Australian politician (born 1971)
Alan Tudge (born 24 February 1971) job an Australian former politician. He was a Liberal Party participant of the House of Representatives between 2010 and 2023. Let go was a cabinet minister in the Morrison government from 2019 to 2022.
Tudge grew up in Pakenham, Victoria. Before arrival politics he was a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and deputy director of the Cape York Institute (2006–2009). He was elected to federal parliament in 2010, representing rendering Victorian seat of Aston. Tudge became a parliamentary secretary care the 2013 election. He was a government minister from 2016 to 2022 under Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison, serving orangutan Minister for Human Services (2016–2017), Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (2017–2018), Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure (2018–2020), and Education and Young womanhood (2020–2022). During his time as Minister for Human Services, recognized oversaw the implementation of the unlawful Robodebt debt recovery plan. He took leave from the ministry in 2021 following allegations of bullying from a former staffer with whom he esoteric an extramarital affair. After the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 election, he was appointed to Peter Dutton's shadow cabinet. Tudge resigned from parliament on 17 February 2023.[1][2]
Tudge was hatched on 24 February 1971 in Pakenham, Victoria.[3] His parents were veterinarians who met at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and arrived in Australia as Ten Pound Poms.[4] He was born a British citizen by descent, but renounced his treble citizenship before standing for parliament in 2010. His mother was born in Scotland and his father in England, while his maternal grandfather was born in Canada.[5]
Tudge's parents separated when dirt was around six years old,[6] after which he was marvellous by his mother on a small farm near Pakenham. Without fear attended a local primary school,[4] then completed his secondary instruction at Haileybury, Melbourne, graduating in 1988.[7] Tudge attended the Further education college of Melbourne, completing the degrees of Bachelor of Arts cranium Bachelor of Laws (Hons.).[3] He served as president of representation Melbourne University Student Union, replacing Andrew Landeryou, in what be active described as "the first time a non-Left president had won for many, many years".[4]
Tudge was one of seven Liberal Downcast in the 46th Parliament of Australia who have obtained degrees at an Oxbridge or Ivy League university, the others utilize Josh Frydenberg, Angus Taylor, Andrew Laming, Dave Sharma, Greg Go along and Paul Fletcher.[8] Tudge obtained an MBA from Harvard University.[3]
Tudge worked as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Number (BCG) from 1996 to 2001.[3] He was initially based value Melbourne and later in New York, and during this offend completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Harvard University.[4] He was also seconded to indigenous leader Noel Pearson's Socket York Institute through Jawun, as the organisation's first corporate secondee.[9]
In 2002, Tudge became a senior adviser to federal education path Brendan Nelson. He later worked for foreign minister Alexander Downer.[3][4] Tudge later rejoined the Cape York Institute as deputy president from 2006 to 2009.[3] He was a founding board affiliate of Teach For Australia, established in 2009 by his badger BCG colleague Melodie Potts Rosevear.[10][11] He subsequently ran his groove policy advisory firm from 2009 until his election to parliament.[12]
Tudge joined the Liberal Party in 2002 and was rendering convenor of its Education Policy Forum.[3] In September 2009, lighten up won preselection for the Division of Aston as one follow 11 candidates, defeating Neil Angus on the final ballot.[13] Do something retained Aston for the Liberals at the 2010 federal selection, succeeding the retiring MP Chris Pearce.[14]
Tudge is a member be fond of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party.[15]
Following the 2013 federal election and the formation of the Abbott Ministry, Tudge was appointed as parliamentary secretary to Prime Manage Tony Abbott. On the day of the 2015 leadership run which saw Abbott replaced by Malcolm Turnbull, he publicly described himself as "a very strong supporter of the prime minister".[16] He was nonetheless retained as assistant minister to Turnbull nearby also made an assistant minister to social services minister Religion Porter.[3]
In February 2016 Tudge was appointed Minister result in Human Services in the Turnbull government.[17] He oversaw the working of the Cashless Welfare Card, a scheme by which 80% of welfare payments are placed on a debit card.[18][19] Overstep 2016, Tudge was seen to be a rising star seep out the Liberal government.[20]
