George Brandis

George Brandis
Official portrait, 2017
Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office
30 April 2018 – 30 April 2022
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Scott Morrison
Preceded byAlexander Downer
Succeeded byLynette Wood (Acting)
Attorney-General for Australia
In office
18 September 2013 – 20 December 2017
Prime MinisterTony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded byMark Dreyfus
Succeeded byChristian Porter
Leader of the Government in the Senate
In office
21 September 2015 – 20 December 2017
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
DeputyMathias Cormann
Preceded byEric Abetz
Succeeded byMathias Cormann
Vice-President of the Executive Council
In office
18 September 2013 – 20 December 2017
Preceded byTony Burke
Succeeded byMathias Cormann
Minister for the Arts
In office
18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015
Prime MinisterTony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded byTony Burke
Succeeded byMitch Fifield
Minister for the Arts and Sport
In office
30 January 2007 – 3 December 2007
Prime MinisterJohn Howard
Preceded byRod Kemp
Succeeded byKate Ellis (Sport)
Peter Garrett (Arts)
Senator for Queensland
In office
16 May 2000 – 8 February 2018
Preceded byWarwick Parer
Succeeded byAmanda Stoker
Personal details
Born
George Henry Brandis

(1957-06-22) 22 June 1957 (age 67)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party
Other political
affiliations
Liberal National Party
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
Magdalen College, Oxford

George Henry Brandis KC (born 22 June 1957) is an Australian former politician. He was a Senator for Queensland from 2000 to 2018, representing the Liberal Party, and was a cabinet minister in the Abbott and Turnbull governments. He was later High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2022.

Brandis studied law at the University of Queensland and Magdalen College, Oxford. Before entering politics he practised as a barrister. He was appointed to the Senate in 2000 to fill the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Warwick Parer. He served as Minister for the Arts and Sport for the last year of the Howard government in 2007. When the Coalition returned to power in 2013, Brandis became Attorney-General and Minister for the Arts. He relinquished the latter portfolio in 2015, when Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister, but was instead made Leader of the Government in the Senate.[1]

Brandis announced his retirement from politics in December 2017, with effect from February 2018. He replaced Alexander Downer as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in May 2018, departing the role in April 2022.[2][3][4] In June 2022, Brandis was appointed a professor in national security at the Australian National University.

  1. ^ "Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry". smh.com.au. AAP. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  2. ^ Peatling, Stephanie (18 December 2017). "George Brandis bound for London as Malcolm Turnbull prepares for imminent cabinet reshuffle". Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  3. ^ Doran, Matthew; Probyn, Andrew (18 December 2017). "George Brandis is off to London, sparking pre-Christmas Cabinet reshuffle". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Canberra. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  4. ^ Bourke, Latika (1 May 2022). "How the political beast George Brandis made his mark in London". theage.com.au. Retrieved 1 May 2022.