Peter William Hendy
Encyclopedia
Peter William Hendy is an Australia
n businessman, and Chief of Staff to Liberal Party
leader Dr Brendan Nelson
. Prior to joining Dr Nelson's staff, Peter Hendy was Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
.
Peter Hendy is known as an influential power broker in business and political circles, and has a close relationship with the Liberal Party of Australia
.
, holds a Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) from the University of Queensland
and undertook a scholarship in international economic relations at the Australian National University
. He has published various papers and articles on public policy issues.
Hendy worked in public administration and policy development at Federal and State levels, including periods in the Commonwealth Treasury, New South Wales Cabinet Office and as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Defence, Workplace Relations and Education, Peter Reith
. In 1996, Hendy helped draft the first round of industrial relations changes for the Howard
government. In 2001, he was implicated in the Children Overboard
scandal.
In June, 2002, Hendy became Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(ACCI). During his tenure at the ACCI, Hendy was involved in a political advertising campaign against the Labor Party
to promote the Howard
government's WorkChoices
industrial relations legislation. Hendy was a member on the committee organising the campaign. In 2006 he was commissioned by the Treasurer of Australia
to co-author the International Comparison of Australia's Taxes report, urging long term taxation reform in Australia.
In January, 2008, Hendy left the ACCI to take up a position as Chief of Staff to Liberal
leader, Dr Brendan Nelson
. He was one of three ACCI officials who joined Dr Nelson's staff at the time.
Hendy is a board director of ACCI member organisation Standards Australia
, the International Chamber of Commerce (Australia), the Australian Institute of International Affairs, the Australian Made Campaign Limited, the National Business Action Fund, a governor of the National Institute of Labour Studies, Chairman of the Joint Policy Committee of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Australian representative on the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) of the OECD.
Peter Hendy was described in the Australian Financial Review's 2005 Inside Power magazine, which listed the most influential people in the Australian political system, as "the key player among the bosses". The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd
described him as "a Liberal Party operative."
In his spare time, Peter Hendy is a keen collector of political biographies and is the Australian Capital Territory Divisional President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
He is married with two children and lives in Canberra
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n businessman, and Chief of Staff to Liberal Party
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...
leader Dr Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
. Prior to joining Dr Nelson's staff, Peter Hendy was Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been the peak council of Australian business associations for 105 years and traces its heritage back to Australia’s first chamber of commerce in 1826.Its motto is “Leading Australian Business.”...
.
Peter Hendy is known as an influential power broker in business and political circles, and has a close relationship with the Liberal Party of Australia
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...
.
Biography
Peter Hendy was born in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, holds a Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) from the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
and undertook a scholarship in international economic relations at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
. He has published various papers and articles on public policy issues.
Hendy worked in public administration and policy development at Federal and State levels, including periods in the Commonwealth Treasury, New South Wales Cabinet Office and as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Defence, Workplace Relations and Education, Peter Reith
Peter Reith
Peter Keaston Reith, , former Australian politician, was a Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and then a senior Cabinet minister in the first two terms of the Howard Government.-Early life:...
. In 1996, Hendy helped draft the first round of industrial relations changes for the 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....
government. In 2001, he was implicated in the Children Overboard
Children overboard affair
The Children Overboard affair was an Australian political controversy involving public allegations by Howard government ministers in October 2001, in the lead-up to a federal election, that sea-faring asylum seekers had thrown children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage to...
scandal.
In June, 2002, Hendy became Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been the peak council of Australian business associations for 105 years and traces its heritage back to Australia’s first chamber of commerce in 1826.Its motto is “Leading Australian Business.”...
(ACCI). During his tenure at the ACCI, Hendy was involved in a political advertising campaign against the Labor Party
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...
to promote the 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....
government's WorkChoices
WorkChoices
The Workplace Relations Act 1996, as amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment Act 2005, popularly known as Work Choices, was a Legislative Act of the Australian Parliament that came into effect in March 2006 which involved many controversial amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the...
industrial relations legislation. Hendy was a member on the committee organising the campaign. In 2006 he was commissioned by the Treasurer of Australia
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
to co-author the International Comparison of Australia's Taxes report, urging long term taxation reform in Australia.
In January, 2008, Hendy left the ACCI to take up a position as Chief of Staff to 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...
leader, Dr Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
. He was one of three ACCI officials who joined Dr Nelson's staff at the time.
Hendy is a board director of ACCI member organisation Standards Australia
Standards Australia
Standards Australia was established in 1922 and is recognised through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian government as the peak non-government standards development body in Australia. It is a company limited by guarantee, with 72 members representing groups interested in the...
, the International Chamber of Commerce (Australia), the Australian Institute of International Affairs, the Australian Made Campaign Limited, the National Business Action Fund, a governor of the National Institute of Labour Studies, Chairman of the Joint Policy Committee of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Australian representative on the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) of the OECD.
Peter Hendy was described in the Australian Financial Review's 2005 Inside Power magazine, which listed the most influential people in the Australian political system, as "the key player among the bosses". The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
described him as "a Liberal Party operative."
In his spare time, Peter Hendy is a keen collector of political biographies and is the Australian Capital Territory Divisional President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
He is married with two children and lives in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.