Tim Soutphommasane
Encyclopedia
Tim Soutphommasane is a French-born Australian writer
and newspaper
columnist
. He is currently a Research Fellow in the National Centre of Australian Studies at Monash University
in Melbourne
and a senior project leader with the Per Capita think tank
.
Tim Soutphommasane was born in France
to parents who had fled Laos
as refugee
s. His family moved to Sydney
's western suburbs, where he was raised. He was educated at a state secondary school and at the University of Sydney
, before winning a scholarship to pursue a Master of Philosophy at Oxford University. He graduated from Oxford
with a DPhil in political philosophy in 2009 and returned, aged 26, to Australia
.
s and the Ask the Philosopher column each Saturday. He also writes for The Monthly
magazine. While living in England
, Soutphommasane was a freelance journalist, contributing blog entries to Guardian
, and The Financial Times, as well as opinion pieces and reviews to the Spectator
, the Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age. He has also had work published on various online sites, including New Matilda.
and national identity
, which Soutphommasane claims were surrendered to the Right
during the Prime Minister
ship of John Howard
.
in 1998, aged 15 - the minimum age of Party membership. He later worked on the speechwriting staff of then New South Wales
Premier
Bob Carr
, and in late 2007 he returned from Oxford to work in the office of Kevin Rudd
during that year's federal election campaign. Soutphommasane remains an ALP member.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
. He is currently a Research Fellow in the National Centre of Australian Studies at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and a senior project leader with the Per Capita think tank
Per Capita
Per Capita is an independent progressive Australian think tank.-Philosophy:As a progressive, centre-left think tank, Per Capita's approach is to view the role of government as a market designer: setting parameters for a liberal economy to produce better social outcomes.Per Capita's thinking draws...
.
Tim Soutphommasane was born in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to parents who had fled Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
as refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s. His family moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's western suburbs, where he was raised. He was educated at a state secondary school and 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...
, before winning a scholarship to pursue a Master of Philosophy at Oxford University. He graduated from Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
with a DPhil in political philosophy in 2009 and returned, aged 26, to Australia
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...
.
Journalism
Soutphommasane is currently a regular writer for The Australian newspaper, to which he contributes feature articleFeature article
* For general information "articles", see Article * For the term used in specific, see Article * For the concept of "feature stories," made the primary focus of a issue for in-depth investigation, see feature story...
s and the Ask the Philosopher column each Saturday. He also writes for The Monthly
The Monthly
The Monthly is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer Morry Schwartz...
magazine. While living in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Soutphommasane was a freelance journalist, contributing blog entries to Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and The Financial Times, as well as opinion pieces and reviews to the Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, the Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age. He has also had work published on various online sites, including New Matilda.
Other works
In 2009 Soutphommasane's first book was published, titled Reclaiming Patriotism: Nation-Building for Australian Progressives. Loosely based on research undertaken toward his doctoral thesis, the book argues that people with progressive politics must re-engage with ideas of patriotismPatriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
and national identity
National identity
National identity is the person's identity and sense of belonging to one state or to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one's citizenship status....
, which Soutphommasane claims were surrendered to the Right
Right
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
during the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
ship of 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....
.
Political activity
Soutphommasane joined the Australian Labor PartyAustralian 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...
in 1998, aged 15 - the minimum age of Party membership. He later worked on the speechwriting staff of then New South Wales
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...
Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
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...
, and in late 2007 he returned from Oxford to work in the office of 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...
during that year's federal election campaign. Soutphommasane remains an ALP member.