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The Honourable Christopher Pyne MP
Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 February 2009
Leader	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Joe Hockey
Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 September 2008
Preceded by	Tony Smith
Minister for Ageing
In office 21 March 2007 – 3 December 2007
Preceded by	Santo Santoro
Succeeded by	Justine Elliot
Member of the Australian Parliament for Sturt
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 March 1993
Preceded by	Ian Wilson
Personal details
Born	(1967-08-13) 13 August 1967 (age 57) Adelaide, South Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse	Carolyn Pyne
Alma mater	University of Adelaide University of South Australia
Occupation	Politician
Website	http://www.pyneonline.com.au

Christopher Maurice Pyne, MP (born 13 August 1967), Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 13 March 1993, representing the Division of Sturt, South Australia.

Early years

Pyne was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1967, and was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide and the University of Adelaide, where he gained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and was President of Adelaide University Liberal Club from 1987 to 1988. He was a research assistant to Senator Amanda Vanstone and later became President of the South Australian Young Liberals from 1988-1990. Pyne was then selected as the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Ross Smith—a very safe Labor seat—at the 1989 election, but was defeated by the sitting member and Premier of South Australia, John Bannon. He earned a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the University of South Australia and began practising as a solicitor in 1991.

Politics

At the 1993 Australian federal election, aged 25, Pyne was elected to the Division of Sturt in the House of Representatives, becoming the youngest member of the Australian Parliament. He had earlier defeated Ian Wilson, who is 35 years Pyne's senior, in a pre-selection battle for the seat.

Pyne is a republican and established himself as a member of the moderate faction in the South Australian wing of the Liberal party, supporting then Deputy Leader Peter Costello. In 1994, after serving a period in the backbenches, Pyne was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security. He retained this position after John Howard was elected as leader, and up to the 1996 election.

After the Coalition victory at the 1996 election, Pyne remained in the backbench. In 2003, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Family and Community Services, where he remained until 2004, when named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing. As Parliamentary Secretary, he defended the government's "War on drugs" and established his strong support of illicit drug prohibition, as opposed to harm minimisation. He was also an advocate for mental health, founding the youth mental health initiative, Headspace during his time as Parliamentary Secretary. He remained as Parliamentary Secretary until 30 January 2007 when he was appointed Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing. He held this portfolio until 21 March, when he was appointed Minister for Ageing, succeeding resigning Minister, Senator Santo Santoro.

Pyne was also chairman of the Australia Israel Parliamentary group from 1996 to 2004.

2007 onward

Pyne came close to losing Sturt at the 2007 federal election to Labor candidate Mia Handshin, after suffering a primary vote swing of 4.5 percent and a two-party swing of 5.9 percent, to finish with 50.9 percent of the two-party vote. Following the election in which the John Howard-led Coalition government was defeated by the Kevin Rudd-led Labor opposition, Pyne put himself forward as a candidate for Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. In a ballot of Liberal parliamentary members, Julie Bishop prevailed with 44 votes, ahead of Andrew Robb, who won 25 votes, and Pyne 18 votes. Following the election of Brendan Nelson as party leader, Pyne was appointed Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection.

Following Malcolm Turnbull's election as Liberal Party Leader in September 2008, Pyne was elevated to the position of Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training. After Deputy Leader Julie Bishop stepped down from the portfolio of Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey took up the portfolio, with Pyne replacing Hockey as Manager of Opposition Business.

On one occasion during Question Time, Pyne called Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard a "foxy moron" after Gillard called him a "poodle." A few days later, The Advertiser drew a political cartoon showing Pyne's head on the body of a poodle.

Pyne was re-elected at the 2010 federal election, receiving a primary vote swing of 0.9 percent and a two-party swing of 2.5 percent, to finish with 53.4 percent of the two-party vote. In September 2010 he was re-appointed to the Tony Abbott Shadow Ministry as Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training and Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.

Personal life

Christopher Pyne and his wife, Carolyn, have four children, two boys and two girls.

References

1. ^ Cite error: The named reference py was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
2. "The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Member for Sturt (SA)". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
3. ^ "Christopher Pyne Online". Retrieved 3 December 2007.
4. ^ "Christopher Pyne Online - Biography". Retrieved 20 October 2009.
5. Political debate on ABC between Pyne, Mark Latham and moderator Tony Jones
6. "Government defends drugs policy". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 September 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
7. "Pyne launches youth mental health initiative". Department of Health and Ageing. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
8. "Nelson's victory puts Turnbull on deck". Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 2007.
9. "Brendan Nelson announces shadow ministry". The Courier Mail. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
10. "SA's Chris Pyne named Education Spokesman in new Coalition frontbench". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
11. Madigan, Michael (27 February 2009). "Barking, biting dog House". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
12. Sturt results - 2010 federal election: AEC
13. http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/Shadow/index.htm

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• Use dmy dates from September 2010
• 1967 births
• Living people
• Liberal Party of Australia politicians
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Sturt
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives
• Australian Roman Catholics
• Australian republicans