Karen Andrews | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 30 March 2021 – 23 May 2022 Serving with Scott Morrison | |
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Peter Dutton |
| Succeeded by | Jim Chalmers (interim) Clare O'Neil |
| Minister for Industry, Science and Technology | |
| In office 28 August 2018 – 30 March 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Arthur Sinodinos(2017) |
| Succeeded by | Christian Porter |
| Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills | |
| In office 19 July 2016 – 28 August 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Scott Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Steve Irons(2019) |
| Assistant Minister for Science | |
| In office 23 December 2014 – 19 July 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Craig Laundy |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forMcPherson | |
| In office 21 August 2010 – 28 March 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Margaret May |
| Succeeded by | Leon Rebello |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Karen Lesley Weir (1960-08-23)23 August 1960 (age 65) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal (LNP) |
| Spouse | Chris Andrews |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Queensland University of Technology; Victoria University |
| Occupation | Industrial relations advocate |
| Profession | Mechanical engineer |
| Website | karenandrewsmp |
Karen Lesley Andrews (néeWeir; born 23 August 1960) is an Australian politician who served in theMorrison government asMinister for Industry, Science and Technology from 2018 to 2021 and asMinister for Home Affairs from 2021 to 2022. She is a member of theLiberal National Party of Queensland and has represented theQueensland seat ofMcPherson since the2010 federal election. Andrews sat as aLiberal and previously served as an assistant minister in theAbbott andTurnbull governments. Before entering politics, she was a mechanical engineer and industrial relations consultant.
On 18 April 2023, Andrews announced that she would retire at the2025 Australian federal election.[1][2][3]
Andrews was born inBrisbane on 23 August 1960.[4] She is the daughter of William and Moya Weir; her father served in World War II and was later national secretary and treasurer of an organisation for disabled veterans.[5]
Andrews grew up inTownsville and attendedTownsville Grammar School. She subsequently completed the degree of Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at theQueensland Institute of Technology,[4] as one of the engineering faculty's first two female graduates.[6] After graduating, Andrews worked as a drafter with the Queensland Electricity Generating Board and in plant maintenance at theGladstone Power Station. She later moved toVictoria to work in the oil industry as a supervisor, during which time she completed a graduate diploma in industrial relations atVictoria University.[5][4] She then worked for an employers' association as an industrial advocate within the metal, engineering and construction industries, representing the interests of employers in negotiations with employees.[5]
In the mid-1990s, Andrews joined the Victorian Department of Health and Community Services as head of its industrial branch, working under the responsible ministerMarie Tehan. She later established an industrial relations consultancy business,[6] focusing onalternative dispute resolution andmediation.[5] In 2002 she moved to theGold Coast, Queensland.[6]
In October 2009, Andrews won aLiberal National Party of Queensland ballot forpreselection in the federal seat ofMcPherson, following the retirement of the incumbent MPMargaret May.[7] She defeated three candidates, includingPeter Dutton, the incumbent MP forDickson, who sought to transfer seats after an unfavourable redistribution.[8] She retained the seat for the LNP at the2010 federal election.[4]
Andrews was a founding co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Science in 2012, along withRichard Marles.[9] She served as chair of the joint statutory committee on public works from 2013 to 2015 and was also appointed to thespeaker's panel in 2014.[4]
In February 2014, Andrews was reportedly involved in a "heated" verbal altercation with state government ministerJann Stuckey in front of students at a primary school inElanora, Queensland, after Stucky "objected to a staffer from Ms Andrews' office taking a photograph of her".[10] In July 2014, theGold Coast Bulletin reported that her office had an unusually high employee turnover and that former staffers had accused her of creating a hostile work environment. Andrews responded that the high turnover was normal for a parliamentary office.[11]
In December 2014, Andrews was promoted toparliamentary secretary to theMinister for Industry and Science in theAbbott Ministry.[12][13] Her title was changed to Assistant Minister for Science in September 2015, whenMalcolm Turnbull replaced Abbott as prime minister.[4] Following a reshuffle in July 2016, she was instead madeAssistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills.[14]
During the2018 Liberal leadership spills, Andrews reportedly supportedPeter Dutton against Turnbull in the first ballot. She voted against holding a second ballot, but subsequently voted forScott Morrison against Dutton.[6] Andrews was then promoted toMinister for Industry, Science and Technology in the newly formedMorrison government. She was sworn in on 28 August 2018.[15][16]
As science minister, Andrews announced the creation of aCooperative Research Centre on clean energy and additional funding forartificial intelligence research and theAustralian Space Agency. According toThe Australian, during the initial stages of theCOVID-19 pandemic she "became a key player in the government's response as it scrambled to reassure the public about both the contagion itself and the panic-buying that soon began threatening supplies of food, toilet paper and sanitising products".[6]
Andrews was appointedMinister for Home Affairs in March 2021, following a cabinet reshuffle related to the2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations.[17]
Andrews is currently factionally unaligned,[18] after previously identifying as a member of the Centre Right faction of the Liberal Party during theMorrison government.[19]
Andrews has identified as afeminist.[20]
In a 2018 interview with Sky News, Andrews declared that coal would play a major role in Australia'senergy mix in the future.[21]
In January 2020, Andrews stated that it was time to move on from ideological battles overclimate change, saying that it had robbed Australia of the time and energy needed to respond to the change. "Every second that we spend talking about whether or not the climate is changing is a second that we are not spending on looking at adaptation [and] mitigation strategies. It really is time for everyone to move on and look at what we're going to do."[22]
In 2023, Andrews stated that she was disappointed that only one of the potential Liberal candidates for theby-election in the seat of Fadden was female. Andrews had previously gone on record criticising the Liberal party for its underrepresentation of women.[23]
Andrews has three daughters with her husband Chris.[5] As of 2018, according to the parliamentary register of financial interests, she owned nine investment properties.[24]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
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| Preceded by | Member for McPherson 2010–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Home Affairs 2021–2022 | Succeeded by |
| New title | Minister for Industry, Science and Technology 2018–2021 | Succeeded by |
Prime Minister:Tony Abbott | ||
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Prime Minister:Malcolm Turnbull | ||
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| Dismissed/resigned/lost seat | ||
Prime Minister:Malcolm Turnbull | ||
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| Resigned | ||
Prime Minister:Scott Morrison | ||
| Cabinet |
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| Resigned | ||
Prime Minister:Scott Morrison | ||
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| Outer Ministry | ||
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