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Damien Francis Tudehope (born 1953) is an Australian politician. Tudehope served as the New South Wales Minister for Finance in the second Berejiklian and Perrottet ministries from April 2019 to March 2023. He was also the Minister for Employee Relations, the Vice-President of the Executive Council, and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council in the Perrottet ministry since December 2021. Tudehope has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2019 state election, representing the Liberal Party.

Tudehope was the New South Wales Legislative Assembly member for Epping from March 2015 until March 2019, representing the Liberal Party

Early life and education

Tudehope was educated at the University of Sydney where he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. He has been a small business owner, worked as the chief of staff for the former Attorney-General Greg Smith in the O'Farrell ministry, and as a partner at O'Hara and Company Solicitors.

As a lawyer, Tudehope successfully defended the later-convicted child sex offender priest Finian Egan against sexual abuse charges. Later, as chief of staff to the Attorney General, Tudehope blocked release of material regarding Egan for a subsequent trial. On that occasion in 2013, Egan was represented by Tudehope's brother, Anthony Tudehope. Egan was found guilty and jailed.

Political career

Tudehope acted as spokesperson for the socially conservative Australian Family Association. He was previously the State President of the National Civic Council. He ran against the Liberal Party in 1999 as the Australian Family Alliance candidate for the NSW Legislative Council, and has nominated for the seats of Baulkham Hills, Ryde and Epping for the Liberal Party, although he withdrew each time before the preselection stage.

Tudehope was endorsed by the Liberal Party for the state seat of Epping following Greg Smith's retirement from politics. At the 2015 state election, Tudehope achieved 54.3% of the primary vote, the second-highest primary vote in the history of the seat of Epping. In his inaugural speech, Tudehope cited housing affordability as a key issue that needed addressing. On 3 June 2015 Tudehope was appointed Chair for the Parliamentary Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and Deputy Chair for the Parliamentary Committee on Children and Young People.

In an agreement reached between Tudehope and Dominic Perrottet, Tudehope agreed to not contest the seat of Epping at the 2019 state election, allowing Perrottet the opportunity to move from Hawkesbury to contest Epping. In exchange, Tudehope sought Liberal Party endorsement for the Legislative Council. However, in November 2018, Liberal Party members voted against the deal. Tudehope eventually gained endorsement and was elected to the Legislative Council in March 2019. Tudehope was appointed as the Minister for Finance and Small Business in April 2019.

In April 2020, Don Harwin resigned from his portfolios including Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council. Tudehope was appointed Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council between 15 April 2020 and 3 July 2020, after which Harwin's portfolios were reinstated. Tudehope was then appointed as Leader of the House in the Legislative Council. In the December 2021 rearrangement of the Perrottet ministry, Tudehope was sworn in as the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Employee Relations, the Vice-President of the Executive Council, and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.

Personal life

Tudehope lives in West Pennant Hills with wife Diane, and has nine children, born between 1979 and 2000, including Monica, Liberal MLA for Epping and former Deputy Chief of Staff and Executive Director Policy to Dominic Perrottet. Tudehope is a Roman Catholic.

See also

• Second Berejiklian ministry
• Perrottet ministry

References

1. ^ Bastians, Kate (28 October 2014). "Damien Tudehope, 61, wins Liberal preselection for the blue ribbon seat of Epping". Northern District Times. The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
2. "Government Notices (30)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 1088-1090. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
3. ^ Sas, Nick (1 April 2019). "Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet". ABC News. Australia. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
4. "Premier announces new Cabinet" (Press release). Premier of New South Wales. 31 March 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
5. Han, Esther (2 April 2019). "Berejiklian's new massive cabinet sworn in amid peals of laughter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
6. ^ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 21 December 2021.
7. ^ "The Hon. Damien Francis Tudehope MLC". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
8. Palmer, Tim (5 April 2012). "New questions over A-G's link to embattled priest". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024.
9. Aston, Heath (8 July 2012). "Charged priest's political link". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024.
10. Bibby, Paul (20 December 2013). "Catholic priest Finian Egan jailed for sexually assaulting girls". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024.
11. ^ Green, Antony (March 2015). "NSW Election 2015 - Epping". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2015. 61 year-old Tudehope is a former staffer of the current Member of Epping, Greg Smith. He is also a former spokesman for the Australian Family Association, a socially conservative organisation founded by BA Santamaria. He unsuccessfully contested the 1999 NSW Legislative Council election as an Australian Family Alliance candidate. He and his wife live in West Pennant Hills and they have nine children.
12. "Member for Epping Damien Tudehope suggests higher stamp duty and land tax for foreign buyers in maiden speech". Northern District Times. The Daily Telegraph. 5 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024.
13. Mayers, Liz (9 November 2018). "NSW Liberals: Damien Tudehope loses promised Upper House spot in pre-selection battle". ABC News. Australia. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
14. Loussikian, Kylar (9 November 2018). "Nasty Liberal preselection battle enters new phase as Berejiklian peace deal rejected". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
15. "Damien Tudehope". Liberal Party of Australia, NSW Division. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
16. "NSW Police boss hits back after former Arts minister Don Harwin gets off coronavirus fine". ABC News. 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
17. "Statement on Don Harwin". NSW Government. 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2020.

v t e (←Baird)   Berejiklian and Perrottet ministries   (Minns→)
2017–2019 arrangement 2019–2021 arrangement 2021 arrangement 2021–2023 arrangement
Gladys Berejiklian (Premier) Dominic Perrottet (Premier) John Barilaro (Deputy) Paul Toole (Deputy) Kevin Anderson Stuart Ayres Niall Blair Andrew Constance Steph Cooke Mark Coure Tanya Davies Victor Dominello David Elliott Sam Farraway Ben Franklin Pru Goward Troy Grant James Griffin Shelley Hancock Don Harwin Brad Hazzard Alister Henskens Matt Kean Geoff Lee Natasha Maclaren-Jones Adam Marshall Sarah Mitchell Melinda Pavey Eleni Petinos Anthony Roberts John Sidoti Mark Speakman Dugald Saunders Rob Stokes Bronnie Taylor Wendy Tuckerman Damien Tudehope Gabrielle Upton Gareth Ward Natalie Ward Ray Williams

• Living people
• Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
• Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
• Australian solicitors
• Sydney Law School alumni
• University of Sydney alumni
• 1953 births
• 21st-century Australian politicians
• Australian Roman Catholics