Wilson Tuckey
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Charles Wilson Tuckey (born 10 July 1935), Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1980, representing the Division of O'Connor, Western Australia. He was born in Perth, Western Australia, and was a businessman and hotelier before entering politics.
Tuckey was a Town Councillor in Carnarvon, Western Australia, 1964-65 and a member of Carnarvon Shire Council 1969-70, 1971-73 and 1977-79. He was Shire President 1965-69.
In the federal Parliament he was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1984-89 and 93-96. He was Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House 1988-89 and 1993-94. He was Minister for Forestry and Conservation and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister 1998-2001 and Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government 2002-2003.
Tuckey is one of the most colourful and controversial figures in Australian federal politics. In 1967, while a publican in Carnarvon, he was convicted of assault after striking an Aboriginal man with a length of iron cable, and he has enjoyed the nickname "Ironbar" ever since.
In 1986 Tuckey taunted the then Labor Treasurer, Paul Keating, in Parliament about a former girlfriend called "Christine," leading Keating to call him "a piece of criminal garbage." He is one of the few members of the federal Parliament whom many other members genuinely dislike. Graham Edwards, a Western Australian Labor member, calls him a "dingo" - not a compliment in Western Australia.
In 1989 he was one of the leaders of the plot to depose the then Liberal leader, John Howard, and replace him with Andrew Peacock. After the success of the plot, Tuckey boasted about it on television. Despite this, his hard-line conservatism has made him a favourite of Howard's since he returned to the leadership in 1995.
As Minister for Forestry Tuckey angered conservation groups through his support for the forestry industry. In 2002 he blamed the environmentalist movement for Australia's severe bushfire problem, saying that their opposition to controlled burning in national parks increased the risk of fires.
Tuckey's demise as a minister came in August 2003 when it was revealed that he had written to the Police Minister in South Australia, on ministerial letterhead, asking the minister to "review" his son's conviction on a traffic charge. Prime Minister Howard said that Tuckey's actions were foolish but refused to dismiss him, but Tuckey resigned shortly after.
Tuckey turns 70 in 2005 but stood again and was re-elected at the 2004 election. At present he is the oldest member of the House.
External link
- Tuckey's worrying version of family values (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/19/1061261156716.html?from=storyrhs)