Anthony Byrne (politician)

Anthony Michael Byrne (born 1 December 1962) is an Australian former politician. A member of the Australian Labor Party in the Australian House of Representatives, he was one of federal parliament's longest-serving members, having first entered Parliament in November 1999, representing the Division of Holt in Victoria. He was forced to resign as the deputy chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security providing oversight of Australia's security services after he made admissions of corruption and branch-stacking at Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and did not re-contest the subsequent 2022 federal election.

Early life

Byrne was born in Adelaide and spent his early childhood in Kalgoorlie, where he was educated at local schools and through the School of the Air.<ref name=greenholt>Green, Antony: Australian Federal Election 2013 – Holt, ABC Elections, 2013.</ref> His high school education was completed at Christian Brothers College, Adelaide.<ref name="Speeches « anthonybyrnemp">Template:Cite web</ref> His maternal grandfather was wounded in the Battle of Pozières.

Before entering parliament, he worked as CEO of Anxiety Disorders Foundation of Australia.<ref name="abc.net.au">Template:Cite web</ref> Byrne joined the Labor Party in 1989, later serving an adviser to Senator Jacinta Collins.<ref name="abc.net.au" />

Parliamentary career

Bryne was pre-selected by the ALP as their candidate for the 1999 Holt by-election in a "full-scale factional battle", winning with the backing of the SDA trade union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Byrne won the by-election, becoming "the last person elected to this federal parliament in the last century and the first to give an inaugural speech in the next".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

His seat was mostly considered "a relatively safe Labor electorate".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Byrne has become an increasingly strident advocate for the need to "safeguard the Australian people against foreign influence threats".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Byrne results in Holt	1999	2001	2004	2007	2010	2013	2016	2019
First preference %	65.63	56.50	45.67	55.65	54.42	48.19	53.70	50.73
Two-party- preferred %	72.06	63.32	51.51	61.63	63.23	59.09	64.17	58.70

Anthony Bryne was one of eleven Labor MPs who were ejected from the House for protesting against the Howard government's industrial relations bill. Left to right: Anthony Albanese, Annette Ellis, Anthony Byrne, Maria Vamvakinou, Catherine King, Michael Danby, Dr Craig Emerson, Gavan O'Connor, Julia Irwin, Kelly Hoare, Bernie Ripoll.

He was Parliamentary Secretary for Trade from February 2009 until 14 September 2010. A strong supporter of the trade union movement, he has a personal allegiance to the Shop Assistants Union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Byrne stood strongly against the WorkChoices legislation of the Howard government in 2005 and the Ensuring Integrity industrial reforms of the Morrison government in 2019 – both of which were defeated.

Following the 2010 election, Byrne was appointed chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and became deputy chair after the 2013 election.

In 2013, Byrne was considered for a portfolio in the Second Rudd Ministry.<ref>Benson, S 2013, 'Prime Minister Kevin Rudd aiming to dump carbon tax for emissions trading scheme', The Daily Telegraph, 28 June. Retrieved 30 May 2017.</ref>

In March 2022, Byrne announced he would not run for re-election that year and would retire from politics after the election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was succeeded in his seat of Holt by Cassandra Fernando.

Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

Byrne has served on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security since 2005 and was described by a Sky News anchor as 'one of the best brains on intelligence and national security' in the Australian parliament.<ref>The 'intelligence' behind assisting Iraq – Sky News Interview 2014, YouTube, Sky News,

1 September. Retrieved 14 June 2017.</ref> As chair of PJCIS in 2013, Byrne along with Deputy Chair Philip Ruddock, warned of the effect of the government's efficiency dividend on the operations of Australia's intelligence and security agencies after tabling a PJCIS report<ref>Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 2013, Review of Administration and Expenditure No. 10 (2010–2011) – Australian Intelligence Agencies, Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2017.</ref> in May 2013 covering the administration and finances of Australia's six intelligence and security agencies in 2010–2011.<ref>AAP 2013, 'Spy agencies have money troubles', News.com.au, 27 May. Retrieved 15 June 2017.</ref> Byrne likened the cuts to the US austerity measures which prompted warnings from US intelligence agencies, in the wake of the Boston bombings, that their ability to combat terrorism was at risk.<ref>Benson, S 2013, 'Holes in Australian terror safeguards', The Advertiser, 28 May. Retrieved 15 June 2017.</ref> Of the government's efficiency dividend, Byrne said "I find it frankly astonishing that these agencies would have been effectively sequestered from funding to perform their tasks" and that cuts to the agencies' funding was "disgraceful and it should be addressed".<ref>7.30
2013, 'Parliament tackles spying, hacking and electoral funding'. Retrieved 15 June 2017.</ref>