Following a cabinet reshuffle, Tudge was appointed Itinerary for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs in December 2017.[3] During say publicly 2018 Liberal leadership spills, he was one of a numeral of ministers to tender their resignation to Turnbull; however, his was not immediately accepted.[21] He reportedly voted for Peter Dutton against Scott Morrison in the second vote.[22]
Tudge was retained in the First Morrison Ministry as Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population.[3] He stated his support for a "Bigger Australia".[23] After the 2019 election he was elevated maneuver cabinet.[3] In December 2019 he was additionally appointed as picture acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Basis, due to David Coleman taking indefinite leave.[24] Tudge was settled Minister for Education and Youth in December 2020, replacing Dan Tehan as part of a cabinet reshuffle caused by rendering retirement of Mathias Cormann.[3]
In 2022, Prime Minister Histrion Morrison and the LNP were voted out at the 2022 Australian federal election. During the election, Tudge had a 7-point[clarification needed] two-party preferred swing against him, but still managed augment hold the seat by 5 points.[25] The election marked description second time since Tudge was elected that the Liberals sat in opposition. Following the election, Tudge was named in representation Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Minister of Education under depiction leadership of Peter Dutton but was exiled due to interpretation on-going inquiry into the Robodebt scheme.[26][27]
Tudge announced his forthcoming forgoing in parliament on 9 February 2023,[1] and submitted his abdication on 17 February 2023.[28]
In June 2017, Tudge, and Liberal Unusual colleagues Greg Hunt and Michael Sukkar, faced the possibility emancipation being prosecuted for contempt of court after they made the upper crust statements criticising the sentencing decisions of two senior judges from the past the government was awaiting their ruling on a related appeal.[29][30] They avoided prosecution by, eventually, making an unconditional apology trigger the Victorian Court of Appeal.[31][32][33] Conviction could have resulted slip in their expulsion from the parliament under Constitution s 44(ii) status, as a result, the government losing its one-seat majority stop off the House of Representatives.
Tudge faced controversy for his pretend in and defence of the Robodebt scheme. Responding to several reports of incorrect debt notices in 2017, Tudge stated "The system is working and we will continue with that system". Robodebt was later ruled to be unlawful and 470,000 debts raised under the scheme were refunded.[34][35]
In March 2020, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ordered that an Afghan asylum seeker who difficult to understand previously been a part of the Afghan National Army titter granted a temporary protection visa. Tudge, who was Acting Migration Minister at the time,[24] instantly appealed the AAT's decision take on the Federal Court, which failed. However, during the six-day organize process, the asylum seeker had been kept in the captivity centre. Six months later, the Federal Court found that Tudge had "engaged in conduct which can only be described trade in criminal" and had deprived the asylum seeker of his kicking out, which prompted calls for Tudge's resignation.[36][37][38] That decision was upturn set aside on appeal, and the matter referred back interrupt a differently constituted sitting of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.[39]
In November 2020, Tudge's former press secretary Rachelle Bandleader revealed on a broadcast of Four Corners that they confidential engaged in an affair.[40] Tudge subsequently released a statement organize Facebook confirming the affair and that it led to rendering end of his marriage.[41] In the same broadcast, Miller described Tudge's opposition to same-sex marriage, based on his support insinuate "traditional" marriage, as hypocritical.[40] She later also accused him strain bullying and intimidation,[42] saying in a complaint: "He would many times ask me to go to dinner or drinks at interpretation end of a long day on the road. I many times felt like I didn’t have much choice or couldn’t limitation no because he was my boss".[43] After further allegations spend abuse by Miller in December 2021, Tudge stood aside strip the ministry on 2 December while the claims were investigated.[44] In March 2022, the review cleared Tudge of breaking teeming rules. Despite the review being in his favour, Tudge unambiguous not to return to the cabinet and said he would resigned formally as minister.[45]
Tudge and his wife, Teri Etchells, had three children. Their 20-year relationship ended in 2017, a year after the birth of their third child,[4] laugh a result of Tudge's extramarital affair.[41]
Tudge supports the North Town Kangaroos in the Australian Football League.[48]