Hollie Hughes (politician)
Hollie Hughes | |
---|---|
Senator for New South Wales | |
Assumed office 1 July 2019 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Hollie Alexandra Nolan 12 February 1975 Adelaide, South Australia |
Citizenship | Australian |
Political party | Liberal |
Residence | Sydney |
Education | Charles Sturt University Macquarie University |
Occupation | Politician |
Hollie Alexandra Hughes (née Nolan; born 12 February 1975) is an Australian politician who was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 2019 federal election. She is a member of the Liberal Party.
Hughes was an unsuccessful Senate candidate at the 2016 federal election.[1] During the 2017 parliamentary eligibility crisis, she won the countback to determine the replacement for disqualified Senator Fiona Nash,[2] but was not declared elected because the High Court of Australia, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, ruled that she was ineligible for election, due to her employment as a member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.[3]
In November 2018, Hughes won the most votes in the Liberal Party's Senate preselection ballot for the 2019 federal election. She was first on the Coalition's Senate ticket in New South Wales at the 2019 election.[4]
Early life and education
Hughes was born in Adelaide on 12 February 1975.[5][6] She is the oldest of three children born to June and Dennis Nolan. She attended Perth's John XXIII College and Sydney's Loreto Kirribilli during her school years.[7] She studied for a Bachelor of Arts (Communications) at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, graduating in 1997. Later, she completed a masters degree in public policy at Macquarie University, graduating in 2007.[8]
Early career
Hughes worked as an adviser to Liberal senators Bill Heffernan (2003–2005) and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (2005–2007).[5]
Hughes was in fourth spot on the Coalition ticket for the 2010 half-Senate election.[9] She was in the tenth spot on the Coalition ticket for the 2015 Legislative Council election. In 2016, she was set to be in the first spot on the Coalition ticket for the anticipated half-Senate election, ahead of Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, but when a double dissolution election was called, she was nominated in sixth spot on the Coalition ticket for the double dissolution election.[10]
As of 2017, Hughes had spent a decade on the State Executive of the Liberal Party of Australia and attained the position of Country Vice-President of the State Party during this tenure.[2][11] Hughes was described by ABC News as a "regional powerbroker" of the party, advocating for the people of rural New South Wales, whose political views were centre-right, with a particular focus on issues pertaining to rural Australia, and garnering support for people living with disabilities.[10] The Liberal Party described her as a "passionate advocate for rural and regional New South Wales, having led campaigns to improve transport options and health services for the bush".[10]
She was the founder and chair of the Country Autism Network, created to facilitate greater community awareness of regional children affected by
Hughes worked in the private sector as a senior consultant for the Human Resources consultancy Salt & Shein.[13]
After ostensibly failing to be elected to the Senate in 2016, Hughes was appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, where she worked in part-time capacity. In 2017, when Senator Fiona Nash was found to be ineligible, making Hughes likely to be found to be her replacement, Hughes resigned from this position in an attempt to prevent herself from being found ineligible.[14]
Parliamentary eligibility crisis
At the
On 1 July 2017, long after the 2016 federal election, Hughes was appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, a government body which provides autonomous assessment of decisions made by Australian administrative bodies including the
After the countbacks conducted as a result of the High Court's judgement in the Citizenship Seven case selected replacements for the disqualified senators, while the High Court immediately declared other selected candidates elected, the High Court decided to first further investigate Hughes' own eligibility due to her position on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.[1] The Court had to determine whether Hughes' subsequent resignation from the position on the Tribunal would render her eligible, or whether this resignation was ineffective in terms of remedying her prior ineligibility for parliament.[18]
High Court decision
On 27 October 2017, the High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, considered issues raised by the Senate referring to Section 376 of the
The High Court found Hughes to be ineligible for election as a senator in parliament,
The court explicitly acknowledged the "harsh and technical" nature of the judgement, with reference to how Hughes' appointment was understandable given the nature of the position and the remuneration which accompanied it.[1] However, the voluntary means by which she accepted the position, and the circumstances where disqualification was always a possibility, meant that the terms of section 44 of the Constitution meant that she was incapable of being chosen for the Senate.[19] The "voluntary step" taken by Hughes, in accepting a government job, meant that she effectively relinquished "the opportunity to benefit in the future from any special count of the ballot papers."[1]
