Don Harwin

Harwin was born to parents Don and Evelyn Harwin.Who' Who Australia He joined the Liberal Party in Lugarno and the Young Liberals in Earlwood in 1983 and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1985 with a Bachelor of Economics (Honours). While at university, Harwin was a member of the Sydney University Liberal Club and subsequently had life membership conferred by that club.

In 1987, Harwin commenced working as an assistant on electoral matters in the office of Ron Phillips. Harwin worked for a number of ministers in the Greiner and Fahey Liberal governments between 1988 and 1990 and 1991 and 1995. Between 1988 and 1990, Harwin was NSW President of the Young Liberal movement, becoming a member of the State Executive of the NSW branch of the Liberal Party during the same period. Harwin was re-elected to the Liberal Party State Executive, serving between 1994 and 2000. Appointed the Assistant Campaign Director of the NSW Liberal Party between 1990 and 1991, Harwin became a public affairs consultant between 1995 and 1999.

He takes a strong interest in psephological matters as well as political history, frequently providing strategic advice to the Liberal party on State and Federal redistribution processes.Liberal Party NSW: Don Harwin {{cite web|url=https://www.nsw.liberal.org.au/don-harwin |title=About Don Harwin |access-date=2013-11-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203020128/https://www.nsw.liberal.org.au/don-harwin |archive-date=3 December 2013 }} He has also contributed two chapters to the book Social Justice: Fraud or Fair Go? edited by Dr Marlene Goldsmith. He also contributed "1971 State General Election" to The People's Choice (Volume III), edited by Hogan and Clune, "Sir Joseph Carruthers" to The Premiers of NSW (Volume II), edited by Clune and Turner, and "Women in the NSW Coalition Parties" (with Jenny Gardiner MLC) to No Fit Place for Women, edited by Brennan and Chappel.

Pre-selected{{cite news | title = MP squeaks back on ticket | author = Morris, Rachel | date = 30 November 1998 | work = The Daily Telegraph }} for the sixth position on the joint Liberal–National coalition election ticket for the 1999 NSW state election, Harwin was elected as a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, being the thirteenth candidate elected at that election.{{cite web | url = http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/results/state_elections_-_legislative_council/1999/1999_elected_members_of_the_legislative_council | title = 1999 Elected Members of the Legislative Council | work = 1999 Legislative Council Results | publisher = New South Wales Electoral Commission | date = 24 April 1999 | access-date = 6 June 2011 }} Serving an eight-year term, Harwin was re-elected at the 2007 NSW state election, at which he was the seventh candidate elected. He continued to serve as opposition whip in the Legislative Council.{{cite web | url = http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/84781/LC_2007_Candidate_Sequence.pdf | title = Candidates in sequence of election | work = 2007 Legislative Council Results | publisher = Electoral Commission of New South Wales | date = 12 April 2007 | access-date = 6 June 2011 }}

Harwin was elected Opposition Whip on 3 April 2003 following the retirement of John Jobling {{post-nominals|country=AUS|sep=,|AM}}. Harwin was also appointed a Trustee of the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Fund. In 2000, he raised the issue of unsafe railway tracks in the Illawarra region, claiming that trains could only run at twenty kilometres because of faulty maintenance.{{cite news | title = 'Unsafe' South Coast Rail Lines Anger MP | author = Failes, Geoff | date = 2 March 2000 | work = Illawarra Mercury }}

Following his re-election, Harwin served as Deputy Chair of the Procedure Committee and had successfully moved a motion in the Upper House to create a Select Committee on Electoral and Political Party Funding, of which he served as Deputy Chair. Following the election of the O'Farrell-Stoner Liberal/National coalition government, Harwin was elected President of the Legislative Council{{cite news | title = O'Farrell pledges loyalty to NSW | date = 3 May 2011 | work = ABC News | location = Australia | url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/03/3206365.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121231073219/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/03/3206365.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 31 December 2012 | access-date = 21 June 2011 }} and chair of the Procedure Committee. In a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in regards to the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010, he expressed his strong support for legal equality for same-sex couples. In reference to calls for civil unions he stated "The establishment by government of a new and separate institution for same-sex couples only compounds rather than resolves this issue of inequality."{{cite web|last=Harwin|first=Don|title=Submission: Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010|url=https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/comittees/viewdocument.aspx?id=abe4d846-86dd-4ed6-ab3d-4fcc77cba682|access-date=24 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227040145/https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/comittees/viewdocument.aspx?id=abe4d846-86dd-4ed6-ab3d-4fcc77cba682|archive-date=27 December 2014|df=dmy-all}} On 19 June 2014, in his role as President of the Legislative Council, he controversially used the powers under Standing Order 192 to eject a Greens MP, Jeremy Buckingham, from the chamber until the end of the sitting after the MP accused him of "running interference" in defence of government members during Question Time.{{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzF35Q2Lyfk& | title = Legislative Council Question Time 19 June 2014| website = YouTube| date = 20 June 2014}}

In October 2016, in the wake of the release of taped conversations where U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump bragged about his fame allowing him to grope women, a motion was tabled by Greens Legislative Councillor Jeremy Buckingham to condemn the Republican nominee's statements. The motion included the statement that the NSW parliament "agrees with those who have described Mr Trump as 'a revolting slug' unfit for public office". As the president of the upper house, Harwin allowed the term "revolting slug" to stand as suitable parliamentary language. The motion was passed.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-13/nsw-parliament-denounces-donald-trump/7929456 |title=Donald Trump a 'revolting slug' unfit for public office, NSW Parliament decides |work=ABC News |location=Australian |date=13 October 2016 }}

Following the resignation of Mike Baird as Premier, Gladys Berejiklian was elected as Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier. The first Berejiklian ministry was subsequently formed. Harwin resigned as President of the Legislative Council and was subsequently sworn in as the Minister for Resources, the Minister for Energy and Utilities, the Minister for the Arts, and the Vice-President of the Executive Council with effect from 30 January 2017. Following the 2019 state election Harwin was sworn in as the Special Minister of State, the Minister for Public Services and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs and the Arts, and the Vice-President of the Executive Council in the second Berejiklian ministry with effect from 2 April 2019. He continued in his previous role as the Leader of the Government Business in the Legislative Council.{{cite news |author=Sas, Nick |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-31/cabinet-reshuffle-after-nsw-election-from-berejiklian/10956776 |title=Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=31 March 2019 |access-date=3 April 2019 }}

Harwin resigned as Minister of the Arts on 10 April 2020, effective 15 April 2020, after being fined for supposedly defying the ban on non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-10/coronavirus-nsw-minister-don-harwin-resigns-breaking-lockdown/12141532 |title=NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin resigns after visiting holiday home in breach of coronavirus lockdown rules |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=9 April 2020 }} On 3 July 2020, his fine was dismissed and his ministerial and parliamentary portfolios were reinstated.

On 18 December 2021 Harwin announced that he opted not to be considered in the new ministry for personal reasons.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-18/ministers-shelley-hancock-don-harwin-resign-nsw-cabinet/100711364|title=Third NSW minister reveals they will not be considered in expected reshuffle|work=ABC News|date=18 December 2021|access-date=20 December 2021}} Harwin resigned from the Legislative Council on 22 March 2022.

Harwin was NSW Liberal Party President when the party missed the deadline to nominate candidates in a number of councils.{{cite web |last1=Maddison |first1=Max |first2=Alexandra |last2=Smith |first3=Megan |last3=Gorrey |title=NSW Liberals in chaos as party fails to nominate council candidates |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-libs-in-chaos-as-party-fails-to-nominate-council-candidates-20240814-p5k2f4.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=14 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814055337/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-libs-in-chaos-as-party-fails-to-nominate-council-candidates-20240814-p5k2f4.html |archive-date=14 August 2024 |date=14 August 2024}}

In a speech to the Legislative Council on 20 November 2014, Harwin publicly disclosed that he is gay.{{cite news |author=Hasham, Nicole |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/liberal-mp-don-harwin-discloses-he-is-gay-20141120-11qpvn.html |title=Liberal MP Don Harwin discloses he is gay |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=20 November 2014 |access-date=3 April 2019 }}

{{Portal|New South Wales|Politics|LGBTQ}}

• First Berejiklian ministry
• Second Berejiklian ministry

{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=Anthony Roberts}}

{{s-ttl|title=Special Minister of State |years=2019–2020
2020–2021 }}

{{s-vac}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-bef|before= Duncan Gay}}

{{s-ttl|title=Vice-President of the Executive Council |years=2019–2020
2020–2021 |rows=2}}

{{s-aft|after= Damien Tudehope |rows=2}}

{{s-bef|before= Damien Tudehope}}

{{s-bef|before=Dominic Perrottet |as=Minister for Industrial Relations }}

{{s-ttl|rows=3|title=Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations,
Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts |years=2019–2020
2020–2021 }}

{{s-aft|after= Damien Tudehope |as=Minister for Employee Relations }}

{{s-bef|before=Sarah Mitchell |as=Minister for Aboriginal Affairs }}

{{s-aft|rows=2 |after= Ben Franklin |as=Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and
Minister for the Arts}}

{{s-bef|before=himself |as=Minister for the Arts}}

{{s-bef|before= Troy Grant}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for the Arts |years=2017–2019 }}

{{s-aft|after=himself |as=Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations,
Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts }}

{{s-bef|before=Anthony Roberts|as=Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy }}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Resources
Minister for Energy and Utilities |years=2017–2019 }}

{{s-aft|after=Matt Kean |as=Minister for Energy and Environment }}

{{s-par|au-nsw-lc}}

{{s-bef|before=Amanda Fazio}}

{{s-ttl |title=President of the New South Wales Legislative Council |years=2011–2017 }}

{{s-aft|after=John Ajaka}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=Duncan Gay}}

{{s-ttl|title=Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council|years=2019–2020
2020–2021 |rows=2}}

{{s-aft|after=Damien Tudehope |rows=2}}

{{s-bef|before=Damien Tudehope}}

{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harwin, Don}}

Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

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

Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council

Category:Politicians from Sydney

Category:University of Sydney alumni

Category:Presidents of the New South Wales Legislative Council

Category:LGBTQ legislators in Australia

Category:LGBTQ conservatism

Category:Australian gay politicians

Category:21st-century Australian politicians

Category:21st-century Australian LGBTQ people

Category:Ministers for aboriginal affairs and treaty

Category:Ministers for the arts (New South Wales)

Category:Ministers for energy (New South Wales)