Chris Bowen

The Honourable
Chris Bowen
MP
Bowen in 2016
Shadow Treasurer of Australia
Assumed office
18 October 2013
Leader Bill Shorten
Shadowing Joe Hockey
Scott Morrison
Josh Frydenberg
Preceded by Joe Hockey
Leader of the Opposition
In office
18 September 2013 – 13 October 2013
Prime Minister Tony Abbott
Deputy Anthony Albanese
Preceded by Tony Abbott
Succeeded by Bill Shorten
Leader of the Labor Party
Acting
In office
13 September 2013 – 13 October 2013
Deputy Anthony Albanese
Preceded by Kevin Rudd
Succeeded by Bill Shorten
Treasurer of Australia
In office
27 June 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Preceded by Wayne Swan
Succeeded by Joe Hockey
Minister for Small Business
In office
4 February 2013 – 22 March 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by Brendan O'Connor
Succeeded by Gary Gray
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
In office
14 September 2010 – 4 February 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by Chris Evans
Succeeded by Brendan O'Connor
Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law
In office
9 June 2009 – 14 September 2010
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Julia Gillard
Preceded by Nick Sherry
Succeeded by Bill Shorten
Assistant Treasurer of Australia
In office
3 December 2007 – 8 June 2009
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Preceded by Peter Dutton
Succeeded by Nick Sherry
Member of the Australian Parliament
for McMahon
Assumed office
21 August 2010
Preceded by Division Created
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Prospect
In office
9 October 2004 – 21 August 2010
Preceded by Janice Crosio
Succeeded by Division Abolished
Personal details
Born Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen
(1973-01-17) 17 January 1973
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party Labor
Spouse(s)
Rebecca Mifsud
(m. 2003)
Children 2
Education St Johns Park High School
Alma mater University of Sydney
Profession Politician
Website Official website

Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen (born 17 January 1973) is an Australian politician who is the current Shadow Treasurer of Australia. Bowen is a senior Labor Right figure.[1] He was briefly the Interim Leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in 2013 after Labor lost the federal election.[2] Before this he served in a number of positions in the Rudd and Gillard Governments, including as Minister for Financial Services, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and Treasurer. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 for Prospect, however the seat was abolished and he has represented McMahon since 2010.

Early years and background

Bowen was born in Sydney to Christine and Ross Bowen. His father worked for the National Roads and Motorists' Association, while his mother, who was born in the United Kingdom, was a childcare worker.[3][4] Bowen grew up in the suburb of Smithfield, where one of his neighbours was soccer player Harry Kewell. He began his education at Smithfield Public School, and later attended St Johns Park High School before going on to the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Economics in 1994. One of his tutors was the future Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis.[5]

Bowen was elected to Fairfield City Council in 1995 and was Mayor of Fairfield in 1998 and 1999. He was elected President of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) in 1999 and served as President until 2001.

Political career

In 2004, Bowen was elected to the House of Representatives replacing Janice Crosio after she retired after 25 years in both state and federal politics. In 2006, Bowen was appointed to the Labor front bench as Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Revenue and Competition Policy.

Government minister (2007–13)

In December 2007 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed him Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. In June 2009 Bowen was promoted to cabinet as Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law and Minister for Human Services.

In April 2010 Bowen announced significant reforms to the financial services sector including banning of commissions for financial planners giving advice on retail investment products including superannuation, managed investments and margin loans; instituting a statutory fiduciary duty so that financial advisers must act in the best interests of their clients, and increasing the powers of the corporate regulator; the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.[6] The reforms were partially a response to the high profile collapse of Storm Financial, Westpoint and Opes Prime and the resultant losses for retail investors, but also reflected global concerns with financial governance following the Global Financial crisis of 2007–2010.[7] The reforms are due to be fully implemented on 1 July 2013.

In September 2010, Bowen was appointed Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, succeeding Senator Chris Evans.[8] On 2 February 2013, Bowen replaced Evans as Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research. Evans was also Minister for Small Business.[9]

Chris Bowen resigned his ministerial portfolios on 22 March 2013 after he supported an unsuccessful attempt to reinstall Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister.

