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Michael Richard Lewis Wooldridge (born 7 November 1956) is an Australian doctor, company director, and former politician. He served as deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 1993 to 1994, under John Hewson. In the Howard government, he held ministerial office as Minister for Health and Family Services (1996–1998) and Health and Aged Care (1998–2001). He represented the Liberals in the House of Representatives as the member for Chisholm (1987–1998) and Casey (1998–2001).

Early years

Wooldridge was born in Melbourne on 7 November 1956. The son of a real estate agent, he grew up in the suburb of Surrey Hills and attended Scotch College, Melbourne. He went on to Monash University, initially studying economics and politics before transferring to a science degree and then studying medicine. He graduated in 1981 and completed his residency at The Alfred Hospital.

Federal political career

Wooldridge was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1987 federal election, winning the seat of Chisholm from the incumbent Australian Labor Party (ALP) MP Helen Mayer.

During his time in Opposition he was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and therefore the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from March 1993 to May 1994. He was 36 years old when he became deputy opposition leader, becoming the youngest person to hold the position. In May 1994, Liberal Leader John Hewson called a spill for both the leader's and deputy's positions. Hewson lost to Alexander Downer while Wooldridge withdrew at the last minute as it became clear he did not have the numbers to beat Downer's running mate Peter Costello.

Wooldridge's demise as deputy leader came as a result of an opinion poll that showed only 4% of voters preferred him as Liberal leader despite Wooldridge himself stating he had no desire to become leader. In response to this poll, Wooldridge argued on The 7.30 Report that 4% was a good result for a deputy leader as the deputy leader was not meant to be an alternative leader.

As well as expressing no desire to become leader, Wooldridge as deputy leader did not request to become Shadow Treasurer, making him one of a few and to date, the last deputy Liberal leader who never held the Treasury portfolio either in government or in opposition.

Wooldridge's reason for not taking up Treasury was his belief that his strength was in social policy area and that Treasury would take him "a year to get up to speed".

In 1996, the Liberal and National Parties were elected to Government and Wooldridge served as Minister for Health and Family Services from 1996 to 1998 and Minister for Health and Aged Care from 1998 up to his retirement in 2001. During his last term, he transferred from his marginal seat of Chisholm to the somewhat friendlier seat of Casey.

During this time he instituted significant and widespread changes to general practice. By setting up and responding to the report: "General Practice, Responding to the Future With Partnerships", he commenced a reform process that cemented the divisions of general practice as change agents, took responsibility for training GPs away from the RACGP and into the hands of an independent body (General Practice Education and Training), and instituted the Practice Incentives Program. He was forced to make a public apology to the President of the Australian Medical Association at the time, Kerryn Phelps in 2001 for publicly claiming she had no medical qualifications. During Woolridge's term as Health Minister, he was criticised for having close links with multinational drug company, Pfizer that impacted the independence of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). Wooldridge was also criticised for appointing Pat Clear, a former executive of Glaxo-Wellcome Australia who had recently retired as head of Medicines Australia (then known as the Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association) to the committee of the PBAC, prompting the immediate resignation of the Chair of the committee, Emeritus Professor Don Birkett, and leading to the refusal of five of the other committee members to be reappointed.

Career after politics

In 2002, Wooldridge's contract with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners was terminated due to allegations from the Australian Medical Association and the Federal Opposition that his involvement in the allocation of the $5,000,000 as well with his recent retirement as Health Minister represented a conflict of interest; in 2003 the parties settled and Wooldridge received a $382,500 payout. In 2006, Wooldridge was appointed 'Lead Independent Director' of the ASX listed Australian Pharmaceuticals Industry Limited. In September 2009, Wooldridge was invited to join a panel hosted by CSL Limited "a major manufacturer in a US$2 billion influenza industry" hosted by the company to dispel myths about swine flu vaccination.

Wooldridge has served on the Boards of Resonance Health Ltd, Dia-b Tech Limited (resigned in 2009, company since de-listed) and a Director of CogState Ltd. He is currently Chairman of Neurosciences Australia, Healthsource Australia (Ministerial Advisory Committee on AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatitis), the CRC for Mental Health and the Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre. He is also Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne.

