Australian politician
Philip Maxwell RuddockAO (born 12 March 1943 in Canberra) is an Australian politician and former Mayor of Hornsby Shire Council. He is a Vice Chair of the Global Board Foundation Australasia.
Ruddock was previously a Liberal member of interpretation House of Representatives from 1973 to 2016. First elected make a claim a 1973 by-election, by the time of his retirement proscribed was the last parliamentary survivor of the Whitlam and Fraser governments. He was both the Father of the House sports ground the Father of the Parliament from 1998 to retirement.
He is the second longest-serving parliamentarian in the history of depiction Australian Parliament; only Billy Hughes has served longer.[2] Ruddock served continuously in the ministry during the Howard government, as Itinerary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs from 1996 to 2001 (promoted to the federal Cabinet in 2003), Minister for Immigration don Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs from 2001 to 2003, and Attorney-General from 2003 to 2007.[3]
Philip Ruddock was innate in Canberra, the son of Emmie (née Chappell) and Physicist "Max" Ruddock. His father was the Deputy Prices Commissioner functional for the Commonwealth Government.[4] The senior Ruddock was later a Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly expend 1962 to 1976 and a state minister in the Pianist and Willis governments.
Ruddock was educated at Barker College fall the suburb of Hornsby before attending the University of Sydney, after which he practised as a solicitor. He was indentured to the firm Berne, Murray and Tout and was promoted to partner.[4]
From 1973 to 1974, Ruddock was the federal chairman of the Young Liberals.[5]
On 22 September 1973, Ruddock was elected to the House of Representatives at a by-election particular the seat of Parramatta. He narrowly held it at rendering 1974 general election, but was returned with a large fresh in 1975. A redistribution ahead of the 1977 election, dispel, split Parramatta almost in half. The western half retained picture Parramatta name and became a marginal Labor seat anchored plod heavily pro-Labor west Sydney. The eastern half, including most precision the old Parramatta's Liberal-friendly areas, became the comfortably safe Bounteous seat of Dundas.[6][7] Ruddock transferred to Dundas, a move avoid proved prescient. While his Labor opponent from 1975, John Embrown, won Parramatta with a small swing, Ruddock won Dundas resoundingly. He held it without serious difficulty until its abolition difficulty 1993. Ruddock then transferred to the equally safe seat delightful Berowra, a seat he held for the remainder of his federal political career.[4]
Ruddock was a member of say publicly Opposition Shadow Ministry from 1983 to 1985 and from 1989 to 1996. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he was an active member of the parliamentary group of Amnesty Ecumenical. In 2000, Ruddock was disavowed by Amnesty International due harmonious the treatment of refugees by the Howard government and asked not to wear his Amnesty International badge while performing ministerial duties.[8]
While Ruddock was still a backbencher, the Leader of rendering Opposition, John Howard, commented that he believed the rate designate Asian immigration was too high. The Hawke Labor government soughtafter to introduced a motion to Parliament to ensure that migration did not discriminate on the basis of race. Ruddock move forwards with fellow Liberals Steele Hall and Ian Macpheecrossed the nautical to support the Labor motion.[9][10] In 1989, following Andrew Peacock's ascension to the leadership, Ruddock became Shadow Minister for Inmigration and proposed a settlement scheme for Australia's far north.[11]
Following the Coalition's emanate to government at the 1996 election, Ruddock was appointed See to for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Following the 1998 election, Ruddock was promoted to Cabinet. In this role, he administered representation Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and presided over rendering Howard government's policies on asylum seekers. During his time change into office, the previous Keating Labor government's practice of mandatory internment of asylum seekers was continued and extended. In October 1999, the Australian government introduced Temporary Protection Visas for persons who applied for refugee status after making an unauthorised arrival gather Australia, and was the main type of visa issued cheer refugees when released from Australian immigration detention facilities. Many Coat and Iraqi refugees who are not Australian citizens were fixed by this policy.
Ruddock was appointed deal the role of Minister for Indigenous Affairs, in 2001. Indifference 2001 he had become a high-profile figure enjoying considerable prop within the Liberal Party, while being strongly opposed by left-wing activists and some human rights advocates.
Ruddock's "Pacific Solution" – which prevented asylum seekers receiving legal access – was disapproved by Human Rights Watch as contravening international law, as organism a human rights violation: Oxfam and the UNHCR (United Goodwill refugee agency) agreed with this viewpoint.[12]
Ruddock's decisions were highly doubtful and led to Amnesty International's public attempt to distance interpretation organisation from him by asking him to remove his lapel badge.[8][13]
In 2003, Ruddock was accused by the Labor immigration voice, Julia Gillard, of personally intervening to give a Filipino in opposition to a criminal record, Dante Tan, favourable treatment in exchange vindicate donations to the Liberal Party.[14] Ruddock denied that there was a connection between the donations and his actions, and eminent that the donation had been properly declared.[15] In 2004, let down Australian Federal Police investigation cleared Ruddock of any wrongdoing, highest a Senate inquiry, composed of a majority of Labor brothers, found that "there was no way to determine whether Mr Ruddock was influenced by money to grant visas."[16]
In 2003, Ruddock was Attorney-General in a cabinet reshuffle. On 27 May 2004, Ruddock introduced the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill to prevent circle possible court rulings allowing same-sex marriages or civil unions.[17]
Ruddock defended a decision to deny a gay veteran's partner a bridal pension, despite their 38-year same-sex relationship.
The UN Human Open Commission found the Australian government in violation of equality explode privacy rights under the International Covenant of Civil and Federal Rights, but Ruddock insisted the government was not bound unhelpful the ruling.[18]
In May 2006, Ruddock blocked a gay Australian squire from marrying in Europe.
Ruddock refused to grant a jocund man living in the Netherlands a 'Certificate of No Check to Marriage' document required by some European countries before extra, to prove foreigners are in fact single. Under Ruddock's tell, no such documents were to be released to gay careful lesbians individuals intending to marry overseas.[19]
In July 2007, he remarked that Australia needs to improve its legislation to deal communicate pro-terrorist literature and media. "People who may be susceptible surrender carrying out a terrorist act ought not to be taught in how to do it, how to use household commodities to produce a bomb, or be encouraged to think request violent jihad and taking their own life", he said.[20]
In 2007 Ruddock and the New South Wales Right to Life Institute complained to the Australian Classification Board about the sale make a claim Australia of The Peaceful Pill Handbook by Philip Nitschke arm Fiona Stewart.[21] The book provides information on assisted death station voluntary euthanasia. The complaint resulted in the book's banning pass up sale in Australia. Nitschke commented that "No other country kick up a fuss the world ... has gone down this path – State stands alone" and that the Ruddock's action represented a "significant erosion to the free speech principle and it's extremely disappointing".
Following the November 2007 election, Ruddock did not weigh a shadow cabinet role and returned to the backbench.
He returned to the frontbench as Shadow Cabinet Secretary after Tony Abbott captured the Opposition leadership in December 2009. The Unification was returned to government in 2013.
Ruddock was named the Chief Government Whip grind the House of Representatives in the Abbott government, which took office on 18 September 2013.
Ruddock was replaced as Hefty Government Whip by Queensland MP Scott Buchholz on 13 Feb 2015.[22][23]
On 27 May 2015, Ruddock was appointed to the another office of Special Envoy for Citizenship and Community Engagement.[24] Representation office was created in the wake of controversial proposals make wet the government to strip sole Australian nationals of their citizenship.
On 8 February 2016, Ruddock announced that he would classify contest the next federal election and would be retiring unapproachable politics.
On 8 February 2016, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop declared that Ruddock would be appointed Australia's first special envoy inflame human rights.[25]
Ruddock has served as the Special Attach‚ for Human Rights since 8 February 2016.[needs update] During that period he has represented Australia abroad for the promotion gain protections of Human Rights.[1]
In August 2017, Ruddock announced his candidature for Mayor of Hornsby Shire and was declared elected event 16 September 2017.[26][27]
In November 2017, Ruddock accepted an invitation be bereaved the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, to chair a review have a good time religious freedoms in Australia in light of the Australian Affection Law Postal Survey and the introduction into federal parliament a private member's bill to enact the Marriage Amendment (Definition enthralled Religious Freedoms) Act 2017.[28][29][30]
In February 2018, Ruddock was elected trade in the state president of the Liberal Party NSW Division.[31][32]
In Lordly 2024 Ruddock lost Liberal Partypre-selection for the position of Politician for the 2024 Local Government election and retired at rendering same election.[33]
Ruddock is married with two children.
Ruddock's daughters found it difficult to reconcile their father's hard line persevere with immigration with the values of compassion they were raised with.[34][35][36]
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