Chris Bowen

Chris Bowen
Bowen in 2022
Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Assumed office
1 June 2022
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese
Preceded byAngus Taylor
Leader of the Opposition
Acting
In office
18 September 2013 – 13 October 2013
Prime MinisterTony Abbott
DeputyAnthony Albanese
Preceded byTony Abbott
Succeeded byBill Shorten
Treasurer of Australia
In office
27 June 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime MinisterKevin Rudd
Preceded byWayne Swan
Succeeded byJoe Hockey
Minister for Small Business
In office
4 February 2013 – 22 March 2013
Prime MinisterJulia Gillard
Preceded byBrendan O'Connor
Succeeded byGary Gray
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
In office
14 September 2010 – 4 February 2013
Prime MinisterJulia Gillard
Preceded byChris Evans
Succeeded byBrendan O'Connor
Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law
In office
9 June 2009 – 14 September 2010
Prime MinisterKevin Rudd
Julia Gillard
Preceded byNick Sherry
Succeeded byBill Shorten
Assistant Treasurer of Australia
In office
3 December 2007 – 8 June 2009
Prime MinisterKevin Rudd
Preceded byPeter Dutton
Succeeded byNick Sherry
Member of the Australian Parliament for McMahon
Assumed office
21 August 2010
Preceded byNew seat
Member of the Australian Parliament for Prospect
In office
9 October 2004 – 21 August 2010
Preceded byJanice Crosio
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Mayor of Fairfield
In office
September 1998 – September 1999
Preceded byAnwar Khoshaba
Succeeded byAnwar Khoshaba
Councillor of the City of Fairfield
In office
1995–2004
Personal details
Born
Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen

(1973-01-17) 17 January 1973 (age 51)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLabor
Spouse
Rebecca Mifsud
(m. 2003)
Children2
EducationSt Johns Park High School
Alma materUniversity of Sydney (BEc)
ProfessionPolitician
Websitewww.chrisbowen.net

Christopher Eyles Guy Bowen (born 17 January 1973) is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the Albanese government since June 2022.[1] He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was first elected to parliament at the 2004 federal election. He held ministerial office in the Rudd and Gillard governments from 2007 to 2013.

Bowen served on the Fairfield City Council from 1995 to 2004, including a term as mayor. He was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2004 election, winning the seat of Prospect; he later transferred to the seat of McMahon at the 2010 federal election, after his former seat was abolished. Bowen was added to Kevin Rudd's shadow ministry in 2006, and following the ALP's victory at the 2007 election served variously as Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law, and Human Services. After Julia Gillard replaced Rudd as prime minister in June 2010, Bowen was made the Minister Immigration and Citizenship, and also served as the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Small Business for a brief time in 2013.

In June 2013, Rudd replaced Gillard as prime minister in the final leadership contest between the two, and he assigned Bowen the role of Treasurer. He held this position for less than three months, as the ALP was defeated at the 2013 election. Bowen served briefly as the interim leader of the ALP and acting leader of the opposition.[2] He was the shadow treasurer under Bill Shorten from 2013 to 2019. After the 2019 election, he became a candidate to succeed Shorten as party leader but eventually withdrew in favour of Anthony Albanese.

After the ALP's victory in the 2022 election, Bowen was appointed Minister for Climate Change and Energy. He is regarded as a senior figure in the Labor Right faction.[3][4]

  1. ^ Mazengarb, Michael (31 May 2022). "Chris Bowen confirmed as new energy and climate minister, McAllister as assistant". RenewEconomy. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Chris Bowen named interim Labor leader". 13 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Bowen backs out of Labor leadership race, leaving spot open to Shorten and Albanese". ABC News. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Albanese 'one slip away' from ousting as vultures circle". The Australian. News Corp. Retrieved 31 October 2021.