Gary Nairn
The Honourable Gary Nairn | |
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![]() Nairn in 2018 | |
Special Minister of State | |
In office 27 January 2006 – 3 December 2007 | |
Prime Minister | John Howard |
Preceded by | Eric Abetz |
Succeeded by | John Faulkner |
Member of the Australian Parliament for Eden-Monaro | |
In office 2 March 1996 – 24 November 2007 | |
Preceded by | Jim Snow |
Succeeded by | Mike Kelly |
Personal details | |
Born | (1951-01-03)3 January 1951 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Died | 1 June 2024(2024-06-01) (aged 73) Queensland, Australia |
Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
Occupation | Surveyor |
Gary Roy Nairn AO (3 January 1951 – 1 June 2024) was an Australian politician.
Early life
Nairn was born in Sydney on 3 January 1951, and was educated at Sydney Boys High School from 1963 to 1968[1] before attending University of New South Wales. He was a surveyor in private practice and managing director of a surveying and mapping consultancy before entering politics. He moved to the Northern Territory where he lived for many years.[2] He was the President of the Country Liberal Party between 1990 and 1994, during which time the CLP won two elections with an increased vote.[3]
Federal political career
Nairn returned to New South Wales and in March 1996, was elected a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the seat of Eden-Monaro.
In 2003, he headed a federal inquiry into the 2003 Canberra bushfires. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister John Howard in October 2004. In January 2006, he was promoted to the front bench as Special Minister of State which included responsibilities with Ministerial and Parliamentary Services, the Australian Government Information Management Office, Australian Electoral Commission, Defence Housing Authority, and Film Australia.[2] He served in Howard's outer ministry.
Nairn's hold on Eden-Monaro was always rather tenuous. For most of the time since the late 1960s, the seat has been highly marginal; it had been held by the party of government without interruption since 1972. Even in the midst of a massive swing to the Coalition in 2004, for instance, Nairn only managed a swing of 0.4 percent.
In the 2007 federal election, Nairn lost his seat to Labor candidate Mike Kelly. Nairn was one of five members of the Howard ministry to lose their seats at the election. Howard also lost his own seat of Bennelong.
Phelps-Kelly controversy
In September 2007, Nairn's chief of staff, Peter Phelps, engaged in a heated verbal exchange with the Labor Party candidate for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly at a forum on the Iraq War in Queanbeyan, New South Wales. At the meeting Phelps claimed that Mike Kelly was a hypocrite as a former soldier running for the ALP when they are opposed to the war in Iraq. Phelps stated at the meeting that he thought Kelly was using the Nuremberg defence, and compared it to the kind of defence used by guards at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.[4] Nairn did not agree with his staffer's sentiments.[5]
SIBA
In 2012, Nairn was appointed the Chair of SIBA.[6][7][8][9]
Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration (CSDILA), University of Melbourne
Nairn chaired the CSDILA Advisory Committee until his death.[10]
Other
From 2018 to 2024, Nairn was the Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award of Australia where he oversaw major restructuring and record growth in the use of the Duke of Edinburgh in Australia.
Personal life and death
Nairn was married to Rose.[11] His first wife, Kerrie, died from cancer in 2005. They had 2 children.[12]
Nairn died from cancer in Queensland, on 1 June 2024, at the age of 73.[12]
References
- ^ "Members of parliament and legislatures" (PDF). Sydney High School Old Boys Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
- ^ a b "The Hon Gary Nairn MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ "Eden-Monaro(Key Seat)". Australia Votes 2007. ABC. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
- ^ Bradford, Gillian (1 September 2007). "Govt puts up fight in Parliament". Radio National: PM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
- ^ "The Hon Gary Nairn MP, Member for Eden-Monaro (NSW): Questions Without Notice" (PDF). Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 19 September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2008.
- ^ Spatial Source 27 Nov 2012, https://www.spatialsource.com.au/gary-nairn-elected-chair-of-siba/
- ^ Positioning for Growth: Spatial Information Industry Action Agenda September 2001 http://www.crcsi.com.au/assets/Resources/33dbc19a-4938-4f46-9a43-d9ff07f5209c.pdf
- ^ Media Release Senator Nick Minchin 25 September 2001 01/422 Federal Boost for Spatial Information Industry, https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/JZ056/upload_binary/jz0562.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22media/pressrel/JZ056%22
- ^ Cho, George (27 September 2005). Geographic Information Science: Mastering the Legal Issues. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470013557 – via Google Books.
- ^ CSDILA People, https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/csdila/people#committee
- ^ Jacobs, Genevieve (2 June 2024). "Farewell to Gary Nairn AO, former parliamentarian and committed community servant". Riotact. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ a b "'Well respected' Gary Nairn dies in Queensland". Canberra CityNews. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
Parliament of Australia | ||
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Political offices | ||
Preceded by | Special Minister of State 2006–2007 | Succeeded by |
Australian House of Representatives | ||
Preceded by | Member for Eden-Monaro 1996–2007 | Succeeded by Mike Kelly |