Bronwyn Bishop
Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop AO (née Setright; born 19 October 1942) is an Australian former politician. She was a member of federal parliament for almost 30 years, the longest period of service by a woman. A member of the Liberal Party, she was a minister in the Howard government from 1996 to 2001 and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015.
The Honourable Bronwyn Bishop AO | |
|---|---|
Bishop in 2012 | |
| 29th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives | |
| In office 12 November 2013 – 2 August 2015 | |
| Deputy | Bruce Scott |
| Preceded by | Anna Burke |
| Succeeded by | Tony Smith |
| Minister for Aged Care | |
| In office 21 October 1998 – 26 November 2001 | |
| Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Preceded by | Peter Staples |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Andrews |
| Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel | |
| In office 11 March 1996 – 21 October 1998 | |
| Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Preceded by | Gary Punch |
| Succeeded by | Warren Snowdon |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Mackellar | |
| In office 26 March 1994 – 9 May 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Carlton |
| Succeeded by | Jason Falinski |
| Senator for New South Wales | |
| In office 11 July 1987 – 24 February 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Sir John Carrick |
| Succeeded by | Bob Woods |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bronwyn Kathleen Setright 19 October 1942 North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Alan David Bishop (1966–1992, div.) |
| Residence | Newport, New South Wales |
| Education | Cremorne Girls High School University of Sydney (no degree) |
| Occupation | Solicitor and Company Director |
Bishop was born in Sydney and worked as a lawyer before entering politics. She served as state president of the New South Wales Liberals from 1985 to 1987, and then won election to the Senate at the 1987 federal election. She became the state's second female senator and the first to be popularly elected. In 1994 Bishop switched to the House of Representatives, winning a by-election for the Division of Mackellar. She was a shadow minister under John Hewson, Alexander Downer, and John Howard.
In 1996 Bishop was appointed Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel in the newly elected Howard government. She was made Minister for Aged Care in 1998, but lost her place in the ministry after the 2001 election. Bishop returned to the shadow ministry after the Liberal–National Coalition lost the 2007 election. In 2013, following the election of the Abbott government, she was elected Speaker of the House, becoming the first non-Labor woman to hold the post. She resigned in mid-2015 after being caught in the centre of a travel-expenses scandal, and was defeated for Liberal preselection at the 2016 election, ending her parliamentary career. As of 2019 she is a political commentator at Sky News Live.