Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull is an Australian politician and businessman, born on October 24, 1954, in Sydney, New South Wales. He was raised by his father after his mother left the family when he was nine. Turnbull excelled academically, attending prestigious schools and earning degrees in political science and law from the University of Sydney, followed by further studies at Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. His legal career included notable cases, such as defending a former MI5 agent, before he transitioned into business and technology, co-founding the internet provider OzEmail.
Turnbull entered politics in 2004 as a Member of Parliament for Wentworth and rapidly rose through the ranks, holding positions including Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Minister for Communications. He became the Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the Liberal Party in September 2015, advocating for progressive policies on climate change and same-sex marriage. His leadership faced challenges from more conservative party members, leading to his resignation in August 2018. Post-politics, Turnbull took on advisory roles in private equity and international organizations. He is married to Lucy Hughes, with whom he has two children.
Subject Terms
Malcolm Turnbull
- Born: October 24, 1954
- Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Background
Malcolm Turnbull was born on 24 October 1954, in Sydney, New South Wales. When he was nine, his mother, Coral Lansbury, a writer and actor, left the family and later moved to New Zealand. He was raised by his father, Bruce Bligh Turnbull, a real estate broker, and grew up in Vaucluse and Double Bay, eastern suburbs of Sydney. He attended Vaucluse Public School for the first few years of his schooling and then attended the elite boarding school Sydney Grammar School for the remainder of his primary and secondary education. During secondary school, he was the head prefect, the joint school captain, and an award-winning member of the debating team. Graduating with high grades, he won a scholarship to the University of Sydney.
Turnbull graduated from the University of Sydney with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1977 and a law degree in 1978. He then went to the University of Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship to further study law. During and after college, he worked part time as a journalist in both Australia and the United Kingdom, working for publications such as the Bulletin and the London Sunday Times.
Political Career
In 1980 Turnbull went into private practice as a barrister. At the same time, he made his first foray into politics in 1981 when he narrowly lost preselection in Wentworth for a seat in Parliament. A few years later, he gained international attention for successfully defending Peter Wright, a former MI5 spy, against the United Kingdom’s charge that he had breached the Official Secrets Act by publishing his memoirs in the book Spycatcher.
In 1987 Turnbull quit law and entered business. He cofounded an investment banking firm and got involved in the emerging technology sector. He also cofounded the Internet provider OzEmail, investing $500,000 in it in 1994 and selling his stake five years later for $57 million.
During the next decade, Turnbull worked in various leadership positions with different organisations. He was the director of FTR Holdings from 1995 to 2004, the chairperson and managing director of Goldman Sachs Australia from 1997 to 2001 and a partner of Goldman Sachs Australia from 1998 to 2001.
In 2000 Turnbull once again sought to gain preselection in Wentworth but was unsuccessful. He became more involved with the Liberal Party, serving as a member of the party’s State Executive, Federal Executive and Federal Finance Committee, as well as acting as an honorary federal treasurer from 2002 to 2003. He also was the director of the Menzies Research Centre from 2001 to 2004.
In his third attempt, Turnbull was victorious, winning a seat as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wentworth in 2004. During his first two years, he served on several committees, including the Joint Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs and Defence and Trade as well as the House of Representatives Standing Committees on Economics, Finance and Public Administration; Environment and Heritage; Health and Ageing; and Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
Rapidly ascending to parliamentary positions, Turnbull became the parliamentary secretary to the prime minister in January 2006 before being appointed the minister for Environment and Water Resources in January 2007. In December 2007, he became a member of the Opposition shadow ministry and the shadow treasurer. In September 2008, he became the leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party and the leader of the Opposition.
Turnbull suffered a setback when he lost the leadership to Tony Abbott by one vote in December 2009. Many of his fellow party members considered his views incompatible with the Liberal Party’s conservative view, especially his support for same-sex marriage and climate change. Turnbull also lost support among fellow party members for supporting then prime minister Kevin Rudd’s carbon reduction plan. Despite announcing his intent to retire from politics in April 2009, he remained in the political arena and became the shadow communications minister following the 2010 elections. After Abbott became prime minister in 2013, Turnbull joined his cabinet as the communications minister.
On September 14, 2015, Turnbull was elected the prime minister of Australia and leader of the Liberal Party in a coup that ousted Abbott from the position. Turnbull’s leadership was challenged twice in August 2018 by the conservative wing of the Liberal Party, led by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Abbott. After the second challenge was successful, Turnbull was succeeded as prime minister by treasurer Scott Morrison. Turnbull resigned from Parliament on August 31, 2018.
In June 2019, Turnbull joined the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts as a senior advisor. Two years later, he joined the board of the International Hydropower Association.
Impact
Unlike his predecessor, Abbott, Turnbull has expressed belief in the science of climate change and acknowledged the need for Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015 he attended the United Nations (UN) climate talks in Paris, signifying a willingness to engage once more with the global community about climate change after a notable absence at the UN climate talks in 2013. While at the conference, he pledged to ratify the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol and agreed to other initiatives, including the2017 National Energy Guarantee (NEG), to address this issue. In January 2020, Turnbull criticized his successor, Morrison, for failing to reinstate the NEG.
Personal Life
Turnbull married Lucy Hughes, the daughter of former attorney general John Hughes, in 1980. They had met when she was nineteen and he was twenty-three. They have two children, Alex and Daisy, and live in Wentworth.
Bibliography
“Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP.” Parliament of Australia, www.aph.gov.au/Senators‗and‗Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=885. Accessed 6 June 2024.
Manning, Paddy. “The Lonely Childhood of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.” Sydney Morning Herald, 25 Oct. 2015, www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-lonely-childhood-of-prime-minister-malcolm-turnbull-20151022-gkfi6c.html. Accessed 6 June 2024.
“Profile: Malcolm Turnbull.” BBC, 14 Sept. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-31087843. Accessed 6 June 2024.
Taylor, Rob, and Rhiannon Hoyle. “Malcolm Turnbull Is Sworn In as Australia’s New Prime Minister.” Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones, 14 Sept. 2015, www.wsj.com/articles/malcolm-turnbull-ousts-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbott-1442233943. Accessed 6 June 2024.
Westcott, Ben. “Scott Morrison Replaces Malcolm Turnbull as Australian PM After Week of Political Chaos.” CNN, 24 Aug. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/08/23/australia/scott-morrison-australia-turnbull-intl/index.html. Accessed 6 June 2024.