Bob Debus | |
|---|---|
| 50th Attorney General of New South Wales | |
| In office 28 June 2000 – 2 April 2007 | |
| Premier | Bob Carr Morris Iemma |
| Preceded by | Jeff Shaw |
| Succeeded by | John Hatzistergos |
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 3 December 2007 – 9 June 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd |
| Preceded by | David Johnston(asMinister for Justice and Customs) |
| Succeeded by | Brendan O'Connor |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forMacquarie | |
| In office 24 November 2007 – 19 July 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Kerry Bartlett |
| Succeeded by | Louise Markus |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1943-09-16)16 September 1943 (age 81) Ryde, New South Wales,Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
Robert John DebusAM (born 16 September 1943) is a formerAustralian politician who served as a member of theAustralian House of Representatives and theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing theLabor Party. Debus has been a minister in both the Australian and New South Wales governments. He served in the NSW Parliament from 1981 to 1988 and again from 1995 to 2007; and in the Australian Parliament from 2007 to 2010.
Before his retirement from the NSW Parliament, at the2007 state election, he held the portfolios of Attorney-General,Minister for the Environment, and Minister for the Arts; and represented theBlue Mountains electorate. Prior to his retirement from the Australian Parliament, at the2010 federal election, he wasMinister for Home Affairs in theRudd Ministry; and served as Member forMacquarie. Debus is a prominent member of Labor'sSocialist Left faction. On 6 June 2009, Bob Debus announced his resignation from the ministry and his retirement. He did not contest the 2010 federal election.
Debus was born inRyde,New South Wales and educated atHomebush Boys High School[1] andSydney University, graduating in Law and Arts in 1967. He worked as a publisher and lawyer. He worked as anABC broadcaster, and was Executive Producer of the ABC's Department of Radio Talks and Documentaries 1970. He was also executive director of Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign and Community Aid Abroad 1988–94, and advisor to Federal Minister for Administrative Services 1994–95.[2]
Debus was the member forBlue Mountains, west ofSydney, from 1981 to 1988. He was Minister for Employment from 1984 to 1986 and Minister for Finance from 1984 to 1988. Debus was also member for Blue Mountains from 1995 to 2007. He has held several ministerial positions in the New South Wales Government, including the Minister for Finance, Co-operative Societies and Assistant Minister for Education (between 1986 and 1988); the Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts (between April 1995 and December 1997); the Minister for Energy, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Corrective Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts (between December 1997 and April 1999); the Minister for Energy, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts (between April 1998 and April 1999); the Minister for the Environment, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Corrective Services and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts (April 1999 and January 2001); the Attorney General, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Emergency Services, and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts (between June 2000 and March 2003); and the Attorney General and Minister for the Environment (between March 2003 and March 2007).[2]
Debus oversaw by far the largest ever reorganisation, expansion and re-equipment of emergency services across New South Wales. He was the longest serving environment minister in any Australian jurisdiction and oversaw the expansion of the national park system of New South Wales by over one-third . He undertook other environmental policy initiatives including the first program in Australia to successfully purchase water licences for the restoration of environmental flows in inland rivers; cleaner production and remediation laws which included pioneeringemission trading schemes to reduce pollution; and the introduction of the first Extended Producer Responsibility laws in Australia. He initiated the project to create an unbroken chain of protected areas and other lands managed for conservation to stretch 2800 km along the Great Divide of Eastern Australia.
On 30 October 2006, he announced that he would retire from state politics at the2007 state election.
On 16 November 2006, Debus was accused byLiberal Party leaderPeter Debnam underParliamentary Privilege of being under investigation by thePolice Integrity Commission. In response the Government released aNSW Police Service report stating that a minister had been the subject of complaints (not an investigation) which were dismissed in 2003 as spurious and groundless. The report did not name the minister concerned as it was deemed to be 'not in the public interest'.[3] When Debnam failed to provide evidence to support his claims, he was censured by Parliament for misleading the House.[4] It was subsequently reported that Debnam's source for the accusation was a convicted bank robber and child sex offender with a long history of making unsubstantiated allegations.[5]
On 30 March 2007 Debus confirmed longstanding rumours that he would seek preselection for the Federal seat ofMacquarie. The seat had been redistributed to cover most of his state seat; he'd represented nearly all of the reconfigured Macquarie's eastern portion at one time or another. It had previously been a safe seat for then sitting memberKerry Bartlett of theLiberal Party, but the redistribution made it notionally Labor; Bartlett needed a 0.5 percent swing to retain the seat. On 24 November 2007 Debus won the election for Macquarie with a strong swing to Labor as his party won government. On 29 November Kevin Rudd announced he would be part of his new ministry.[6] He was appointedMinister for Home Affairs inKevin Rudd'sFirst Rudd Ministry on 3 December 2007.[7]This was a new ministry, and he was responsible for domestic law enforcement, including theAustralian Federal Police and theAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation.
On 6 June 2009, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a cabinet reshuffle without Mr Debus, who, after 28 years in state and federal politics had decided to retire. Debus did not contest the 2010 federal election.[8][9]
It was revealed in October 2008 that theAustralian Crime Commission had compiled a secret file on Debus, sparking condemnation by former and serving police officials. The file included details of his personal habits, views on police corruption and former Labor prime ministers.[10]
On 13 June 2011, Debus was appointed as aMember of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliaments of Australia and New South Wales, to the development of an emergency response framework, through contributions to legal and environmental reforms, and to the community.[11]
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member for Blue Mountains 1981–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member for Blue Mountains 1995–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Employment 1984–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Finance 1984–1988 | Vacant Title next held by George Souris |
| Preceded by | Minister for Co-operative Societies 1986–1988 | Vacant Title next held by Gerry Peacockeas Minister for Cooperatives |
| Vacant Title last held by Wal Fife | Assistant Minister for Education 1986–1988 | Vacant Title next held by Kerry Chikarovski |
| Preceded by | Minister for Emergency Services 1995–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Terry Griffithsas Minister for Courts Administration and Corrective Services | Minister for Corrective Services 1995–2001 | Succeeded by |
| New title | Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts 1996–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Energy 1997–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Tourism 1997–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Minister for Emergency Services 1998–2003 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | Minister for the Environment 1999–2007 | Succeeded byas Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water |
| Preceded by | Attorney-General of New South Wales 2000–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for the Arts 2005–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member for Macquarie 2007–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| New title | Minister for Home Affairs 2007–2009 | Succeeded by |