In December 2013, Wooldridge and four other directors of Australian Property Custodian Holdings Ltd (APCHL) were found liable by the Federal Court for breaching their duties as officers of APCHL. APCHL was the responsible entity of the Prime Retirement and Aged Care Property Trust (Prime Trust), a managed investment scheme which owned retirement villages in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. APCHL collapsed in 2010 when administrators were appointed owing investors approximately $550 million. On 2 December 2014 he was banned as a company director for more than two years over his role in Prime Trust. Other directors, including founder Bill Lewski, received bans up to 15 years.

Wooldridge has also served on the board of the anti-wind energy activism organisation, the Waubra Foundation, along with other prominent anti-wind energy activists, including Sarah Laurie, Peter Mitchell, and Kathy Russell. The Waubra Foundation promotes the view that wind turbines cause ill health. Wooldridge and family are objectors to the Bald Hills wind farm in Gippsland Victoria.

Michael Wooldridge is the brother of Mary Wooldridge, Mental Health Minister in the Victorian State Government 2010–14.

References

1. ^ "Hon Dr Michael Wooldridge MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
2. "A champion of the middle grounds finds his feet". The Canberra Times. 29 March 1993.
3. "Liberals win Chisholm". The Canberra Times. 24 July 1987.
4. Church, Nathan (8 April 2021). "Youngest and oldest parliamentarians: a quick guide". Research Papers 2020-21. Parliamentary Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
5. Brough, Jodie (24 March 1993). "Wooldridge would welcome Richardson as an opponent". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via Trove.
6. General Practice, Changing the Future Through Partnerships: Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1998
7. "Wooldridge and Phelps bury the hatchet". ABC Radio PM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 July 2001. Retrieved 2 July 2001.
8. "Interview with Dr Kerryn Phelps, AMA President". ABC 774 3LO, Melbourne. 24 May 2001. Archived from the original on 16 September 2010.
9. "Paying the Price". ABC TV Four Corners. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 February 2001.
10. Loff, Bebe; Cordner, Stephen (10 February 2001). "Australian government loosens its grip on the pharmaceutical industry". The Lancet. 357 (9254): 453. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)71269-1. PMID 11273078. S2CID 31064357.
11. "Wooldridge cleared on interest conflict". The Age. 17 May 2002.
12. "Wooldridge gets $382,500 payout from GPs' college". The Age. 31 July 2003. Retrieved 31 July 2003.
13. "API Board of Directors". Australian Pharmaceuticals Industry Limited. 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2006.
14. "CSL Limited". CSL Limited. 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
15. Rose, Danny (1 October 2009). "Crackpots are against swine flu vaccine, says Michael Wooldridge". The Australian. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009.
16. "CogState Board of Directors". CogState Ltd. 2009. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010.
17. "Prime Trust directors found to have breached duties". Australian Securities and Investment Commission. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014.
18. Wilkins, Georgia (2 December 2014). "Former minister Michael Wooldridge cops ban over Prime Trust collapse". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
19. "Group to probe wind farm illness". The Weekly Times. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012.
20. Senate Community Affairs References Committee (29 March 2011). "Reference: Social and economic impact of rural wind farms" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2011.
21. "Australia". The Spec. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
22. "Senate: Community Affairs Committee: The Social and Economic Impact of Rural Wind Farms: Submissions Received". aph.gov.au. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011.
23. "Claims of wind farm illness". ABC News. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
24. "Protecting the spa country – Tuki Retreat/Tuki Trout Farm Proponents". Spacountryguardians.org.au. 24 July 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
25. "Surf Coast Shire – Home" (PDF). Surfcoast.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
26. "Mt Pollock protesters feel ill wind after tower vandalism – Local News – Geelong, VIC, Australia". Geelongadvertiser.com.au. 15 May 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
27. "Objectives". Waubra Foundation. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
28. Seccombe, Mike (5 October 2012). "A Field Guide To The War On Wind Power (Part Two)". Archived from the original on 30 March 2014.
29. "Panel report: Bald Hills wind farm project" (PDF). 24 June 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2014.

External links

• Department of Health and Aging, Speeches and press releases from January 2001 to November 2001

• 20th-century Australian medical doctors
• Members of the Cabinet of Australia
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Casey
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Chisholm
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives
• 1956 births
• Living people
• Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
• People from Ballarat
• Medical doctors from Melbourne
• Politicians from Melbourne
• Monash University alumni
• People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne
• 21st-century Australian politicians
• Ministers for health of Australia
• Australian MPs 1987–1990