and Herbert Cormann.[13] Cormann grew up in the village of Raeren, around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the German border. At the time of his birth, his father worked as a turner at a factory in Germany. When he was ten years old, his father spent six months in hospital with a severe illness that left him unable to work; he subsequently became an alcoholic but recovered.[13][14] The family relied on a disability pension and assistance from the local Catholic church, where Cormann served as an altar boy.[15]

After beginning his education locally, Cormann completed his secondary schooling in Liège, where he learnt French as a second language.[13] He went on to the University of Namur, where he attained the degree of candidate in law.[12] In 1989, he and some university friends drove to Berlin to witness the Fall of the Berlin Wall. He has cited his experiences of the systems used in East and West Germany as influential in his political development.[15] Cormann later undertook law graduate studies at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, attaining the degree of licentiate and learning Flemish.[12][16] He learned English as a fourth language in 1993 while on an Erasmus Programme exchange to the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.[13]

Cormann's parents were not politically active.[15] He nonetheless joined the German-speaking Christian Social Party (CSP) at a young age and was elected to Raeren's municipal council at the age of 21.[13] He later worked in Brussels as an assistant to Mathieu Grosch, who represented Belgium's German-speaking electoral college in the European Parliament.[15][17] In 1995, he was associated with Joëlle Milquet's campaign for the presidency of the French-speaking Christian Social Party (PSC).[18]

During his time studying in England, Cormann began a relationship with an Australian woman. He first came to Australia in June 1994 to visit her family in Perth. Their relationship did not continue, but after returning to Belgium to complete his studies he decided to move to Australia permanently.[15] He settled in Perth in July 1996, aged 25, initially working as a gardener at Presbyterian Ladies' College as his Belgian law degrees were not recognised.[19] Cormann then cold-called Senator Chris Ellison, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on treaties, and asked to work in his office as a volunteer. After two weeks he secured a paid position as a staffer.[15]

Through Ellison, Cormann began to develop connections in the Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division).[15] From 1997 to 2000 he worked as chief of staff to Rhonda Parker, the state minister for family and children's services. He later worked as senior adviser to Premier Richard Court (2000–2001) before returning to work for Ellison after his appointment as federal justice minister. Cormann was elected to the Liberal Party's state council in 2000. He served as a vice-president of the party from 2003 to 2004 and as senior vice-president from 2004 to 2008.[12]

In 2003, Cormann joined HBF as health services manager in its health insurance division. He was general manager of its Healthguard division from 2004 to 2006 before rejoining the health insurance division as acting general manager from 2006 to 2007.[12]

Cormann is a free market economic and fiscal conservative. As a Senator, in Opposition and in Government, he has been a consistent advocate for lower taxes, smaller government, open markets and free trade.[35][36] Within the Liberal Party he is associated with the economic dries.[37]

While Cormann personally opposed same-sex marriage and in 2017 argued "for a postal vote plebiscite to be held before a parliamentary vote on the issue", after that survey went ahead and found most Australians support same-sex marriage, Cormann chose to vote in favour of the bill legalising same-sex marriage.[38][39]

Cormann is a constitutional monarchist.[40]

Cormann, a Roman Catholic,[41] is married to Hayley, a lawyer. They have two daughters.[42]

Cormann became an Australian citizen on Australia Day in 2000, which resulted in the automatic loss of his Belgian citizenship as per Belgian nationality law at the time. This was re-confirmed prior to nominating for preselection as a candidate for the Senate.[43]

Cormann obtained a private pilot's licence in 2001.[44]

Cormann with Angela Merkel (front row) and the Australia-Germany Advisory Group in 2015

In January 2018, Cormann was awarded with the rank of Grand Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by Ambassador Anna Prinz on behalf of the Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier for his work "in advancing German-Australian relations".[45]

• Australian Senate – Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann
• Mathias Cormann's Personal official website
• Cormann, Mathias (15 August 2007). "First speech". Hansard: Australian Senate. Parliament of Australia.
• Kitney, Geoff (2 May 2014). "Mathias Cormann: A tale of two lives". WA Today. originally published in the Australian Financial Review.
• Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Mathias Cormann on TheyVoteForYou.org.au