Nine months after PJCIS's release of its Report of the Inquiry into Potential Reforms of Australia's National Security Legislation<ref>Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, Report of the Inquiry into Potential Reforms of Australia's National Security Legislation, Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2013.</ref> authored under Byrne's term as chair, the Daily Telegraph reported that the Abbott Cabinet had agreed to adopt almost all of the 41 recommendations included in the report in the face of heightened security fears over Australians engaged in fighting with terrorist groups overseas. Byrne went on the record as criticising the Abbott government's delay in implementing the report's recommendations as "unconscionable", saying that legislation should have been brought before parliament much earlier.<ref>S Benson, 'Putting the byte on online jihadists: Bill to boost ASIO's digital spying power', The Daily Telegraph, 22 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2017</ref>

Prior to changes being introduced, Byrne had been consistently critical of PJCIS's lack of a remit over the Australian Federal Police, citing the lack of such a thing as a significant flaw in the oversight powers of the committee.<ref>The 'intelligence' behind assisting Iraq – Sky News Interview 2014, YouTube, Sky News, 1 September. Retrieved 14 June 2017.</ref> Byrne argued that as the intelligence and law enforcement agencies had been advising the government of the need for them to receive greater powers which may have had the potential to impinge on civil liberties and democratic freedoms, that the PJCIS should be given the appropriate oversight capacity to make inquiries on the behalf of the public for them to have confidence in the use of additional powers for these agencies.<ref name="youtube1">Sky News The Dalley Edition 2014, YouTube, Sky News, 20 October. Retrieved 14 June 2017.</ref>

Anthony Bryne MP, Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security speaks with committee Chair Andrew Hastie MP in February 2020.

After the PJCIS handed down its 36 recommendations on the government's controversial foreign fighter's legislation,<ref>Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 2014, Advisory Report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014, Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 14 June 2017.</ref> Byrne appeared on Sky News' The Dalley Edition to clarify the committee's position on the intrusiveness of some aspects of the legislation such as provisions for the lowering of the thresholds for agencies to access preventive detention orders, control orders, and questioning and detention powers, arguing that they needed to be counterbalanced by safeguards, most important of which would be sunset clauses.<ref name="youtube1"/>

Byrne also gave an interview to journalist David Speers in the aftermath of the Lindt Cafe Siege where he called for an independent judicial inquiry into the events leading up to and during the crisis which would have coercive and subpoena powers to summons any public official or minister to give evidence on the incident to regain public confidence in authorities.<ref>Sky News Interview with David Speers 2014, YouTube, Sky News, 22 December. Retrieved 14 June 2017.</ref>

In the wake of another terror attack on police in 2015, Byrne questioned why national leaders were reaching out to the Islamic community but weren't doing the same with police; arguing for greater attention to be given to police facing the ongoing threat of street-side executions.<ref>'Reaching out to our frontline protection', The Daily Telegraph, 16 October 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.</ref> After Muslim constituents with relatives affected by fighting in the Middle East had asked him why the coalition was taking so long to defeat IS, with an absence of a substantial victory and the appearance that the conflict was being lost despite claims that the coalition were gaining some advantages over IS, Byrne told ABC News that Australia required "a complete, cohesive, clear strategy, a cogent strategy..with some form of timeframe to how to deal with these people".<ref>Australian Associated Press, 'Clear strategy needed to deal with IS: MP', The Australian, 23 November 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2017.</ref>

During the 2016 federal election, Byrne began distributing flyers promoting law-and-order and an anti-terrorism platform; the first politician of the campaign to inject law-and-order into the national debate. Byrne said that he was prompted to distribute the flyers after many people in his electorate were too afraid to open their doors and talk to him while he was door-knocking due to recent gang activity and fear of violent Ice users, something which Byrne call "completely unacceptable" and promised that, if re-elected, one of his first orders of business would be to work with authorities to crush the Apex gang in his region and to ensure ice manufacturers and dealers are put out of business.<ref>E Whinnett, 'Labor MP Anthony Byrne takes lead in mounting anti-terrorism platform ', Herald Sun, 16 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2017.</ref>

After the 2016 election, Crikey reported that Byrne was likely to be departing PJCIS,<ref>K Bernard, 'Security committee loses key member',

