Richard Colbeck

Richard Mansell Colbeck (born 5 April 1958) is an Australian politician. He has been a Senator for Tasmania since 2018, representing the Liberal Party, and served a previous term in the Senate from 2002 to 2016. He has been Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians and Minister for Youth and Sport in the Morrison Government since May 2019.

Senator The Honourable Richard Colbeck
Colbeck in 2014
Minister for Youth and Sport
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Bridget McKenzie
Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Ken Wyatt
Senator for Tasmania
Incumbent
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
Minister for Tourism and International Education
In office 21 September 2015 – 19 July 2016
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Gary Gray (as Minister for Tourism)
Succeeded by	Steven Ciobo (as Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment)
Assistant Minister for Trade and Investment
In office 21 September 2015 – 19 July 2016
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Keith Pitt
Personal details
Born	Richard Mansell Colbeck (1958-04-05) 5 April 1958 Myrtleford, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Gaylene Bryan
Children	3
Alma mater	Devonport Technical College

Colbeck was first elected at the 2001 federal election, and was a parliamentary secretary in the Howard Government. Colbeck served as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and the Minister for Tourism and International Education in the Turnbull Government from 2015 to 2016, but was defeated at the 2016 election. He returned to the Senate following a recount after Stephen Parry was disqualified during the parliamentary eligibility crisis.

Early life

Colbeck was born in Myrtleford, Victoria, and was educated at Devonport Technical College. He was a building estimator and supervisor, managing director and proprietor of a building consultancy before entering politics.[1]

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 1977–79; 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.[2]

From 1993–1996, and from 1998–2000, Colbeck served as the president of the Devonport Chamber of Commerce. From 1998–2001, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI). From 1999–2002, he was an Alderman of the Devonport City Council.[2]

Political career

On 4 February 2002, Colbeck was appointed to the Senate by the Governor of Tasmania under section 15 of the Constitution, to fill the casual vacancy caused by the retirement of Senator Jocelyn Newman. He had already been elected to the Senate at the 2001 federal election, to a term beginning on 1 July 2002. He was re-elected in 2007.[2]

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.[2] With the defeat of the government led by John 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.[3] 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 leader Tony Abbott.[4] Abbott nominated Colbeck for appointment to the Abbott Ministry as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture following the 2013 federal election.[5]

Following the 2015 leadership spill that saw Malcolm Turnbull replace Abbott as prime minister, Colbeck was appointed as the Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and the Minister for Tourism and International Education in the First Turnbull Ministry from September 2015 to July 2016.[3]

At the 2016 federal election, Colbeck was demoted to fifth place on the Liberal Senate ticket. He blamed factional opponent Eric Abetz for his failure to win a higher position on the ticket.[6] He polled an unusually high below-the-line tally, attributed to a strong "personal vote", but nonetheless lost his seat.[7] Colbeck unexpectedly returned to the Senate in February 2018, after Senate President Stephen Parry was caught up in the parliamentary eligibility crisis. The Court of Disputed Returns conducted a recount and declared Colbeck elected.[8]

Colbeck is considered to belong to the moderate wing of the Tasmanian Liberals, and supported Malcolm Turnbull during the 2018 leadership spills; he was reportedly the only Tasmanian Liberal not to sign the petition calling for a second spill.[9] In the new Morrison Government, he was appointed Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.[3] Prior to the 2019 federal election he was preselected in first place on the Liberals' Senate ticket.[10]

References

1. "Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck". ABC. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
2. "Biography for COLBECK, the Hon. Richard Mansell". Australian Parliament. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
3. "Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "Abbott Ministry" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
6. "Federal election 2016: Abetz 'coup' cut me down, says Colbeck". The Australian. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
7. "How Lisa Singh and Richard Colbeck used personal appeal against party rankings". Guardian Australia. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
8. "Two Tasmanian senators sworn into Parliament after citizenship shake-up". ABC News. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
9. "Senator Richard Colbeck's 'loyalty', 'integrity' highlighted by PM Scott Morrison in pre-selection stoush". ABC News. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
10. "Richard Colbeck, Claire Chandler and Tanya Denison nominated in Liberal preselection battle". ABC News. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2019.

External links

• Search or browse Hansard for Richard Colbeck at OpenAustralia.org

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Jocelyn Newman	Senator for Tasmania 2002–2016	Succeeded by Jonathon Duniam
Preceded by Stephen Parry	Senator for Tasmania 2018–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Vacant Title last held by Gary Gray as Minister for Tourism	Minister for Tourism and International Education 2015–2016	Succeeded by Steven Ciobo as Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment
New ministerial post	Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment 2015–2016	Succeeded by Keith Pitt as Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment