Bruce Baird

Baird grew up in Cronulla, where his father owned the local shoe store.{{Cite web |last=Musick |first=Pat |date=2013-02-23 |title=New book recalls Cronulla's past |url=https://www.theleader.com.au/story/1315064/new-book-recalls-cronullas-past/ |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=St George & Sutherland Shire Leader |language=en-AU}} He was educated at Winston College, Cronulla Public School and Sutherland Intermediate High School, before studying for a Bachelor of Arts at University of Sydney. He later studied at University of Melbourne, holding a master's degree in business administration from the latter. He was Assistant Trade Commissioner at the Australian Embassy in Bonn, Germany, from 1972–1976, then Trade Commissioner at the Australian Consulate-General in New York, 1977–1980.{{Cite web |last=Halcrow |first=Jeremy |date=4 November 2007 |title=Bruce Baird’s sweetest victory |url=https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/bruce_bairds_sweetest_victory/ |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=Sydney Anglicans |language=en}} He was Government Affairs Manager for Esso Australia 1980–1984.{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=1984 |name=Mr Bruce George Baird (1942– ) |former=Yes |access-date=3 May 2019}}

Baird was elected as member for the electorate of Northcott in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1984. He was appointed as Shadow Minister for Transport and Finance in May 1986. Following the election of the Greiner Government in 1988, he was appointed as Minister for Transport. He was later appointed as Minister for Sydney's Olympic Bid 1990–1993.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}. Baird made an attempt to become Premier when he was a candidate to succeed Nick Greiner in 1992, but lost out to John Fahey.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/after-promising-start-baird-has-it-all-to-do-20140417-36utg.html |title=After promising start, Baird has it all to do |date=17 April 2014 |access-date=13 December 2020 |website=The Age}} He was also deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 1992 to 1994 and served as Minister for Tourism from 1992 to 1993 and as Minister for Roads from 1993 to 1995.

Baird was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from October 1998 to November 2007, representing the electorate of Cook, New South Wales. He also held the positions of chairman of the National Rail Corporation, and was a board member of ABN Amro Hoare Govett, Tourism Training Australia and Tourism Education Services.{{cite web | title= Biography for BAIRD, the Hon. Bruce George

|publisher= Parliament of Australia | url= http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;db=;group=;holdingType=;id=;orderBy=;page=0;query=Bruce%20Baird;querytype=;rec=5;resCount=Default |accessdate = 19 February 2010}} Baird along with fellow Liberal MPs Petro Georgiou, Russell Broadbent and Judi Moylan opposed mandatory detention of asylum seekers.{{cite news| url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Immigration/Rebel-MPs-Howard-meet-over-detention/2005/06/13/1118645753815.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=Rebel MPs, Howard fail to agree on detention | date=13 June 2005}}

Despite being a former deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party, Baird never served as a minister during his time in Federal Parliament.{{Cite Au Parliament|mpid=MP6|name=Hon Bruce Baird MP, AM|access-date=2022-08-01}} Baird had been overlooked for ministerial preferment by Prime Minister John Howard because he was a supporter of deputy Liberal leader and Howard's heir apparent Peter Costello.

Another factor that precluded Baird's promotion by Howard was that Baird's preselection for Cook prior to the 1998 election came against Howard's wishes as Howard had supported the previous Liberal member and preselected candidate for Cook, Stephen Mutch.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fopinion%2Fbaird-not-a-howard-kind-of-person%2Fnews-story%2F33eea105388258b7962397d787284ea7&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium|title = Subscribe to the Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps}}

Sensing that he would not be promoted by Howard, Baird in 2004 sought to become Speaker but was unsuccessful with David Hawker chosen as the Government's candidate for Speaker instead.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-11-15/david-hawker-named-as-speaker/585912|title=David Hawker named as Speaker|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=15 November 2004}}

