Nigel Scullion

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Scullion received media attention early in his career when questions arose over how his business relationships with government bodies might have affected his eligibility to sit in parliament. [4] [5] Investigations continued for some time, but in the end did not affect his membership of Parliament. [6] [7]

On 30 January 2007, he was appointed Minister for Community Services in the Australian Government. He held office for only 10 months before the Howard government was defeated in an election.

In February 2007, Scullion was elected to the position of deputy Senate leader of the federal National Party and was subsequently promoted to the positions of deputy parliamentary leader of the National Party and leader of the party in the Senate on 3 December 2007, following the coalition's defeat. [8] On 6 December 2007 he was named as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the shadow ministry chosen by new Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson. [9] In 2008, he was defeated by Barnaby Joyce for the Senate leadership, [10] but retained the deputy leadership of the National Party. [11]

Scullion was re-elected at the 2010 election and appointed Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs by Opposition leader, Tony Abbott. [12] In February 2012, Scullion appeared in the second episode of Kitchen Cabinet with Annabel Crabb, when they went into the mud flats for crustaceans, which she has recalled as the most memorable show. [13] Following Joyce's move to the House of Representatives in 2013, Scullion reclaimed his position of Senate leader but lost the deputy parliamentary leadership to Joyce.

On 11 February 2016 Joyce was elected leader of the Nationals with Fiona Nash as his deputy. As Nash was also a Senator, Scullion had to relinquish the Senate leadership to Senator Nash. In fact, Senator Nash had been Senator Scullion's Senate deputy prior to her election as deputy leader of the parliamentary party.

After the High Court ruled that Joyce and Nash were ineligible during the 2017 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis, Scullion was appointed interim parliamentary leader of the National Party. Despite this appointment, Scullion did not become Acting Prime Minister during an overseas trip by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. [14] On 26 January 2019 he announced he would not recontest his Senate seat at the forthcoming election. [15]

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References

  1. Crabb, Annabel (29 July 2017). "Section 44 forcing politicians into extraordinary feats of intrepidity". Radio Australia . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  2. "Senator the Hon Nigel Scullion". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  3. "Former Senator Nigel Scullion". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia . Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  4. Loizou, John; Hinde, Suellen (7 May 2002). "Senator faces spotlight". Northern Territory News.
  5. Faulkner, John; et al. (14 May 2002), "Senate Debates", Hansard, Parliament of Australia, pp. 1393–1398
  6. "Senator probe". Northern Territory News. 25 September 2003.
  7. Maharaj, Rajiv (17 February 2004). "Funds inquiry clears Territory senator". Northern Territory News.
  8. "Truss wins Nationals leadership". ABC News. 3 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
  9. Parliament of Australia, Shadow Ministry list, 6 December 2007 Archived 25 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved January 2008.
  10. "Nationals won't toe Libs' line: Joyce". 17 September 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  11. Barnaby Joyce promoted to Nats Senate leader: Fairfax 17/9/2008 Archived 17 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Department of the Parliamentary Library - Shadow Ministry". Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  13. Leys, Nick (2 September 2013). "Ten questions for Annabel Crabb". The Australian . Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  14. Knaus, Christopher (28 October 2017). "Turnbull: Nationals happy for Julie Bishop to be acting prime minister". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  15. "Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion to become third minister to quit politics". ABC News. 26 January 2019.

 

Nigel Scullion
Nigel Scullion Portrait 2010.jpg
Minister for Indigenous Affairs
In office
18 September 2013 29 May 2019
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Senator for the Northern Territory
2001–2019
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Community Services
2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Jenny Macklin
as Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Minister for Indigenous Affairs
2013–2019
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate
2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the National Party in the Senate
2007–2008
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the National Party
2007–2013
Preceded by Leader of the National Party in the Senate
2013–2019
Succeeded by