Warren Snowdon

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The Honourable
Warren Snowdon
Warren Snowdon MP 2011.jpg
Snowdon in 2011
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
In office
14 September 2010 –18 September 2013

Snowdon was born in Canberra and was educated at St Edmund's College, follow by tertiary studies at the Australian National University and the University of Western Australia. [3]

Before entering federal politics, he worked as a teacher in the Commonwealth and Northern Territory teaching services (1976–78, and again 1981–83).  He also spent time as a researcher at ANU from 1978 to 1981. [4]

From 1983 to 1987, Snowdon served as Senior Project Officer at Central Land Council in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.  During this period he helped establish labour representation for workers in central Australia: he was founding president of the Central Australian Regional Trades and Labour Council, and later became Assistant Secretary of the Northern Territory Trades and Labour Council. [5]


Political career

Snowdon was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Communications 1990–92, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Education and Training 1992–96, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories 1993 and 1994–96 and Parliamentary Secretary (Territories) 1993–94.

Defeated at the 1996 federal election, Snowdon returned to parliament two years later. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Regional and Urban Development, Transport and Infrastructure (Northern Australia and the Territories) 2001–04. From 2004 to 2007 he was Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs.

Snowdon was sworn in as Minister for Defence Science and Personnel in the first Rudd ministry on 3 December 2007. [6] Following a reshuffle of the Ministry on 9 June 2009 as a result of the resignation of the Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, Snowdon was promoted to Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery. On 14 September 2010, he gained the portfolio of Veterans' Affairs and regained Defence Science and Personnel, while losing responsibility for Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery, but retaining Indigenous Health. On 12 September 2011 he was given the added responsibility of Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Centenary of ANZAC. [7]

Snowdon narrowly retained his seat at the 2013 federal election, largely due to his winning all but five booths. [8] However, Snowdon was not appointed to the shadow ministry. [9]

Snowdon was re-elected in the 2016 federal election with a seven-point swing towards him, becoming the longest-serving MP in the House, and the only member who was first elected in the 1980s. [10] Snowdon was however not the Father of the House due to his continuous service only beginning from 1998. Kevin Andrews, whose continuous service began from 1991, became Father of the House instead. Snowdon again retained his seat at the 2019 federal election.

He sat on the "Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia" from June 2020. [11] [12]

In reference to his service from Old Parliament House, Snowdon said: "I'm a bit of a relic. I'm the only one left in this parliament - Senate or House of Reps - from the Old Parliament House." [13]

Snowdon did not contest the 2022 federal election and retired from politics.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kerr, Christian (15 October 2013). "Love-in gives way to faction muscle". The Australian . Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Coughlan, Matt (10 December 2020). "NT MP Snowdon to depart at next election". Perth Now . Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  3. ↑ corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Hon Warren Snowdon". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 3 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Hon Warren Snowdon". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 3 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Hon Warren Snowdon". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 3 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Rudd drops six: report". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
  7. ↑ "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Aikman, Amos (10 September 2013). "NT chief demotes ally of Tony Abbott, Alison Anderson". The Australian. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Crowe, David (15 October 2013). "Fraction too much faction in Labor 'cabal'". The Australian . Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  10. ↑ "Warren Snowdon keeps on keeping on with easy win in Lingiari". NT News. NT News. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Release of interim report into Juukan Gorge tragedy". Parliament of Australia . 9 December 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. ↑ Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia (December 2020). Never again: Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia - Interim Report. Commonwealth of Australia. ISBN   978-1-76092-197-2. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021. PDF
  13. ↑ Coughlan, Matt (10 December 2020). "NT MP Snowdon to depart at next election". Perth Now . Retrieved 10 December 2020.
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