Christine Forster

{{Short description|Australian local government politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{distinguish|Chrissie Foster}}

{{Use Australian English|date=October 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Christine Forster

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| imagesize =

| office = Councillor of the City of Sydney

| term_start = 8 September 2012

| term_end = 4 December 2021

| predecessor =

| successor =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| spouse = Virginia Flitcroft (m. 2018)

| party = Liberal

| relations = Tony Abbott {{smaller|(brother)}}

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Politician

| profession = Journalist

| website = {{URL|http://www.christineforster.com.au}}

}}

Christine Forster is an Australian former local government politician who was a Liberal councillor in the City of Sydney (2012–2021) and the younger sister of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.{{cite web|title=SBS journalist and Mardi Gras host Patrick Abboud reveals rare insight into the life of Tony Abbott's lesbian sister|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/sbs-journalist-and-mardi-gras-host-patrick-abboud-reveals-rare-insight-into-the-life-of-tony-abbotts-lesbian-sister/story-e6frfmyi-1227239886863|date=26 February 2015|work=News.com.au|author=Killalea, Debra|access-date=8 March 2015|archive-date=10 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310011811/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/sbs-journalist-and-mardi-gras-host-patrick-abboud-reveals-rare-insight-into-the-life-of-tony-abbotts-lesbian-sister/story-e6frfmyi-1227239886863|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/thefeed/story/christine-forster-tony-abbotts-openly-gay-sister |title=Christine Forster: Tony Abbott's Openly Gay Sister |date=26 February 2015 |work=The Feed |publisher=Special Broadcasting Service |access-date=8 March 2015 |archive-date=10 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310005950/http://www.sbs.com.au/news/thefeed/story/christine-forster-tony-abbotts-openly-gay-sister |url-status=dead }}

Forster attended the University of Sydney, completing a Bachelor of Economics. In her time at the University of Sydney, she ran for the Students' Representative Council (SRC) as a Democratic Alliance candidate, and becoming an SRC Representative in 1982.{{Cite journal |date=1982 |title=Representatives: Democratic Alliance |url=https://digital.library.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/4070?highlights=WyJjaHJpc3RpbmUiLCJhYmJvdHQiXQ==&type=phrase&keywords=christine%20abbott#idx31830 |journal=Honi Soit |issue=16 |pages=14 |via=University of Sydney Library Digital Collections}}{{Cite journal |date=1982 |title=SRC Election Results |url=https://digital.library.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/4075?highlights=WyJjaHJpc3RpbmUiLCJhYmJvdHQiXQ==&type=phrase&keywords=christine%20abbott#idx32155 |journal=Honi Soit |issue=21 |pages=27 |via=University of Sydney Library Digital Collections}}

Forster worked as a journalist covering the Australian energy sector for resources information service Platts,{{cite web|url=http://www.christineforster.com.au/sample-page/about/|author=Christine Forster|title=About Me|work=ChristineForster.com.au}} was elected to the City of Sydney Council in September 2012{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council/councillors|title=Councillors|publisher=City of Sydney}} and in 2014 announced a plan to run for the New South Wales Legislative Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/christine-forster-tony-abbotts-sister-launches-bid-for-nsw-upper-house-20140922-10k9ab.html|title=Christine Forster, Tony Abbott's sister, launches bid for NSW upper house|date=23 September 2014|author=Nicholls, Sean |work=The Sydney Morning Herald }} Forster has opposed local council amalgamation plans,{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/prime-ministers-sister-and-city-of-sydney-councillor-christine-forster-opposes-liberal-council-amalgamation-plans-20150603-ghfn09.html|title=Prime Minister's sister and City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster opposes Liberal council amalgamation plans|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |author=Davies, Anne |date=3 June 2015}} called for Martin Place to be smoke free,{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/smoking-ban-in-sydneys-martin-place-may-spread-to-other-public-spaces-in-the-cbd-2014-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207122054/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/smoking-ban-in-sydneys-martin-place-may-spread-to-other-public-spaces-in-the-cbd-2014-12|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 December 2014|title=Smoking Ban in Sydney's Martin Place May Spread To Other Public Spaces in the CBD|date=2 December 2014|author=Terlato, Peter |work=Business Insider}}{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-03/smokers-upset-at-proposed-ban-in-martin-place/5936396|title=Smokers upset at proposed ban in Martin Place|work=ABC 702 Sydney|date=3 December 2014}} and advocated tall buildings{{cite web|title=Mystery tower: This George St giant will reach for the sky|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/mystery-tower-this-george-st-giant-will-reach-for-the-sky/story-fnpn0zn5-1227136236759|author=Godfrey, Miles|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney }} and increased street parking in Sydney City.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/clover-moores-anticar-agenda-hitting-homes/story-fni0cwl5-1227106358802|title=Clover Moore's anti-car agenda hitting homes|author=Forster, Christine |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=Sydney |date=30 October 2014}} She describes herself as "committed to the principles of common sense government, genuine sustainability, free enterprise and respect for the individual".

Forster lives with her wife Virginia Flitcroft, with whom she has raised money for the Sir David Martin Foundation{{cite web|url=http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/new-south-wales-news/an-abseil-to-raise-money-for-youth-charity/129600|title=An Abseil to Raise Money for Youth Charity|author=Jahshan, Elias |date=31 October 2014|work=Star Observer}} and campaigned for same-sex marriage.{{cite web|title=Ladies in waiting: Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster makes same-sex marriage statement in Archibalds|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/ladies-in-waiting-tony-abbotts-sister-christine-forster-makes-samesex-marriage-statement-in-archibalds/story-fncynjr2-1226967729068|date=26 June 2014|work=news.com.au|author=Clement, Jessica }} Forster had been married previously.{{Cite web |url=http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/christine-forster-reveals-insight-into-life-as-tony-abbotts-lesbian-sister/133282 |title=Christine Forster reveals insight into life as Tony Abbott's lesbian sister |website=Star Observer |date=27 February 2015 |access-date=8 March 2016 }}{{Cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/last-piece-of-the-puzzle-20120831-255ub.html |title=Last piece of the puzzle |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=31 August 2012 |access-date=8 March 2016}} In 2013, she attended the launch of the Bingham Cup in Sydney, along with Bruce Notley-Smith, Don Harwin, Malcolm Turnbull, Nick Farr-Jones and John Eales.{{cite web|url=http://www.notleysmith.com/bingham-cup-launch-one-year-out/ |title=Bingham Cup Launch – One Year Out!|author=Bruce Notley-Smith|author-link=Bruce Notley-Smith|work=notleysmith.com}}

Following the 2018 Liberal leadership spill that resulted in the defeat of Malcolm Turnbull, Forster indicated that she would seek preselection as a Liberal candidate for 2018 Wentworth by-election,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/27/christine-forster-tony-abbotts-sister-confirms-liberal-tilt-at-wentworth |title=Christine Forster: Tony Abbott's sister confirms Liberal tilt at Wentworth |work=Guardian Australia |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=27 August 2018 |access-date=22 September 2019}} but later withdrew her nomination.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wentworth-by-election-2018/ |title=2018 Wentworth by-election |work=ABC News |location=Australia |author=Green, Antony |author-link=Antony Green |accessdate=3 September 2018}}