In April 2007, he announced that he would retire at the next election.{{cite news |first=Phillip |last=Coorey |date=16 April 2007 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/baird-bows-out-as-challenge-looms-in-seat-20070416-gdpx7j.html| title=Baird bows out as challenge looms in seat |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |accessdate=15 April 2007 }} A fierce battle over his successor ensued; Michael Towke was initially preselected as the Liberal candidate 86 votes to 8 but was the target of several negative news reports, before being replaced with Scott Morrison, who went on to win the seat.{{Cite web |last=Sheehan |first=Paul |date=2009-10-25 |title=Nasty saga you nearly missed |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/nasty-saga-you-nearly-missed-20091025-hem5.html |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

Baird was appointed Chairman of the Tourism and Transport Forum, a peak industry lobby group, in 2008. In the same year, he was also appointed as chair of the Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council, which advises the Australian government on resettling refugees in Australia.{{cite web

| title= The Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council

| url= http://www.immi.gov.au/about/stakeholder-engagement/national/advisory/rrac/

| access-date= 24 November 2011

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110916012348/http://www.immi.gov.au/about/stakeholder-engagement/national/advisory/rrac/

| archive-date= 16 September 2011

| url-status= dead

}}

Following the financial collapse of a number of private providers of education to international students, in 2009 Baird agreed to head up a review into international education in Australia.{{cite web

| url = http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090810_073524.aspx

| title = Bruce Baird to head up international students review

| work = Media release

| publisher = Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

| date = 8 August 2009

| access-date = 12 April 2011

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110411164422/http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090810_073524.aspx

| archive-date = 11 April 2011

| url-status = dead

}} Baird delivered the report in a joint press conference in March 2010. Included in his recommendations were tighter regulation including stronger entry requirements, improved risk assessment, and where breaches occur, tougher penalties.{{cite web

| url = http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;db=;group=;holdingType=;id=;orderBy=;page=;query=Author%3A%22Baird,%20Bruce%22;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=

| format = Transcript

| publisher = Commonwealth of Australia

| work = Baird Review into International Education

| title = Transcript of joint press conference interview

| date = 9 March 2010

| access-date = 12 April 2011 }}

In 2010 on Australia Day, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia, and to the community of New South Wales through a range of business, tourism and welfare organisations.{{cite web | title= Baird, Bruce George|publisher= It's an Honour| url= https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1141720 |accessdate = 19 February 2010}} In August 2017, Business Events Sydney announced the appointment of Baird as their new Chairman, commencing from 1 September 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.businesseventssydney.com.au/media/latest-news/new-governance-for-business-events-sydney/|title=New governance for Business Events Sydney|work=Business Events Sydney|access-date=2017-08-29|language=en}}

Bruce and Judy Baird's children are Steve Baird, Chief Executive Officer{{Cite web |url=https://ijm.org.au/news/media-release-ijm-australia-appoints-steve-baird-as-new-ceo/ |title=MEDIA RELEASE: IJM Australia appoints Steve Baird as new CEO |date=14 July 2020 |access-date=13 December 2020}} International Justice Mission Australia; Julia Baird, columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald and host of the ABC News program The Drum; and Mike Baird, now Chief Executive Officer of HammondCare, and previously the Premier of New South Wales from 2014 to 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/libs-meet-to-decided-on-premier/story-fni0xqi4-1226887344247 |title=Baird replaces O'Farrell as NSW premier |author= |date=17 April 2014 |website=Herald Sun |publisher=News Corp |access-date=17 April 2014}}

He is a patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre, a not-for-profit that provides personal and practical support to people seeking asylum in Australia.{{cite web |title=Our patrons |url=https://asylumseekerscentre.org.au/about-us/patrons/ |website=asylumseekerscentre.org.au |publisher=Asylum Seekers Centre |access-date=13 December 2020}}

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{{s-ttl |title= Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party | years =1992–1994 }}

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{{succession box | title = Member for Cook | before = Stephen Mutch | years= 1998–2007 |after=Scott Morrison }}

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Category:1942 births

Category:Living people

Category:Australian businesspeople

Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia

Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Cook

Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives

Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

Category:Politicians from Sydney

Category:Members of the Order of Australia

Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales

Category:Australian MPs 1998–2001

Category:Australian MPs 2001–2004

Category:Australian MPs 2004–2007