Richard Colbeck | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Colbeck in 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Senator forTasmania | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 9 February 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Stephen Parry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 4 February 2002 – 2 July 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jocelyn Newman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jonathon Duniam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Richard Mansell Colbeck (1958-04-05)5 April 1958 (age 67) Myrtleford, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Devonport Technical College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard Mansell Colbeck (born 5 April 1958) is an Australian politician. He has been aSenator forTasmania since 2018, representing theLiberal Party, and served a previous term in the Senate from 2002 to 2016. Colbeck served as theMinister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services andMinister for Sport in theSecond Morrison Ministry from December 2020 until May 2022, when theAlbanese ministry was appointed. Previous to this, he was theMinister for Aged Care andMinister for Youth and Sport since May 2019.
Colbeck was first elected at the2001 federal election, and was aparliamentary secretary in theHoward government. Colbeck served as theMinister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and theMinister for Tourism and International Education in theTurnbull government from 2015 to 2016, but was defeated at the2016 election. He returned to the Senate following a recount afterStephen Parry was disqualified during theparliamentary eligibility crisis.
Colbeck is a member of theModerate/Modern Liberal faction of the Liberal Party.[1][2]
Colbeck was born inMyrtleford, Victoria, and was educated at Devonport Technical College. He was abuilding estimator and supervisor, managing director and proprietor of a building consultancy before entering politics.[3]
In his early years, Colbeck gained qualifications in Small Business Management; Technology (Building); and Carpentry and Joinery Trade and Proficiency. He was an apprentice carpenter and joiner between 1977 and 1979; a trainee estimator and supervisor 1977–79; and manager 1979–84. Between 1984 and 1989 he was a building estimator and supervisor; and managing director and proprietor of building consultancy from 1989.[4]
From 1993 to 1996, and from 1998 to 2000, Colbeck served as the president of the Devonport Chamber of Commerce. From 1998 to 2001, he was a member of the board of directors of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI). From 1999 to 2002, he was an Alderman of theDevonport City Council.[4]
On 4 February 2002, Colbeck was appointed to the Senate by theGovernor of Tasmania under section 15 of theConstitution, to fill the casual vacancy caused by the retirement of SenatorJocelyn Newman. He had already been elected to the Senate at the2001 federal election, to a term beginning on 1 July 2002. He was re-elected in 2007.[4]
Colbeck was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in October 2004. In January 2006 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration.[4] With the defeat of the government led byJohn Howard in 2007, he was appointed to the shadow ministry as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health. He was shifted to the role of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in September 2008.[4] In September 2010, Colbeck was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science by the new opposition leaderTony Abbott.[5] Abbott nominated Colbeck for appointment to theAbbott Ministry as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture following the2013 federal election.[6]
Following the2015 leadership spill that sawMalcolm Turnbull replace Abbott as prime minister, Colbeck was appointed as theMinister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and theMinister for Tourism and International Education in theFirst Turnbull Ministry from September 2015 to July 2016.[4]
At the2016 federal election, Colbeck was demoted to fifth place on the Liberal Senate ticket. He blamed factional opponentEric Abetz for his failure to win a higher position on the ticket.[7] He polled an unusually high below-the-line tally, attributed to a strong "personal vote", but nonetheless lost his seat.[8] Colbeck unexpectedly returned to the Senate in February 2018, after Senate PresidentStephen Parry was caught up in theparliamentary eligibility crisis. TheCourt of Disputed Returns conducted a recount and declared Colbeck elected.[9]
Colbeck is considered to belong to themoderate wing of the Tasmanian Liberals, and supported Malcolm Turnbull during the2018 leadership spills; he was reportedly the only Tasmanian Liberal not to sign the petition calling for a second spill.[10] In the newMorrison Ministry, he was appointedAssistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.[4] Prior to the2019 federal election he was preselected in first place on the Liberals' Senate ticket and was re-elected.[11]
After the election, Colbeck was appointedMinister for Aged Care andMinister for Youth and Sport in theSecond Morrison Ministry. Between August and September 2020, Colbeck was criticised for his handling ofCOVID-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities in Victoria, resulting in the deaths of 350 aged care residents as of late August 2020.[12] There were calls by theLabor opposition for Colbeck to be sacked as aged care minister. In September 2020, Colbeck was also censured by theSenate by 25–21 votes for failing to take responsibility for a "crisis in the aged care sector", but he was defended by the Prime Minister who said that the majority of the sector was unaffected during the pandemic.[13][14] In December 2020, his aged care portfolio was subsequently passed to health ministerGreg Hunt, with Colbeck continuing as Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services andMinister for Sport. He held these portfolios until May 2022, following the appointment of theAlbanese ministry.
During Colbeck's tenure as sport minister,Sport Integrity Australia was created in 2020 as a replacement for theAustralian Sports Anti-Doping Authority. A newNational Sports Tribunal was also created as the avenue for appeals, replacing the role of theAdministrative Appeals Tribunal.[15][16]
After the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Colbeck called for theInternational Shooting Sport Federation to remove Russian billionaireVladimir Lisin as its President.[17]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Senator forTasmania 2002–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senator forTasmania 2018–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Gary Grayas Minister for Tourism | Minister for Tourism and International Education 2015–2016 | Succeeded byas Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment |
| New ministerial post | Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment 2015–2016 | Succeeded byas Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment |
| Preceded by | Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources 2018–2019 | Succeeded by Ministry abolished |
| Preceded byas Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation | Minister for Youth and Sport 2019–2020 | Succeeded byasMinister for Education and Youth |
| Succeeded by Himself asMinister for Sport | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians 2019–2020 | Succeeded byasMinister for Health and Aged Care |
| Succeeded by Himself asMinister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services | ||
| Preceded by Himself as Minister for Youth and Sport | Minister for Sport 2020–2022 | Succeeded by vacant |
| Preceded by Himself as Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians | Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services 2020–2022 | Succeeded by vacant |
Prime Minister:Tony Abbott | ||
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Prime Minister:Malcolm Turnbull | ||
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Prime Minister:Scott Morrison | ||
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Prime Minister:Scott Morrison | ||
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