Fred Chaney

Chaney was born in Perth, Western Australia, the son of Sir Frederick Chaney (a minister in the Menzies government). His six siblings include businessman Michael Chaney and judge John Chaney. Chaney was educated at Aquinas College, Perth,[http://www.hrnicholls.com.au/nicholls/nichvol4/vol4prof.htm Chaney Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227025101/http://www.hrnicholls.com.au/nicholls/nichvol4/vol4prof.htm |date=27 February 2008 }} at H. R. Nicholls Society and the University of Western Australia. He practised law and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Western Australia in 1963. He spent two years practising in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. Chaney helped found the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia in 1973.

Chaney first attempted to enter politics at the 1971 Ascot by-election, running for the state Legislative Assembly. He was elected to federal parliament as a Senator for Western Australia for the Liberal Party at the 1974 election. He was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1983 until 1990 when he became the first member for the Division of Pearce in the House of Representatives, a position he held until 1993. Although still a Senator at the time, Chaney was named deputy leader of the Liberal Party in May 1989. He retained this post until April 1990, two months after transferring to the lower house.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

He was elected Deputy Leader as part of the successful coup that saw Andrew Peacock overthrowing John Howard. This was seen as a betrayal by Howard as he and Chaney had been close friends prior to the coup.{{cite Au Senate |name=Chaney, Frederick Michael (1941– ): Senator for Western Australia, 1971–93 (Liberal Party of Australia) |date=25 September 1974 |Sen id=chaney-frederick-michael |access-date=3 October 2020}}

Chaney was ousted as deputy leader after the 1990 election, when he unsuccessfully recontested the position in a field of eight candidates and came in third.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122097512 |title=Winner Hewson sets his agenda |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=4 April 1990 |access-date=3 October 2020 |page=1 |via=Trove}}

Chaney had earlier defeated Reith for the deputy's position in the leadership coup that ousted Howard in May 1989 in which Reith was Howard's running mate.Kelly, Paul (1994). The End of Certainty: Power, Politics, and Business in Australia. Allen & Unwin

Chaney was Minister for Administrative Services from August to December 1978, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs from December 1978 until November 1980 and Minister for Social Security from November 1980 until the defeat of the Fraser government at the 1983 election. He was also Minister Assisting the Minister for Education from August 1978 to December 1979 and Minister Assisting the Minister for National Development and Energy from December 1979 to November 1980.{{cite web | title =Biography for Chaney, the Hon. Frederick Michael | publisher =Parliament of Australia | work =ParlInfo Web | url =http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?id=7980&table=BIOGS | access-date =9 January 2008 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070915110853/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?TABLE=biogs&ID=7980 | archive-date =15 September 2007 | url-status =dead }}

When Chaney retired in 1993, John Hewson unexpectedly led the Coalition to defeat at that year's election and it is the opinion of analyst and commentator Antony Green that Chaney could have succeeded him as Liberal leader had he not decided to retire.{{cite web | title=Pearce (Key Seat) [Federal Election 2019 Electorate, Candidates, Results] |series= Australia Votes | website=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|first=Antony|last=Green|author-link=Antony Green |date=11 June 2019 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2019/guide/pear | access-date=3 October 2020}}

John Hewson described Fred Chaney as "the little ---- from the west."{{Cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133338929 |title=Dazzling meteor that disappeared |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=28 February 1995 |page=9 |via=Trove |access-date=2011-11-30}}

File:Recognise Campaign Fred Chaney Presser.jpg

Chaney was appointed to the National Native Title Tribunal in 1994, initially on a part-time basis. He became a full-time member in 1995 and deputy president in 2000, retiring in 2007. He was also chancellor of Murdoch University from 1995 to 2002, and co-chair of Reconciliation Australia from 2000 to 2005. Chaney left the Liberal Party in 1995, believing that his work "required engagements across party lines and without political involvement".

On 15 January 2020, it was announced that Chaney would be one of the members of the National Co-design Group of the Indigenous voice to government.{{cite web | title=National Co-design Group | website=Indigenous Voice | url=https://voice.niaa.gov.au/whos-involved/national-co-design-group | access-date=18 July 2020}}

In early May 2022, Chaney wrote an article criticising the Liberal Party, saying that the party lost its way. Chaney stated "members [of parliament] are no longer able to successfully execute what the electorate demands and it is now in the sad position of being held hostage by its extremes and those of [the National Party]", in particular the party's lack of action on climate change. Chaney called for the election of more centrist independents, against "politics as usual". Chaney announced support for his niece, Kate Chaney, running as a Climate 200-backed independent for the seat of Curtin against the incumbent Liberal member Celia Hammond in the 2022 Australian federal election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-was-deputy-leader-of-the-liberals-the-party-i-served-has-lost-its-way-20220502-p5ahuz.html|title = I was deputy leader of the Liberals. The party I served has lost its way|newspaper = Sydney Morning Herald|date = 4 May 2022}} Kate Chaney subsequently won the seat at the election.

Chaney was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1997 "for service to the Parliament of Australia and to the Aboriginal community through his contribution to the establishment of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia and mediating with the National Native Title Tribunal".{{cite web | title =Chaney, Frederick Michael | publisher =Government of Australia | work=It's an Honour | url =https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/884377 | access-date = 9 January 2008 }}

Chaney was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from Murdoch University in 2003 "for services towards Aboriginal reconciliation and as Chancellor",{{cite web | title=Honorary Awards and ceremonial Committee minutes | website=Senate | date=7 November 2002 | url=http://senate.murdoch.edu.au/2002/nov/hdcc.html | access-date=3 October 2020}} and in 2017 the Australian National University awarded him the same honour, "for his exceptional contribution to public service through parliament and his lifelong commitment to Indigenous issues".{{cite web | title=Honorary Degree citation: The Honourable Fred Chaney AO | website=ANU | date=13 December 2017 | url=https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/honorary-degree-citation-the-honourable-fred-chaney-ao | access-date=3 October 2020}}

On 25 January 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced Chaney as the 2014 Senior Australian of the Year.{{cite web | title = Fred Chaney AO| work= Australian of the Year Honours | url =https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/fred-chaney/1125 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20200805162706/https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/fred-chaney/1125/ | url-status =dead | archive-date =5 August 2020 |author=| access-date = 6 February 2022}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Member for Pearce|years=1990–1993}}

{{s-aft|after=Judi Moylan}}

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{{s-bef|before=Reg Withers}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Administrative Services|years=1978}}

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

{{s-bef|before=Ian Viner}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Aboriginal Affairs|years=1978–1980}}

{{s-aft|after=Peter Baume}}

{{s-bef|before=Margaret Guilfoyle}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Social Security|years=1980–1982}}

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{{s-bef|before=John Carrick}}

{{s-ttl|title=Leader of the Liberal Party in the Senate|years=1983–1990}}

{{s-aft|after=Robert Hill}}

{{s-bef|before=Andrew Peacock}}

{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia|years=1989–1990}}

{{s-aft|after=Peter Reith}}

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{{Liberal Party of Australia}}

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Category:1941 births

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Aquinas College, Perth

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

Category:Members of the Australian Senate

Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Western Australia

Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives

Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Pearce

Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia

Category:University of Western Australia alumni

Category:Chancellors of Murdoch University

Category:Officers of the Order of Australia

Category:Australian MPs 1990–1993