Anthony Roberts
Encyclopedia
Anthony John Roberts MP (born 19 April 1970), an Australian politician, is the New South Wales
Minister for Fair Trading in the O'Farrell
-Stoner
Liberal
/National
coalitition
government
. Roberts is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Lane Cove
for the Liberal Party since 2003.
. He completed voluntary military service, achieving the rank of Captain in the Australian Army Reserve
. During his period at university, Roberts was elected President of the UTS Union in 1992, in what was considered to be an upset for the left establishment on campus.
In 1998, Roberts was deployed as part of the Australian Reserves to Bouganville as part of Operation Bel Isi. This operation required Australian forces to monitor a ceasefire on the island following years of civil unrest.
Roberts was elected to Lane Cove Council
and served as a Councillor
between 1995 and 2003, including a term serving as Deputy Mayor and two terms as Mayor, between 1999 and 2000 and between 2001 and 2002.
, and between 1996 and 2003, Roberts was employed as an electorate officer to then Prime Minister
, John Howard
. In the book Jonestown: The Power and the Myth of Alan Jones
, journalist Chris Masters
claimed that Roberts was employed to act as a liaison between the office and Sydney radio broadcaster Alan Jones
. Australian online political magazine Crikey.com gave Roberts the title, "Minister for Alan Jones".
. Roberts was re-elected in 2007, increasing his margin from 3.2 per cent to 12.4 per cent, attributed in part to community anger over the construction of the Lane Cove Tunnel
by the Labor
Government. Roberts opposed the narrowing of Epping Road that would result from the tunnel as well as the inadequacy of the filtering of the tunnel and the effects this might have on the local community.
Following the 2007 election, in May 2008 Roberts was appointed as Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Juvenile Justice and in December 2008, was moved from these portfolios and was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister for the Arts, Citizenship and Volunteering.
On the 24 April 2010, Roberts was unanimously endorsed by the Liberal Party to contest the 2011 state election. He was re-elected to Lane Cove with a swing of 13.4 per cent and won the seat with 77.3 per cent of the vote on a two party preferred basis. His main opponent was Mario Tsang, representing Labor. Subsequent to the election, on 3 April 2011, Roberts was appointed Minister for Fair Trading.
site. Former NSW Premier Bob Carr
claimed in 2004 that, "there appeared to be a warm relationship between Gazcorp and Mr Roberts, evidenced by a stream of faxes and emails giving the Liberal MP questions to ask of the Labor Party about the factory outlet". On 14 September 2004, Roberts said in Parliament that he had ceased being a director of Flagship Communications prior to being elected to Parliament and had never received any payment from Flagship Communications.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Minister for Fair Trading in the O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
-Stoner
Andrew Stoner
Andrew John Stoner is an Australian politician, Deputy Premier of New South Wales and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Oxley since the 1999 state election, and the Leader of the New South Wales National Party since 31 March 2003...
Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
/National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
coalitition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government
O'Farrell Ministry
The O'Farrell ministry is the 93rd ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and is led by the 43rd Premier Barry O'Farrell.The Liberal–National coalition ministry was formed following the defeat of the Keneally Labor government at the 2011 election...
. Roberts is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
representing Lane Cove
Electoral district of Lane Cove
Lane Cove is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Anthony Roberts of the Liberal Party of Australia...
for the Liberal Party since 2003.
Early years and background
Roberts was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview and the University of Technology, SydneyUniversity of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
. He completed voluntary military service, achieving the rank of Captain in the Australian Army Reserve
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
. During his period at university, Roberts was elected President of the UTS Union in 1992, in what was considered to be an upset for the left establishment on campus.
In 1998, Roberts was deployed as part of the Australian Reserves to Bouganville as part of Operation Bel Isi. This operation required Australian forces to monitor a ceasefire on the island following years of civil unrest.
