Phillip Thompson
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Phillip Thompson
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM|MP}}
| image = Phillip Thompson (cropped).jpg
| office = Member of the Australian Parliament for Herbert
| term_start = 18 May 2019
| term_end =
| predecessor = Cathy O'Toole
| successor =
| nationality = Australian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|5|7|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| party = Liberal (federal)
| otherparty = Liberal National (state)
| awards = {{plainlist|
- 2018 Queensland Young Australian of the Year
- Medal of the Order of Australia
}}
| residence = Townsville, Queensland
| website = {{URL|philthompson.com.au}}
| nickname =
| allegiance = Australia
| branch = Australian Army
| serviceyears = 2006–2012
| rank =
| unit = 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
| commands =
| battles = Operation Astute
War in Afghanistan
}}
Phillip Bruce Thompson (born 7 May 1988) is an Australian politician. His party is the Liberal National Party of Queensland and he sits with the Liberal Party in federal parliament.
He is a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Division of Herbert.{{cite web|title=Herbert (Key Seat)|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2019/guide/herb|access-date=22 May 2019|work=Australia Votes|publisher=ABC News}} He was first elected in the 2019 Australian federal election.
Prior to entering politics, Thompson was Queensland Young Australian of the Year.
Early life and education
Thompson was born in Armidale, New South Wales.{{Cite web|last=corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House|first=Canberra|title=Mr Phillip Thompson OAM, MP|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=281826|access-date=2020-09-15|website=www.aph.gov.au|language=en-AU}} In 2006, at age seventeen, Thompson enlisted in the Australian Army. He underwent training at Kapooka and Singleton before being posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in Townsville. In 2007 Thompson was deployed to East Timor.
In May 2009, Thompson was deployed to Afghanistan. Six months into this deployment, while conducting a dismounted patrol, an IED exploded a metre in front of him.{{Cite web|date=2017-02-15|title=Phil Thompson: A Life In Motion {{!}} RSL Queensland|url=https://www.rslqld.org/RSLOutpost/RSL-Outpost/Our-Mates/Phil-Thompson-A-Life-In-Motion|access-date=2020-09-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215085638/https://www.rslqld.org/RSLOutpost/RSL-Outpost/Our-Mates/Phil-Thompson-A-Life-In-Motion|archive-date=15 February 2017}}{{Cite web|title=Phillip Thompson ‐ Australian of the Year|url=https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/phillip-thompson/1915/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927033112/https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/phillip-thompson/1915/|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 September 2020|access-date=2021-05-17|website=www.australianoftheyear.org.au}} He spent several years recovering from physical and mental injuries caused by the incident. The injuries at the time significantly affected his memory, hearing, and contributed to subsequent mental health challenges.{{Cite web|last=Gredley|first=Rebecca|date=2019-07-04|title=Former soldier ready to serve as an MP|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6256743/former-soldier-ready-to-serve-as-an-mp/|access-date=2021-05-17|website=The Canberra Times|language=en-AU}}
In 2014, Thompson represented Australia at the inaugural Invictus Games held in London; a sporting competition for wounded, injured, or ill participants in the armed forces. In 2016, he coached the Powerlifting and wheelchair rugby teams at the event held in Orlando, Florida.{{cite news|last1=Invictus Games|title=Using the Invictus Games to help others|url=https://invictusgamesfoundation.org/using-the-invictus-games-to-help-others/|access-date=15 November 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Invictus Games|title=Competitors Bio|url=http://2014.invictusgames.org/competitors/phillip-thompson/}} He was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours for service to the welfare of veterans.{{Cite It's an Honour |ausawardid=2001360 |date=11 June 2018 |recipient=Mr Phillip Bruce THOMPSON |award=Medal of the Order of Australia |postnominal=OAM |citation=For service to the welfare of veterans |accessdate=22 May 2019}}
Political career
Thompson entered politics upon being elected for the Division of Herbert at the 2019 federal election. He is the youngest member of the lower house in the 46th Parliament.{{Cite news|last=Mason|first=Brett|date=2020-01-27|title=As Australia's parliament returns, meet the youngest MPs doing things differently|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/as-australia-s-parliament-returns-meet-the-youngest-mps-doing-things-differently|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200216153417/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/as-australia-s-parliament-returns-meet-the-youngest-mps-doing-things-differently|archive-date=16 February 2020|work=SBS News Online|access-date=19 October 2020}}
In Thompson's first speech he stated that the well-being of Indigenous Australians and the defence community are among his priorities as an MP.{{Cite news|last1=Gredley|first1=Rebecca|date=4 July 2019|title=Forver soldier ready to serve as an MP|work=The Canberra Times|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6256743/former-soldier-ready-to-serve-as-an-mp/|access-date=11 May 2020}} He acknowledged his mother in law, his wife, and daughter as Aboriginal women and stated that "we must not forget there is still a lot of work to be done in recognising and valuing our First Nations people and their culture."{{cite web|title=First Speech|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members/FirstSpeeches/Mr_Phillip_Thompson|access-date=11 May 2020|website=aph.gov.au}} Speaking of the defence community, Thompson acknowledged "the ultimate sacrifice on operations in service to this nation and our many veterans who have succumbed to their war within back here on home soil".{{cite web|title=First Speech|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members/FirstSpeeches/Mr_Phillip_Thompson|access-date=11 May 2020|website=aph.gov.au}}
Thompson served on the "Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia", which delivered its interim report in December 2020.{{cite book| url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Northern_Australia/CavesatJuukanGorge/Interim_Report| title=Never again: Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia - Interim Report|date= December 2020|author=Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia| isbn=978-1-76092-197-2 | publisher= Commonwealth of Australia}} [https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/reportjnt/024579/toc_pdf/NeverAgain.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf PDF]
Thompson is a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party.{{cite web |last1=Massola |first1=James |title=Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions? |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/who-s-who-in-the-liberals-left-right-and-centre-factions-20210303-p577gv.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=20 March 2021 |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=1 February 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Massola |first1=James |title=How Morrison’s shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/how-morrison-s-shattering-defeat-gave-dutton-a-seismic-shift-in-factional-power-20230330-p5cwoq.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=4 December 2023}}
Personal life
Controversies
During his campaign, he apologised to the Muslim community after directing violent threats towards Muslims on Facebook in 2012, which he says were caused by PTSD from his military service.{{Cite news|last1=Gartry|first1=Laura|last2=Shepherd|first2=Tim|date=5 January 2019|title=LNP candidate for Herbert Phillip Thompson apologises for 2012 social media tirade against Muslims|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-05/townsville-lnp-candidate-apologises-for-outburst-against-muslims/10687358|access-date=4 July 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-par|au}}
{{s-bef|before=Cathy O'Toole}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Herbert|years=2019–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Current Queensland Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Phillip}}
Category:Australian Army soldiers
Category:Australian military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Herbert
Category:People with post-traumatic stress disorder
Category:Politicians from Townsville
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives