Andrew Broad
{{Short description|Australian politician (born 1975)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Andrew Broad
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| constituency_MP = Mallee
| parliament = Australian
| majority =
| predecessor = John Forrest
| successor = Anne Webster
| term_start = 7 September 2013
| term_end = 11 April 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1975|7|2}}
| birth_place = Carnarvon, Western Australia, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| spouse = Rachel Mellings
| party = National
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Farmer
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Andrew John Broad (born 2 July 1975 in {{WAcity|Carnarvon}}, Western Australia) is an Australian former politician who represented Mallee in the Australian House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019 as a member of The Nationals.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2013/guide/mall/ |title=Mallee |work=ABC Election Guide 2013 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=2013 |author=Green, Antony |author-link=Antony Green }} He was Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister from September 2018 until December 2018. He did not run in the seat of Mallee at the federal election in May 2019.
Career
Broad is a former president of the Victorian Farmers' Federation,{{cite web |url=http://nationals.org.au/our-team/ |title=Andrew Broad |work=The National Parliamentary Team |publisher=Nationals }} Director of the National Farmers Federation and Director of Australian Made. A small business owner, Broad operated his wheat and sheep farm for 16 years from the age of 22. In 2006, Broad completed a Nuffield Scholarship, travelling to over 40 countries to advance his knowledge of best practice canola production, exploring biotechnology, agronomic advances and new grower techniques.{{cite web |url=http://www.nuffield.com.au/booklet-pdf/06_pres.pdf |title=2005 Nuffield Scholars Announced |publisher=Australian Nuffield Farming Scholars Association |accessdate=26 March 2017 |date=7 October 2005}}
Broad is a former Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy,{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=30379 |title=Senators and Members: Mr Andrew Broad MP |work=Australian House of Representatives |publisher=Parliament of Australia }} and former co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of UNICEF, and member of the Parliamentarians Against Family Violence group.{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tim-watts-on-why-privileged-men-need-to-join-the-domestic-violence-fight-20141019-1189sn.html |title=Tim Watts on why privileged men need to join the domestic violence fight |author=Ireland, Judith |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=30 October 2014 |accessdate=23 July 2016 }} Broad is also a former member of the Coalition Backbench Committee on Agriculture and the Coalition Backbench Committee on Trade and Investment.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}{{Self-published inline|date=July 2016}}
Broad's political interests included small business measures, domestic gas reservation policy, water policy, primary producer tax concessions, school chaplaincy,{{cite web |url=https://www.acl.org.au/tags/andrew_broad_mp |title=Andrew Broad MP commends National School Chaplaincy Program in parliament |publisher=Australian Nuffield Farming Scholars Association |accessdate=1 March 2020 |date=4 June 2014}} domestic violence, illicit drug abuse, greater support for children with type 1 diabetes, drought policy and increases in foreign aid.{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Search?ind=0&sr=0&q=andrew+broad&expand=True&drvH=0&drt=2&pnu=44&pnuH=44&f=12%2F11%2F2013&to=09%2F06%2F2015&pi=0&pv=&chi=2&coi=0&ps=100&ctl13%24hfSurvey=false&ctl13%24hfSurveyTimeout=&ctl13%24hfCookieExpiry=200&ctl13%24hfSurveyLink= |title=Search Hansard: Andrew Broad |work=Parliamentary Business |publisher=Parliament of Australia }}
In the 2024 Queensland local government elections he ran for Division 7 on the Fraser Coast Regional Council,{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Carlie |title=Fraser Coast Regional Council election 2024: Who are the candidates? |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/fraser-coast/fraser-coast-regional-council-election-2024-who-are-the-candidates/news-story/812ae17ebb4d8becfafd9c99c4e765e2 |access-date=28 January 2025 |publisher=Courier Mail |date=19 February 2024}} but was unsuccessful.{{cite web |title=Results - Fraser Coast Regional Council - Division 7 |url=https://results.elections.qld.gov.au/2024QLGE/02707/primary |website=Electoral Commission Queensland |publisher=Queensland Government |access-date=28 January 2025}}
Resignation and retirement
In December 2018, New Idea reported that Broad had used a "seeking arrangements" website to meet a younger woman.{{cite news |last1=Isrin |first1=Kietley |title=Nationals MP Andrew Broad shock 'sugar baby' secret |url=https://www.newidea.com.au/nationals-mp-andrew-broad-shock-sugar-baby-secret |accessdate=16 December 2018 |publisher=New Idea |date=16 December 2018}} In response to the report, Broad stated that the woman making the allegations "may have engaged in criminal activity", and that he had referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police.
