Ian Macdonald (Australian politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{About|the Australian federal politician|the New South Wales politician|Ian Macdonald (New South Wales politician)|other people with similarly spelled names|Ian McDonald (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Ian Macdonald
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM|size=100%}}
| image = Ian Douglas Macdonald.jpg
| office2 = Senator for Queensland
| term_start2 = 1 July 1990
| term_end2 = 30 June 2019
| office = Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation
| term_start = 26 November 2001
| term_end = 27 January 2006
| predecessor = Wilson Tuckey
| successor = Eric Abetz
| office1 = Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government
| term_start1 = 21 October 1998
| term_end1 = 26 November 2001
| predecessor1 = Alex Somlyay
| successor1 = Wilson Tuckey
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1945|11|29}}
| birth_place = Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| spouse =
| party = Liberal Party of Australia
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Solicitor
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
| caption = Macdonald circa 2005
}}
Ian Douglas Macdonald {{Post-nominals|AM|country=AUS}} (born 29 November 1945) is an Australian former politician who served as a Senator for Queensland from 1990 to 2019, representing the Liberal Party. He was Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government (1998–2001) and Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation (2001–2006) in the Howard government. He was defeated at the 2019 federal election, having been the longest-serving incumbent member of parliament for the final years of his career.
Early life
Macdonald was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and was a solicitor before entering politics. He was also a Councillor in the Burdekin Shire Council 1979–90. He was Vice-President of the Liberal Party in Queensland from 1987 to 1990.
Early political career
In 1992, Macdonald was appointed to the Opposition Shadow Ministry{{cite web|title=Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=YW4|website=Parliament of Australia|access-date=21 June 2014}} under Liberal leader John Hewson as Shadow Minister for Local Government and the Australian Capital Territory. In 1994, following Alexander Downer's accession to the party leadership, Macdonald was given the positions of Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and continued to serve at these positions under Opposition leader John Howard.
Howard government
Following the election of the Howard government, Macdonald was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment in 1996. In 1998, MacDonald was appointed to the Second Howard Ministry as Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government.
In 2001, Macdonald was appointed Minister for Forestry and Conservation in the Third Howard Ministry. His portfolio was renamed Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation in November 2002. He continued in this position in the Fourth Howard Ministry until January 2006 when he lost his position in a Cabinet reshuffle triggered by the retirement of Robert Hill.{{cite news|title=Ministers depart ahead of reshuffle|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ministers-depart-ahead-of-reshuffle/2006/01/22/1137864791586.html|newspaper=The Age|publisher=Fairfax Media|location=Melbourne|agency=AAP|date=22 January 2006|access-date=16 December 2007}}
Return to Opposition
Following the defeat of the Howard government in 2007, Macdonald was appointed to the Opposition Shadow Ministry of Brendan Nelson as Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Northern Australia. On 22 September 2008, following the election of Malcolm Turnbull as Opposition Leader, Macdonald lost his position as Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition but retained the position of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia.[http://www.liberal.org.au/news.php?Id=1654 Appointment of Shadow Ministry]
In 2009, Macdonald lost his position in the Shadow Cabinet following Tony Abbott's accession to the Liberal leadership, but was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia. In 2010, he also took on the position of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Defence Force and Defence Support.
Final years in parliament
On 16 September 2013, following the election of the Abbott government, it was announced that despite Tony Abbott's stated aim of ministry continuity Macdonald had been dropped from the frontbench. Senator Macdonald described this day as "one of the worst" days in his life.{{cite news|first=Marissa|last=Calligeros|title='Worst day of my life': Queensland Senator misses frontbench seat|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/worst-day-of-my-life-queensland-senator-misses-frontbench-seat-20130916-2ttes.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=16 September 2013|access-date=5 July 2016}}
In June 2014, Macdonald joined Senator Cory Bernardi in expressing opposition to the Government's proposed deficit levy, claiming that he did not believe the increase "goes far enough."{{cite web|last=Griffiths|first=Emma|title=Coalition senators Ian Macdonald and Cory Bernardi won't support debt tax|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-16/ian-macdonald-and-cory-bernardi-wont-support-debt-tax/5526272|website=ABC News|date=16 June 2014|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 June 2014}} He also threatened to cross the floor over the proposed fuel excise hike.{{cite web|last=Bourke|first=Latika|author-link=Latika Bourke|title=LNP senator Ian Macdonald threatens to cross the floor on fuel excise hike|date=17 June 2014|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-17/ian-macdonald-threatens-to-cross-the-floor-on-fuel-excise/5529554|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818101837/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-17/ian-macdonald-threatens-to-cross-the-floor-on-fuel-excise/5529554|archive-date=18 August 2014|website=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 June 2014}}
In July 2018, Macdonald was demoted to fourth position on the LNP ticket, from which victory was considered very unlikely.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jul/06/lnp-dumps-ian-macdonald-and-barry-osullivan-from-senate-ticket | title=LNP dumps Ian Macdonald and Barry O'Sullivan from Senate ticket | work=Guardian Australia | date=6 July 2018 | access-date=17 Aug 2018}} In the 2019 federal election he lost his senate seat, and ceased to be a senator from 1 July 2019.
= Controversy =
On 3 November 2011 during debate on carbon tax legislation, Macdonald stated "GetUp! is the Hitler Youth wing of the Greens political movement."{{cite news|title=Hansard|publisher=Parliament of Australia|date=3 November 2011|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/dailys/ds031111.pdf|access-date=2011-11-04}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Senator Macdonald stood by his comments when challenged.{{cite news|title=Greens and GetUp! demand apology over Hitler youth slur|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/greens-and-getup-demand-apology-over-hitler-youth-slur/story-fn7x8me2-1226184725391|newspaper=Herald Sun|publisher=News Limited|agency=AAP|date=3 November 2011|access-date=4 November 2011}} While he later apologised to the Jewish community for this remark, he did not withdraw the comment in Parliament.{{cite news|title=GetUp outraged by Hitler Youth comments|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-03/getup-responds-to-hitler-youth-comments/3617616/?site=melbourne|publisher=774 ABC Melbourne|date=3 November 2011|access-date=4 November 2011}} He also once likened Stephen Conroy to Joseph Goebbels.{{cite news|title=Senator aims 'Nazi' slur at minister during question time|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/senator-aims-nazi-slur-at-minister-during-question-time-20110914-1k967.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|agency=AAP|date=14 September 2011|access-date=17 September 2013}}
In September 2015 during Senate Question Time, Macdonald made an interjection toward NSW Labor Senator Doug Cameron based on Cameron's strong and distinctive Scottish accent. Macdonald interjected 'learn to speak Australian'. SA Labor Senator Penny Wong interrupted proceedings later to have Macdonald withdraw his comment. Macdonald revised his comment to say "learn to speak Australian, mate".{{cn|date=April 2020}}
On 9 February 2017, Macdonald stated that he was likely to oppose the Federal Government move to abolish the lifetime gold pass, entitling politicians who had been elected prior to 2012 to 10 free business class flights per year. ABC News reported that Macdonald stated in the Liberal Party Room that "it's about time someone stood up for politicians entitlements".{{cite news|title=Ian Macdonald speaks up to defend politician's Life Gold Pass entitlements|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-09/}}
On 30 May 2017, the senator was on ABC Local Radio Darwin discussing the benefits of shifting public servants from Canberra to more regional areas such as Darwin and regional Queensland. He further went on to say that public servants should be sacked if they refuse to "get out of their very privileged lives" in Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne, after no public servants volunteered to move.{{Cite news|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/darwin-or-dole-for-public-servants-says-lnp-20170531-gwgvhs.html|title=Darwin or dole: Senator says Canberra public servants should be forced north|last=Towell|first=Noel|date=2017-06-01|work=Canberra Times|access-date=2017-06-01|language=en-US}}{{cite news|title=Move to Darwin or get the sack: Senator|date=2017-05-30|url=http://www.abc.net.au/radio/darwin/programs/mornings/senator-ian-macdonald/8572050|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|language=en-AU|access-date=2017-06-01}}
On 9 April 2019, Macdonald asked if Penny Wong is related to Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo.{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-09/ian-macdonald-asks-if-penny-wong-related-to-huang-xiangmo/10985096|title='H-U-A-N-G': Liberal senator incorrectly links Penny Wong to Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo|newspaper=ABC News|date=9 April 2019}}
Honours
Macdonald was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to local government, and to the community of Northern Australia".{{cite web |title=King's Birthday 2023 Honours - the full list |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/king-s-birthday-2023-honours-the-full-list-20230609-p5dffh.html |website=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co |access-date=11 June 2023 |date=11 June 2023}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/queensland/ian_macdonald Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Ian Macdonald on TheyVoteForYou.org.au]
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Category:Liberal National Party of Queensland members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian Senate
Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Queensland
Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia
Category:Members of the Order of Australia