Roberts was elected to Lane Cove Council
Municipality of Lane Cove
The Municipality of Lane Cove is a Local Government Area located about 10km north-west of the central business district of Sydney, Australia, in the south-west corner of the North Shore. The Lane Cove River borders its south, with the eastern part of Hunter's Hill just across that river...
and served as a Councillor
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
between 1995 and 2003, including a term serving as Deputy Mayor and two terms as Mayor, between 1999 and 2000 and between 2001 and 2002.
Political advisor
Between 1992 and 1996, Roberts was employed as an advisor to the Hon Dr Brian Pezzutti MPBrian Pezzutti
Brian Patrick Victor Pezzutti CSC, RFD is a former Australian politician. Born in Casino, New South Wales, he was the son of Victor Dominic Pezzutti and Helena Hilda Bazzo. He was an army reservist in 1965 and later became active in the armed forces; he received the National Medal in 1978...
, and between 1996 and 2003, Roberts was employed as an electorate officer to then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
. In the book Jonestown: The Power and the Myth of Alan Jones
Jonestown: The Power and the Myth of Alan Jones
Jonestown: The Power and The Myth of Alan Jones is a controversial 2006 biography of radio personality Alan Jones by Chris Masters. The biography deals in part with Jones's sexuality; Masters asserts that Jones is homosexual, something that Jones does not self-identify with...
, journalist Chris Masters
Chris Masters (writer)
Christopher "Chris" Wayne Masters PSM is a multi-Walkley Award winning and Logie Award winning Australian journalist and author.-Life:Chris Masters was born in Grafton, New South Wales...
claimed that Roberts was employed to act as a liaison between the office and Sydney radio broadcaster Alan Jones
Alan Jones (radio broadcaster)
Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
. Australian online political magazine Crikey.com gave Roberts the title, "Minister for Alan Jones".
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Roberts left Howard's office when he was elected as the Member for Lane Cove in 2003, following the retirement of Kerry ChikarovskiKerry Chikarovski
Kerry Anne Chikarovski was leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. She served as Leader of the Opposition between 1998 and 2002....
. Roberts was re-elected in 2007, increasing his margin from 3.2 per cent to 12.4 per cent, attributed in part to community anger over the construction of the Lane Cove Tunnel
Lane Cove Tunnel
The Lane Cove Tunnel is a A$1.1 billion, 3.6 km twin tunnel tollway in Sydney, Australia, connecting the M2 Motorway at North Ryde with the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network...
by the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Government. Roberts opposed the narrowing of Epping Road that would result from the tunnel as well as the inadequacy of the filtering of the tunnel and the effects this might have on the local community.
Following the 2007 election, in May 2008 Roberts was appointed as Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Juvenile Justice and in December 2008, was moved from these portfolios and was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister for the Arts, Citizenship and Volunteering.
On the 24 April 2010, Roberts was unanimously endorsed by the Liberal Party to contest the 2011 state election. He was re-elected to Lane Cove with a swing of 13.4 per cent and won the seat with 77.3 per cent of the vote on a two party preferred basis. His main opponent was Mario Tsang, representing Labor. Subsequent to the election, on 3 April 2011, Roberts was appointed Minister for Fair Trading.
Orange Grove accusations
Roberts was previously a director of the public relations firm Flagship Communications. After Roberts was elected to Parliament in 2003, Flagship Communications acted on behalf of owners of the Orange GroveOrange Grove affair
The Orange Grove affair was a political scandal in Australia concerning the dealings of the New South Wales state Australian Labor Party government with multinational corporation The Westfield Group. It resulted from a court decision to force the closure of the Orange Grove shopping centre after a...
site. Former NSW Premier Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
claimed in 2004 that, "there appeared to be a warm relationship between Gazcorp and Mr Roberts, evidenced by a stream of faxes and emails giving the Liberal MP questions to ask of the Labor Party about the factory outlet". On 14 September 2004, Roberts said in Parliament that he had ceased being a director of Flagship Communications prior to being elected to Parliament and had never received any payment from Flagship Communications.
External links
- The Hon. Anthony John ROBERTS, MP - Parliament of New South WalesParliament of New South WalesThe Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
- Anthony Roberts website