Christopher Pyne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forSturt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 March 1993 – 11 April 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ian Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | James Stevens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Christopher Maurice Pyne (1967-08-13)13 August 1967 (age 58) Adelaide, South Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Liberal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Adelaide University of South Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession |
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| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher Maurice Pyne (born 13 August 1967) is an Australian retired politician. He held various ministerial positions in theHoward,Abbott,Turnbull andMorrison governments, and served as amember of parliament (MP) for theSouth Australian division ofSturt from 1993 to 2019.
Pyne wasAssistant Minister for Health and Ageing andMinister for Ageing in 2007 until theLiberal–National Coalition's defeat at theelection that year. He becameLeader of the House andMinister for Education and Training after the Coalition's victory at the2013 election;Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science in 2015;Minister for Defence Industry in 2016; andMinister for Defence in 2018.
Pyne retired from politics in 2019, not standing at thethat year's election. In June 2019, he was appointed as an industry professor at theUniversity of South Australia.[1] In the same month, Pyne began at a new defence industry consulting position, prompting a Senate investigation into a potential breach of Ministerial Standards.[2]
Christopher Maurice Pyne was born on 13 August 1967 in Adelaide. He is the fifth and youngest child of aJesuit family: Remington John Pyne (1929–1988), an ophthalmic surgeon, and Margaret Elsie Pyne (née Evans; 1929–2022),[3][4] and grew up in suburbanBurnside, South Australia.
He was educated atSaint Ignatius' College and theUniversity of Adelaide, where he graduated with aBachelor of Laws and was President of Adelaide University Liberal Club from 1987 to 1988.[5][6][7] Pyne attained aGraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from theUniversity of South Australia in 1991.[8] In 2022, he was granted anHonorary Doctorate in the School of the Professions from his alma mater, theUniversity of Adelaide.[9]
Pyne was a research assistant to SenatorAmanda Vanstone and later became president of the South AustralianYoung Liberals from 1988 to 1990. He was pre-selected as the Liberal candidate for the safeLabor seat ofRoss Smith at the1989 state election but was defeated by the sitting member andPremier of South Australia,John Bannon.[10] He earned a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at theUniversity of South Australia and began practising as a solicitor in 1991.
At the1993 election, aged 25, Pyne was elected to theSouth Australian division ofSturt in theHouse of Representatives. He had earlier defeated Sturt incumbentIan Wilson in aLiberal pre-selection ballot for the seat. Wilson had held the seat for all but one term since the1966 election. Between them, he and his father,Keith, had held the seat for all but four years since its creation in 1949. Wilson was 35 years Pyne's senior; indeed, he had won his first election a year before Pyne was born.[11]
| Election inSturt | 1993 | 1996 | 1998 | 2001 | 2004 | 2007 | 2010 | 2013 | 2016 |
| First preference % | 39.4 | 54.1 | 47.8 | 50.7 | 51.7 | 47.2 | 48.1 | 54.4 | 44.4 |
| Two-party-preferred % | 55.7 | 60.0 | 57.3 | 58.2 | 56.8 | 50.9 | 53.4 | 60.1 | 55.9 |
Pyne is arepublican[12] and established himself as a member of the moderate, "small-l liberal" faction of the Liberal Party, and a supporter of Deputy LeaderPeter Costello. Pyne remains a close ally of state LiberalVickie Chapman.[13]
In 1994, after serving as abackbencher for a period, Pyne was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security. He retained this position afterJohn Howard was elected as leader, and up to the1996 election.[6]
After the 1996Coalition victory, Pyne sat as abackbencher. He chaired the Australia Israel Parliamentary group from 1996 to 2004.[10] In 2003, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Family and Community Services, where he remained until 2004, when named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.[6] As Parliamentary Secretary, he defended the government's 'war on drugs' and established his strong support of illicit drug prohibition, as opposed toharm minimisation.[14] He launched the youth mental health initiativeHeadspace.[15]
Pyne served as a Parliamentary Secretary until 30 January 2007, when he was appointedAssistant Minister for Health and Ageing. He held this portfolio until 21 March, when he was elevated to the outer ministry asMinister for Ageing, succeeding resigning Minister, SenatorSanto Santoro.[11]
With theLiberal–National Coalition's defeat at the2007 election, Pyne came close to losingSturt toLabor candidateMia Handshin, suffering a 5.9 percenttwo-party-preferred (TPP) swing, resulting in a 0.9 percent TPP margin (856 votes), making Sturt the most marginal seat in South Australia. After the election, he nominated himself as a candidate fordeputy leader of the Liberal Party at the2007 Liberal leadership election, losing toJulie Bishop.[16] Following the election ofBrendan Nelson as leader, Pyne was appointed Shadow Minister for Justice and Border Protection.[17]
AfterMalcolm Turnbull's election asleader of the Liberal Party at the2008 leadership spill, Pyne was appointed to theshadow cabinet asShadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training.[18] After Julie Bishop's resignation from the position of Shadow Treasurer, she was replaced byJoe Hockey, with Pyne replacing Hockey asManager of Opposition Business in the House on 16 February 2009.
