Andrew Peter Thomson (born 7 January 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the member for Wentworth in the House of Representatives from 1995 until 2001.
Andrew Thomson | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Sport and Tourism | |
| In office 9 October 1997 – 21 October 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Warwick Smith (Sport) Michael Lee (Tourism) |
| Succeeded by | Jackie Kelly |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Wentworth | |
| In office 8 April 1995 – 8 October 2001 | |
| Preceded by | John Hewson |
| Succeeded by | Peter King |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 January 1961 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Relations | Peter Thomson (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne Keio University Georgetown University Law Center |
| Profession | Solicitor |
Biography
editThomson is the son of the Australian golfer Peter Thomson[1] and worked as a solicitor, investment banker and golf course designer before entering politics. He was educated at the University of Melbourne (arts/law), Keio University in Tokyo and later at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington DC.[2] He entered parliament in April 1995 in a Wentworth by-election after Dr John Hewson vacated the seat when he retired from politics after being dumped from the Downer Shadow Cabinet and not reinstated into Howard's.[3]
When the Coalition took government at the 1996 election, Thomson was made Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. On 6 October 1997, he became Minister for Sport and Tourism, and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games.[4] Thomson was the first Member of the House of Representatives to speak fluent Japanese and Chinese.[citation needed]
Thomson retired from the seat of Wentworth in 2001 after losing preselection to Peter King. Thereafter, he worked in the United States after passing the New York Bar Exam, then later joined Minter Ellison in Australia as a special counsel.[5] He worked in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Beijing before returning to live in Tokyo in early 2011 where he had worked in his twenties. Currently,[when?] he is registered as a foreign lawyer in Japan and has his own practice in the city of Fukuoka.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "What goes around comes around for King". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 September 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ^ Kirk, Alexandra. "Political fall out over Thomson absence". The World Today. ABC Radio. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ^ Hugh Lamberton (30 January 1995). "Howard to reshuffle delicately". The Canberra Times. p. 1-2. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ Biography for THOMSON, the Hon Andrew Peter, Parliament of Australia.
- ^ Andrew Thomson, Consultant, World Services Group.