Following the June 2013 leadership spill, Bowen was reinstated as a Cabinet Minister and given the portfolio of Treasurer. He was sworn in on 27 June 2013. He also has been given responsibility for financial services and superannuation, including carriage of the MySuper and other Simple Super reforms previously held by Bill Shorten.

Opposition (2013–present)

Bowen in 2014

Bowen was appointed Acting Leader of the Labor Party on 13 September 2013 following the resignation of Kevin Rudd in the wake of the party's defeat in the 2013 federal election. Bowen pledged not to stand in the October 2013 leadership spill which was contested by Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten.[10] Shorten was elected as leader.[11][12] Bowen was later appointed Shadow Treasurer by Bill Shorten.

Political positions

Chris Bowen is known to support the sale of large Australian agricultural assets to foreign investors.[13]

Bowen supports same-sex marriage.[14] Notably in 2017, His division had the 3rd highest percentage of "No" responses in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, with 64.9% of the electorate's respondents to the survey responding "No".[15]

Personal life

Bowen is married to Rebecca Mifsud, who as of 2016 worked for Toll Holdings as an industrial relations executive.[16] They met at the 2000 ALP National Conference, where Mifsud was a delegate for the Electrical Trades Union. The couple have two children together.[5]

Bibliography

  • Hearts and Minds: A Blueprint for Modern Labor (2013)[17]
  • The Money Men: Australia's Twelve Most Notable Treasurers (2015) [18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bowen backs out of Labor leadership race, leaving spot open to Shorten and Albanese". ABC News (Australia). 9 September 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Chris Bowen named interim Labor leader". 13 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "Labor's Chris Bowen: Paul Keating protégé and would-be treasurer". The Australian Financial Review. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  4. ↑ Citizenship Register – 45th Parliament
  5. 1 2 "Chris Bowen: The man most likely". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  6. ↑ Chris Bowen. "Overhaul of Financial Advice [26/04/2010]". Ministers.treasury.gov.au. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
  7. ↑ "PM - Changes to financial planning laws will inject billions into the economy 26/04/2010". Abc.net.au. 2013-05-04. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
  8. ↑ Archived 22 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "Chris Bowen named interim Labor leader". 13 September 2013.
  11. ↑ Harrison, Dan. "Bill Shorten elected Labor leader". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Griffiths, Emma (13 October 2013). "Bill Shorten elected Labor leader over Anthony Albanese after month-long campaign". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "Government rejection of GrainCorp takeover by US company Archer Daniels Midland 'weak', Opposition says – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  14. ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-13/same-sex-marriage-traditional-electorates-may-be-ignored-by-mps/8941410
  15. ↑ "Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey 2017 Response Final". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 15 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "MPs quick to declare interests". The Australian. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  17. ↑ https://www.mup.com.au/items/128283
  18. ↑ https://www.mup.com.au/items/159546
Civic offices
Preceded by
Anwar Khoshaba		 Mayor of Fairfield
1998–1999		 Succeeded by
Anwar Khoshaba
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Janice Crosio		 Member of Parliament for Prospect
2004–2010		 Succeeded by
Constituency Abolished
Preceded by
Constituency Created		 Member of Parliament for McMahon
2010–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Peter Dutton		 Assistant Treasurer of Australia
2007–2009		 Succeeded by
Nick Sherry
Preceded by
Nick Sherry		 Minister for Financial Services
2009–2010		 Succeeded by
Bill Shorten
Preceded by
Chris Evans		 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
2010–2013		 Succeeded by
Brendan O'Connor
Preceded by
Brendan O'Connor		 Minister for Small Business
2013		 Succeeded by
Gary Gray
Preceded by
Wayne Swan		 Treasurer of Australia
2013		 Succeeded by
Joe Hockey
Preceded by
Tony Abbott		 Acting Leader of the Opposition
2013		 Succeeded by
Bill Shorten
Preceded by
Joe Hockey		 Shadow Treasurer of Australia
2013–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Kevin Rudd		 Acting Leader of the Labor Party
2013		 Succeeded by
Bill Shorten
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