Ross Free
Encyclopedia
Ross Vincent Free is an Australian politician, and was a Labor
member of the Australian House of Representatives
representing the seat of Macquarie
from 1980 until 1984, then Lindsay
from 1984 until 1996. He served as a minister from 1990 until 1996 in both the Hawke
and Keating
ministries.
, and completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Graduate Diploma of Education at the University of Sydney
, following which he worked as a school teacher.
Free won Labor preselection for the outer Sydney federal seat of Macquarie
ahead of the 1980 election
, and defeated the incumbent Liberal
member Reg Gillard. He served as a member of several house standing parliamentary committees, in opposition and then in government upon Hawke winning the prime ministership in 1983. Following a redistribution ahead of the 1984 election, he transferred to the seat of Lindsay
, based around Penrith
. In 1985 he led a delegation to the European Parliamentary Institutions in Strasbourg
and Berlin, and again in Germany in 1986.
After the 1990 election, at which Hawke won a fourth term, Free was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the Fourth Hawke Ministry
.
Following Paul Keating
's first, and unsuccessful, challenge for the leadership in June 1991, a number of changes were made to the ministry, with Free being promoted to Minister for Science and Technology
and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Science. Hawke was ultimately defeated in a second challenge on 20 December 1991, and Free continued in the First Keating Ministry
in the same portfolios. After the 1993 election, he served in the Second Keating Ministry
as Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training.
He was one of several ministers to lose his seat at the 1996 election, at which John Howard
became Prime Minister. Free lost Lindsay to Liberal
candidate Jackie Kelly
. Kelly was subsequently found to have run while still a serving RAAF officer, and both contested the resulting by-election
(as did 10 other candidates), but Free lost by a greater margin.
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...
member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
representing the seat of Macquarie
Division of Macquarie
The Division of Macquarie is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for Lachlan Macquarie, who was Governor of New South Wales between 1810 and 1821...
from 1980 until 1984, then Lindsay
Division of Lindsay
The Division of Lindsay is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, and is centred around Penrith. It also includes the suburbs of Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Werrington....
from 1984 until 1996. He served as a minister from 1990 until 1996 in both the Hawke
Fourth Hawke Ministry
The Fourth Hawke Ministry was the fifty-eighth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 4 April 1990 to 20 December 1991.Australian Labor Party-Cabinet:*Hon Bob Hawke, AC MP: Prime Minister...
and Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
ministries.
Biography
He was born in Bathurst, New South WalesBathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, and completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Graduate Diploma of Education at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, following which he worked as a school teacher.
Free won Labor preselection for the outer Sydney federal seat of Macquarie
Division of Macquarie
The Division of Macquarie is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for Lachlan Macquarie, who was Governor of New South Wales between 1810 and 1821...
ahead of the 1980 election
Australian federal election, 1980
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 October 1980. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National Country Party led by Doug...
, and defeated the incumbent 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...
member Reg Gillard. He served as a member of several house standing parliamentary committees, in opposition and then in government upon Hawke winning the prime ministership in 1983. Following a redistribution ahead of the 1984 election, he transferred to the seat of Lindsay
Division of Lindsay
The Division of Lindsay is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, and is centred around Penrith. It also includes the suburbs of Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Werrington....
, based around Penrith
Penrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
. In 1985 he led a delegation to the European Parliamentary Institutions in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and Berlin, and again in Germany in 1986.
After the 1990 election, at which Hawke won a fourth term, Free was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the Fourth Hawke Ministry
Fourth Hawke Ministry
The Fourth Hawke Ministry was the fifty-eighth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and held office from 4 April 1990 to 20 December 1991.Australian Labor Party-Cabinet:*Hon Bob Hawke, AC MP: Prime Minister...
.
Following Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
's first, and unsuccessful, challenge for the leadership in June 1991, a number of changes were made to the ministry, with Free being promoted to Minister for Science and Technology
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia)
The current Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Kim Carr, appointed on 3 December 2007. He administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.-List of Ministers for Industry :...
and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Science. Hawke was ultimately defeated in a second challenge on 20 December 1991, and Free continued in the First Keating Ministry
First Keating Ministry
The First Keating Ministry was the 59th Australian Commonwealth ministry. It was led by Paul Keating of the Australian Labor Party, and held office from 20 December 1991 to 24 March 1993.-Cabinet:*Hon Paul Keating, MP: Prime Minister...
in the same portfolios. After the 1993 election, he served in the Second Keating Ministry
Second Keating Ministry
The Second Keating Ministry was the sixtieth Australian Commonwealth ministry. It was led by Paul Keating of the Australian Labor Party, and held office from 24 March 1993 to 11 March 1996...
as Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training.
He was one of several ministers to lose his seat at the 1996 election, at which 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....
became Prime Minister. Free lost Lindsay 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...
candidate Jackie Kelly
Jackie Kelly
Jacqueline Marie Kelly , former Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay, New South Wales.-Early career:...
. Kelly was subsequently found to have run while still a serving RAAF officer, and both contested the resulting by-election
Lindsay by-election, 1996
The 1996 Lindsay by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Lindsay in New South Wales on 19 October 1996. The by-election was triggered by a ruling of the Court of Disputed Returns that the election of the Liberal Party candidate Jackie Kelly was invalid, due to her citizenship status...
(as did 10 other candidates), but Free lost by a greater margin.