Bob Debus

Infobox Politician
caption=
honorific-prefix = The Honourable
name = Bob Debus
honorific-suffix =
MP
birth_date =Birth date and age|1943|9|16|df=y
birth_place = Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
residence =
death_date =
death_place =
office = Minister for Home Affairs
salary =
term_start = 3 December 2007
term_end =
predecessor = No immediate predecessor
successor =
party = Australian Labor Party
religion =
constituency = Macquarie
majority =
spouse =
children =
website =
footnotes =

Robert John "Bob" Debus (born 16 September 1943) is an Australian Labor politician. Before his retirement from the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 2007 state election, he held the portfolios of Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Minister for the Arts. In the 2007 federal election, he won the Federal seat of Macquarie. He is now the Minister for Home Affairs in the First Rudd Ministry. Debus is a prominent member of Labor's left faction.

Biography

Debus was born in Ryde, New South Wales and educated at Homebush Boys High Schoolcite web | title =Swearing in Ceremony of The Honourable Roderick Neil Howie QC | work =Lawlink Transcript | publisher =The Supreme Court of New South Wales | url =http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/supreme_court/ll_sc.nsf/pages/SCO_speech_howie_111000 | accessdate = 2008-04-29 ] and Sydney University, graduating in Law and Arts in 1967. He worked as a publisher and lawyer. He worked as an ABC broadcaster, and was Executive Producer of the ABC's Department of Radio Talks and Documentaries 1970. He was also Executive Director of Australian Freedom from Hunger Campaign and Community Aid Abroad 1988-94, and advisor to Federal Minister for Administrative Services 1994-95.cite web
title =The Hon. (Bob) Robert John Debus, MP
work =Members of Parliament
publisher =Parliament of New South Wales
url =http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/Parlment/Members.nsf/d890a06557517cedca256e700008765e/02a922a2e5c53fd04a25674500016564!OpenDocument
accessdate = 2007-02-27 ]

tate Politics

Debus was the member for Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, from 1981 to 1988. He was Minister for Employment from 1984 to 1986 and Minister for Finance from 1984 to 1988.

Debus was also member for Blue Mountains from 1995 to 2007. He has held several Ministerial positions in the New South Wales Government, including:

*March 2003 - March 2007 - Attorney General and Minister for the Environment
*June 2000 - March 2003 - Attorney General, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Emergency Services, and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts
*April 1999 - January 2001 - Minister for the Environment, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Corrective Services and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts
*April 1998 - April 1999 - Minister for Energy, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts
*December 1997 - April 1999 - Minister for Energy, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Corrective Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts
*April 1995 - December 1997 - Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Arts
*1986 - 1988 - Minister for Finance, Co-operative Societies and Assistant Minister for Education.

On 30 October 2006, he announced that he would retire from state politics at the March 2007 election.

Police Integrity Commission allegations

On 16 November 2006, Debus was accused by Liberal Party leader Peter Debnam under Parliamentary Privilege of being under investigation by the Police Integrity Commission. In response the Government released a Police report stating that a minister had been the subject of complaints (not an investigation) which were dismissed in 2003 as spurious and groundless. The report did not name the minister concerned as it was deemed to be 'not in the public interest'. [cite news
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20773189-1702,00.html
title = Allegations against Debus 'spurious'
date = 2006-11-17
accessdate = 2006-11-17
publisher = The Australian] When Mr Debnam failed to provide evidence to support his claims, he was censured by Parliament for misleading the House. [cite news
url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1790547.htm
title = Parliament censures Debnam over Debus claims
date = 2006-11-16
accessdate = 2007-02-22
publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation]

It was subsequently reported that Mr Debnam's source for the accusation was a convicted bank robber and child sex offender with a long history of making unsubstantiated allegations. [cite news
url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rotten-debnam-refuses-to-apologise/2006/11/21/1163871391544.html?from=rss
title = "Rotten" Debnam refuses to apologise
date = 2006-11-21
accessdate = 2007-02-22
publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald]

Federal politics

On 30 March 2007 Debus confirmed longstanding rumours that he would seek preselection for the Federal seat of Macquarie. The seat's boundaries are largely the same as those of his former State seat and, after a redistribution, the seat's then sitting member, Kerry Bartlett of Liberal, would have required a pro-Liberal swing of 0.5% to retain the seat. On November 24 2007 Debus won the election for Macquarie with a strong swing to Labor. On November 29 Kevin Rudd announced he would be part of his new ministry. [cite news
url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-drops-six-report/2007/11/29/1196037032972.html
title = Rudd drops six: report
date = 2007-11-29
accessdate = 2007-11-29
publisher = Sydney Morning Herald] He was appointed Minister for Home Affairs in Kevin Rudd's First Rudd Ministry on 3 December 2007. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/29/2105169.htm Rudd hands out portfolios] , Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 29 November 2007.] This is a new ministry, and he is responsible for domestic law enforcement, including the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

ACC file

It was revealed in October 2008 that the Australian Crime Commission had compiled a secret file on Debus, sparking condemnation by former and serving police officials. The file included details of his personal habits, views on police corruption and former Labor prime ministers. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/national/debus-file-sparks-condemnations-20081003-4tl1.html Debus file sparks condemnations: The Age 4/10/2008] ]

Notes

External links

*OpenAustralia

Persondata
NAME=Debus, Robert John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Debus, Bob
SHORT DESCRIPTION=New South Wales politician
DATE OF BIRTH= 16 September 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH= Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=