Following the judgement, Hughes lamented a lost opportunity to represent the people of rural Australia.[21] The decision fuelled debate around the Court's approach to Section 44 of the Constitution, with the Attorney-General George Brandis noting the ambiguity which surrounded the decision.[21] The principle which emerged is that if a public servant runs for office, loses the election but may be eligible to replace a vacancy subsequently created in the parliamentary term, they should not return to their profession as this will forfeit any potential to fill a future vacancy.[22]
Subsequent career
After her involvement in the eligibility crisis, her political involvement with the Liberal Party was somewhat diminished,[citation needed] but she retained her position on the NSW State Executive of the Party, and pursued alternative professional interests in the private sector.[citation needed]
In June 2018, it was reported that Hughes had been ousted from her position as Liberal Party Country Vice-President, after it was revealed that she was living on the North Shore of Sydney. However, because she was a member of the federal executive of the party, she remained on the state executive, but as a non-voting member. That meant she could not take part in a number of Liberal Party preselection decisions.[23]
After the
Election to the Senate
In November 2018, Hughes won the most votes in the Liberal Party's New South Wales Senate preselection ballot for the 2019 federal election, and was placed first on the Coalition's Senate ticket for the state. She and runner-up Andrew Bragg out-polled an incumbent senator, Jim Molan, who had been placed in the "unwinnable" fourth position on the ticket, below the candidate for the National Party.[4]
Hughes is currently the Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Autism, as well as the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Books and Writers.[25]
Hughes is a member of the centre-right faction of the Liberal Party.[26][27]
Personal life
Hughes has spent the majority of her adult life living in regional New South Wales, with her family life being predominantly spent on a farm west of Moree with her three children.[2] The family moved to Sydney in 2019. Her middle son has been diagnosed as autistic.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Re Nash (No 2) [2017] HCA 52 (6 December 2017) "Judgment summary" (PDF). High Court of Australia. 6 December 2017.
- ^ a b c Bullock, Michael Koziol and Laurie (2 October 2017). "Moree's Hollie Hughes headed for parliament". Moree Champion. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ^ Hutchens, Gareth (1 November 2017). "Liberal Hollie Hughes ineligible to replace Fiona Nash in Senate". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Senator Jim Molan left in an unwinnable position following Liberal Senate preselection". 4BC. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Senator Hollie Hughes". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ Koziol, Michael; Bullock, Laurie (2 October 2017). "Moree's Hollie Hughes headed for parliament". The Land. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Sen. Hollie Hughes (Lib-NSW) - Maiden Speech - AustralianPolitics.com". 30 July 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Hollie Hughes". Salt and Shein.
- ^ "Group Voting Ticket AA – Liberal/Nationals". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "Who is Hollie Hughes: Regional powerbroker set for Fiona Nash's Senate spot". ABC News. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Election 2016: Connie Fierravanti-Wells reprieved, Hollie Hughes at risk". Financial Review. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Hollie Hughes". Country Autism Network. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Hollie Hughes | Salt & Shein". www.saltshein.com.au. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ Hughes, Hollie (13 November 2017). "Submissions Filed on Behalf of Ms Hollie Hughes" (PDF). High Court of Australia. November 2017: 1–14 – via High Court Website.
- ^ Doran, Matthew; Byrne, Elizabeth (10 November 2017). "Senate hopeful hits eligibility hurdle — but this time it's not about citizenship". ABC News. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ^ "About the Administrative Appeals Tribunal". Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ Constitution (Cth) s 44 Disqualification.
- ^ a b "Hughes forfeited Senate opportunity by taking government job, High Court finds". ABC News. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "Hollie Hughes ineligible to replace Fiona Nash in Parliament". ABC News. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Lewis, Rosie (10 November 2017). "Referral of candidate Hollie Hughes to stop festering sore". The Australia. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ a b Bettles, Colin (1 November 2017). "Hollie Hughes "obviously disappointed" at citizenship ruling". Farm Online. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- ^ Lewis, Rosie (6 December 2017). "High Court Ruling on Hollie Hughes a Warning to Public Servants". The Australian. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ Loussikian, Kylar (12 June 2018). "Liberals boot country vice-president Hollie Hughes after it was revealed she lives in Roseville". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- ^ "Education system 'run by Marxists': Jason Clare takes aim at Liberal senator over comments on teachers". the Guardian. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ Parliament of Australia. "Parliamentary Friendship Groups (non-country)". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ Massola, James. "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2023.