Pyne remained as Manager of Opposition Business in the House and Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training afterTony Abbott's victory over Turnbull at the2009 leadership spill.[19] Pyne was re-elected at the2010 election, receiving a 2.5 percent TPP swing to finish with a marginal 53.4 percent TPP vote, no longer the most marginal electorate of South Australia.[20] He was re-appointed as Manager of Opposition Business in the House and Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training.[21]
Pyne was re-elected at the2013 election, receiving a 6.5 percent TPP swing towards him, to resulting in a 60.1 percent TPP vote, making Sturt a safe Liberal electorate. Pyne joined thecabinet on 18 September 2013 asLeader of the House andMinister for Education in theAbbott government.[22] In December 2014, his position was renamed to Minister for Education and Training.[23]
As Minister for Education and Training, Pyne enacted changes to the education system to provide minimum standards for teachers,[24] promoted independent public schooling,[25] expanded phonics teaching,[26] and created a new national curriculum.[27] Pyne also attempted to reform the university sector to introduce market principles but was rejected by the Senate.[28]
In May 2014, Pyne suggested thatHECS debts should be reclaimed from the estates of deceased students.[29]
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Despite much speculation Pyne would be appointed asDefence Minister,[30] he remained Leader of the House and was appointed asMinister for Industry, Innovation and Science in theTurnbull government followingMalcolm Turnbull's re-ascension at the2015 Liberal leadership ballot. As Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Pyne was credited with creating and implementing the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA).[31]
With the reelection of the Turnbull government at the2016 election, Pyne became theMinister for Defence Industry in thesecond Turnbull ministry.[32] As Minister for Defence Industry, Pyne was given responsibility for implementing the largest modernisation of theAustralian Defence Force since theSecond World War, increasing theAustralian Government's investment in defence capability to almost $200 billion.[33][34]
From 2016 to 2019, Pyne co-hosted weekly television programPyne & Marles onSky News Live withLabor Party memberRichard Marles.[35]
Pyne retainedSturt at the2016 election for the Liberals with a 55.9 percent two-party vote from a 4.2 percent two-party swing, reducing the seat from a safe to marginal status.
Pyne has stated he has always been in favour of same-sex marriage.[36] In November, theAustralian Federal Police investigated claims that hisTwitter account was compromised after it had been found to haveliked a pornographic image depicting a gay sexual act.[37]
FollowingScott Morrison's election as leader of the Liberal Party andprime minister at the2018 leadership spill, Pyne was promoted toMinister for Defence.[38]
On 2 March 2019, Pyne announced that he would not recontest the seat of Sturt at the2019 election, and would retire from politics.[39][40][41] The House of Representatives was dissolved on 11 April 2019.
Since retiring from Parliament in April 2019, Pyne has chaired the strategic advisory and public affairs firm, Pyne and Partners operating offices in Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide.[42] He also chairs Vision2020 Australia, launched jointly by theWorld Health Organization andInternational Agency for the Prevention of Blindness,[43] and the Australia United Arab Emirates Business Council.[44]
Since late 2020, Pyne has taken on roles in the Australian defence industry. He is chairman of the advisory board of Australia's largest Australian owned small arms and munitions companyNioa,[45] and chairman of the advisory board of theAustralian Missile Corporation.[46] He also sits on the board ofASX-listed Xtek Ltd, a Canberra-based body armour and unmanned vehicle manufacturer and supplier globally.[47]
Pyne is the Executive Chairman of the South Australia (SA) branch of theAmerican Chamber of Commerce in Australia,[48] and an Ambassador of theAdelaide Football Club.[49]
In February 2024 he was appointed chair ofCOTA Australia (previously Council on the Ageing).[50]
Pyne was appointed to theNational Library of Australia Council on 20 November 2025.[51]
Pyne was listed on the South Australian lobbyist register on 26 July 2019 as a co-owner of GC Advisory Pty Ltd, which he co-owns with Adam Howard. The firm's clientele includes Duxton Capital, Hickinbotham Group, Polites Group, RacingSA, theCity of Burnside and Thomson Geer Lawyers.[52]
Pyne married Carolyn Twelftree in 1994. They have four children together. He currently resides in Adelaide.[6]
He spoke passionately at the retirement of former (Labor) prime ministerKevin Rudd, revealing that they were both members of the same prayer group, and praising his support during a difficult time for the Pyne family.[53]
In March 2025, Pyne underwent a surgery for aheart bypass, Pyne stated "I am lucky to live in a time when a procedure like this is routine, and where, at 57, I can gain a renovated new heart".[54]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
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| Preceded by | Member for Sturt 1993–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Ageing 2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Manager of Opposition Business in the House 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the House 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Education and Training 2013–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Defence Industry 2016–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Defence 2018–2019 | Succeeded by |
Prime Minister:Tony Abbott | ||
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Prime Minister:Malcolm Turnbull | ||
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Prime Minister:Malcolm Turnbull | ||
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Prime Minister:Scott Morrison | ||
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