Nick Minchin

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Senator Minchin wishes to record his dissent from the committee's statements that it believes cigarettes are addictive and that passive smoking causes a number of adverse health effects for non-smokers. Senator Minchin believes these claims (the harmful effects of passive smoking) are not yet conclusively proved ... there is insufficient evidence to link passive smoking with a range of adverse health effects.

— Nick Minchin, Senate Committee's Minority Report on Tobacco-related Illnesses

A 2009 article in The Australian drew parallels between his stance on tobacco and his stance as a global warming denial. [18]

In 2007, Minchin admitted to smoking cannabis at high school and university. [19]

Climate change

In a March 2007 letter to the founder of Clean Up Australia , Ian Kiernan, Minchin expressed doubts that climate change was caused by human activity. [20] In the letter, Minchin cited the writings of the Canadian newspaper columnist Lawrence Solomon, who in turn cited the disputed [21] theories of Danish scientist Henrik Svensmark. [20] Minchin said that the ETS bill was "the work of madman" and an "abomination", and observed that "Mr Rudd's arrogance and vanity in wanting to lead the world in cutting CO2 emissions is really sickening". [22]

Minchin campaigned against an emissions trading scheme (ETS) bill. [23]

On 22 September 2008, the parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull, appointed Minchin as Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. [24] Minchin had been previously Shadow Minister for Defence. [25] However, on 26 November 2009, Minchin resigned from the shadow cabinet in protest at Turnbull's position on the government's emissions trading scheme. [26] [27]

Turnbull later stated on ABC Radio that, according to Minchin, "the world is not warming, it's cooling and the climate change issue is part of a vast left-wing conspiracy to deindustrialise the world". [28]

Nuclear fuel cycle

As Minister for Industry Science and Resources (1998-2001), Minchin became the first Commonwealth minister to have had responsibility for the entire nuclear fuel cycle. Activity at this time included uranium mining, management of Australia's only nuclear reactor and the management of radioactive waste. During this period, Minchin approved the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia, commissioned a replacement research reactor at Lucas Heights and identified a future site for a national radioactive waste repository. In his valedictory speech, Minchin reflected on this period, saying:

"Responsibility for all matters radioactive was certainly testing... I failed in my responsibility to establish a national radioactive waste repository in the central north of South Australia, one of the best sites in the world for such a facility." [29]

Personal life

Nick Minchin is a distant cousin of Australian comedian Tim Minchin. [30] His wife, Kerry Wakefield, is a journalist and blogger who writes for The Spectator and is on the advisory council of Advance Australia. [31] [32] [33] They married in 1984, having met while she was working in the Canberra press gallery when her boyfriend was Peter Garrett. [34]

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References

  1. ↑ Australian Consulate-General, New York Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Yes, I was a teenage stoner, says candid Minchin. The Age. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  3. ↑ Senator Nick Minchin, Official biography, Senate website. Retrieved September 2007.
  4. ↑ Minchin begs Peter Costello to return to front bench: Herald Sun 3/8/2008 Archived 6 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Senator Nick Minchin, 'Senate majority used responsibly' Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine , media release, 26 June 2007. Retrieved September 2007.
  6. 1 2 "Minchin to quit politics – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. abc.net.au. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  7. ↑ "Consul-General in New York". Media Release. Australian Government - Minister for Foreign Affairs. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Bowers, Hannah; McDonald, Alex (9 August 2022). "John Barilaro casts himself as the victim in parliamentary inquiry". 7.30. 5.54 minutes in. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2022. Nick Minchin was the Consul-General in New York until May 2017.
  9. ↑ Former Howard minister Nick Minchin to replace former Labor premier Steve Bracks as Consul General to New York ABC News , 14 February 2014. Accessed 14 February 2014.
  10. ↑ Nick Minchin gets Consul-General posting in New York AdelaideNow, 14 February 2014. Accessed 14 February 2014.
  11. ↑ Ex-minister Minchin lands board role SBS News, 7 December 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  12. ↑ John Garnaut, 'Use Telstra sale to fund shares buy-up – Minchin', Sydney Morning Herald, 14 March 2005. Retrieved September 2007.
  13. ↑ Sid Marris (11 October 2007). "Think-tank invite infuriates union | The Australian". Theaustralian.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 November 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  14. ↑ "Union dominance a danger: PM – FederalElection2007News – Federal Election 2007". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  15. ↑ ABC AM, Minchin seeks 'new wave' of IR change, 8 March 2006. Retrieved September 2007.
  16. ↑ Workers Online, Scoop-idity: How The Truth Was Nicked, 10 March 2006. Retrieved September 2007.
  17. ↑ The Tobacco Industry and the Costs of Tobacco-related Illness, Report of the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee, December 1995
  18. 1 2 "Nick Minchin was a sceptic on tobacco". The Australian. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  19. ↑ "Minister admits to smoking dope". The Sydney Morning Herald . 12 July 2007.
  20. 1 2 Frew, Wendy (15 March 2007). "Minchin denies climate change man-made". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  21. ↑ "'No Sun link' to climate change". news.bbc.co.uk. 3 April 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  22. ↑ "Minchin may vote for emissions scheme 'abomination'". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  23. ↑ "Minchin faces Liberals backlash over climate change". The Australian . 10 November 2009.
  24. ↑ Coalition Shadow Ministry Archived 10 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ Nelson unveiling his new look ministry Archived 8 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine , 'LiveNews.com.au, 6 November 2007
  26. ↑ Liberal Leadership Challenge, The Age, 27 November 2009
  27. ↑ Online parliamentary correspondent Emma Rodgers (26 November 2009). "Defiant Turnbull takes on climate rebels – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. Abc.net.au. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  28. ↑ "Turnbull ups the white-ante – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. abc.net.au. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  29. ↑ "Minchin delivers final Senate speech - The Stump". 22 June 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  30. ↑ "9 Life Lessons - Tim Minchin UWA Address". YouTube . 7 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  31. ↑ Wakefield, Kerry. "About". Tip of the Spear: Cutting-Edge News for Freethinkers. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  32. ↑ "Kerry Wakefield". The Spectator Australia. Press Holdings. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  33. ↑ "Advisory Council". Advance Australia. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  34. ↑ Murphy, Damien (21 January 2006). "In the wings, the pragmatist with a ruthless streak". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media Limited. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

Bibliography

The Honourable
Nick Minchin
Nick Minchin.jpg
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
In office
3 December 2007 –3 May 2010
Political offices
Preceded by Special Minister of State
1996–98		Succeeded by
Preceded byas Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Minister for Industry, Science and Resources
1998–2001		Succeeded byas Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources
Preceded byas Minister for Resources and EnergySucceeded byas Minister for Science
Preceded by Minister for Finance and Administration
2001–07		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice-President of the Executive Council
2004–07		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Liberal Party in the Senate
2006–2010		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Australian Consul General in New York
2014–		Incumbent
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