Broad resigned from the ministry on 17 December 2018 as a result of the scandal.{{cite news | url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/andrew-broad-resigns-from-morrison-ministry-over-bombshell-sex-scandal-allegations-20181217-p50mon.html | title=Andrew Broad resigns from Morrison ministry over bombshell sex scandal allegations | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date=17 December 2010 | accessdate=17 December 2018}} Subsequently, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack revealed that he was aware of the allegations two weeks prior to them being published.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2018/dec/17/michael-mccormack-knew-about-andrew-broad-allegations-two-weeks-ago-video |website=The Guardian |title=Michael McCormack knew about Andrew Broad allegations two weeks ago – video |date=17 December 2018 |publisher=AAP |accessdate=17 December 2018}}
In a statement released on 17 December, the Australian Federal Police said that it had received and "assessed the information provided" by Broad, but that "no applicable offences under Australian law have been identified as any offence was outside Australia's jurisdiction". In addition, the agency stated that it had received the referral from Broad on 8 November.{{cite news |last1=Grattan |first1=Michelle |title=National Andrew Broad forced to quit frontbench amid 'sugar baby' allegation |url=https://theconversation.com/national-andrew-broad-forced-to-quit-frontbench-amid-sugar-baby-allegation-108914 |accessdate=17 December 2018 |work=The Conversation |date=17 December 2018}}{{cite tweet |user=BevanShields |number=1074553716592627712 |date=17 December 2018 |title=AFP statement noting November 8 referral date casts serious doubt on Michael McCormack's claim that he was only told about this two weeks ago and then urged Andrew Broad to contact AFP #auspol }} Broad reimbursed the costs of two flights between Mildura and Melbourne, charged to his Parliamentary account, for when he flew to Hong Kong, and did not recontest the seat of Mallee at the 2019 election.{{cite news |last1=Doran |first1=Matthew |title=Andrew Broad will not contest next election following dating website scandal |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-18/andrew-broad-refunds-taxpayer-flights-amid-political-scandal/10629690 |work=ABC News |date=18 December 2018 |language=en-AU}}
In March 2019, Broad gave his final speech in the parliament outlining his achievements, and stating his desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/nationals-mp-broad-quitting-to-save-face/news-story/0787a4aee10ce9208bc4740661947715|title=Nationals MP Broad quitting to save face|website=www.news.com.au|access-date=2019-01-04}} He said he had made a "dumb mistake" in using the website and that politics had "made him not as nice a person".{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-04/andrew-broad-says-he-made-dumb-mistake-using-sugar-baby-website/10685450 |title=Andrew Broad says he made 'dumb mistake' using 'sugar baby' website in Hong Kong |first=Stephanie |last=Dalzell |date=4 January 2019 |work=ABC News |accessdate=15 August 2019}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/mallee/andrew_broad Summary of parliamentary voting for Andrew Broad MP on TheyVoteForYou.org.au]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20190309172719/http://www.andrewbroad.com.au/ Personal website]
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{s-bef|before=John Forrest}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Mallee|years=2013–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Anne Webster}}
{{s-end}}
{{First Morrison Ministry}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broad, Andrew}}
Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Mallee
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:21st-century Australian farmers
Category:People from Carnarvon, Western Australia