Paul Calvert

The Hon. Paul Henry Calvert (born January 19, 1940), Australian politician, was a Senator for Tasmania from 1987 to 2007, and was President of the Australian Senate from 2002 to 2007.

Born into a long established farming family based outside Tasmania's capital, Hobart, Calvert still runs a property in Tasmania. He was active in local government, serving as Warden (the title later changed to Mayor) of the City of Clarence, on Hobart's eastern shore. He was also President of the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania. In 1987 he was elected to the Australian Senate, after declining an invitation by the former Liberal Premier of Tasmania, Robin Gray, to run for the House of Assembly after a successful career in local government and agri-politics. He was re-elected in 1990, 1996 and 2001.

In 1997 Calvert became the government's Senate Whip. He became President following Margaret Reid in 2002, and was re-elected in 2005. Early in his presidency he tackled the archaic five department structure of the Australian Parliament, and achieved a streamlining to 3 departments – one for each Chamber and one looking after joint services.

On 7 August 2007 Calvert announced his intention to resign his position as President of the Senate on 14 August and to resign as a Senator for Tasmania before the Senate resumes on 10 September. ["Senate Hansard", 7 August 2007] He was succeeded as Senate President by South Australian Liberal Senator Alan Ferguson. He formally resigned as a Senator on 29 August 2007. In 2008 he was appointed a member of the Governing Council of Old Parliament House in Canberra.

References

* [http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/TranslateWIPILink.aspx?Folder=BIOGS&Criteria=NAME_ID:5F4%3B Paul Calvert, Senate Biography]

Persondata
NAME=Calvert, Paul Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH=January 19, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH=Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=living
PLACE OF DEATH=