Crikey, 4 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.</ref> however later the same publication reported that Byrne would be remaining on the committee after being prevailed on to reverse his decision to leave.<ref>B Keane, 'Byrne returns to intelligence committee', Crikey, 25 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2017.</ref>

Byrne has continued as the deputy chair for the PJCIS in the 46th Parliament of Australia. Along with other ALP colleagues Mike Kelly and Kimberley Kitching, Byrne has been a strong advocate to shift political attention to "focusing on national resilience as much as military threats".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During this time, some commentators would describe Byrne as a national security hawk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Working with the chair of the committee, Andrew Hastie, Byrne is known to have exerted strong pressure on the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Dominic Raab, persuading him to re-consider the UK's decision to allow Huawei to provide for their 5G network. It's known he had challenged the Foreign Secretary on the matter in February 2020, saying, "How would you feel if the Russians laid down infrastructure in your own networks? That's how we feel about Huawei."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By May, Boris Johnson had announced that the UK would reduce the Chinese tech company's involvement "to zero".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stephen Conroy, who had overseen broadband roll out in Australia in 2011, indicated that Bryne and Hastie had played a pivotal role in the UK's decision.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rudd–Gillard leadership contest

During the Rudd–Gillard years, Byrne was described as "a key Rudd backer"<ref>Sutton, C 2013, 'Meet our top ten parliamentary "nobodies"', News.com.au, 27 June. Retrieved 30 May 2017.</ref> and Rudd's "loyal lieutenant".<ref>Atkins,

D 2013, 'Weeks of leadership muttering came to a head on Thursday in the little coup that never really was', The Courier-Mail, 23 March. Retrieved 30 May 2017.</ref> On the day of Rudd's February 2012 challenge for the leadership of the Labor Party against Julia Gillard, the Herald Sun published an article by Bryne in which he detailed his reasons for supporting Kevin Rudd to be re-installed as Prime Minister.<ref>Byrne, A 2012, 'Why I'm voting for Kevin Rudd', Herald Sun, 27 February. Retrieved 27 May.</ref> In a show of solidarity within the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party, Byrne appeared alongside fellow Labor MP Richard Marles in an interview on the Australian breakfast television program Sunrise following Rudd's unsuccessful challenge against Gillard to call for an end to divisions within the Labor caucus and a renewed concentration on governing the country.<ref>Sunrise 2012,'Sunrise Interview with Mel & Kochie', YouTube, 27 February. Retrieved 11 June 2017.</ref>

Taxi and hire car industry

Byrne has been named as "one of the few MPs at either federal or state level to have voiced support for licence-holders".<ref>Sweet, M 2016, 'United we stand', Neos Kosmos, 5 September. Retrieved 26 May 2017.</ref> At a taxi rally in Narre Warren on 18 October 2015, attended by more than 300 people, Byrne heavily criticised the then technically illegal and unregulated ride-sharing service for undercutting the taxi industry.<ref>Moorhead, L 2015, 'Byrne rallies to taxi cause', Berwick News, 19 October. Retrieved 30 May 2017.</ref> Byrne was reported to have said that "behind every taxi is a family", and that "In contrast to taxi and hire car operators, Uber has not been complying with a number of State and Federal government laws, regulations and taxes." Byrne rejected the idea that Uber provided a ride-sharing service and argued the company needed to be governed by the same rules as taxis. Additionally, Byrne said that "If Uber does become properly regulated and the value of taxi licences and plates are reduced then the taxi industry should be appropriately compensated." Concluding, Byrne said that "Our community needs to understand that behind every taxi is a family. We can't just stand by and wait as an industry that employs nearly 200,000 people goes to the wall."

IBAC investigation

Byrne has been a target of investigations by Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission known as IBAC. He has been a person of interest into matters around allegations of branch stacking in Victoria.

IBAC is holding public hearings into allegations of serious corrupt conduct involving Victorian public officers, including Members of Parliament. The hearings are part of Operation Watts, a coordinated investigation between IBAC and the Victorian Ombudsman, which is looking into a range of matters including allegations of 'branch stacking' aired in media reports in 2020.<ref>Operation Watts Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, Retrieved 11 October 2021.</ref> Those media reports substantially comprised surreptitious recordings made by Byrne's staffer Alexandra Stalder.<ref name="stalder">Template:Cite news</ref>

On the first day of hearing on 11 October 2021, Byrne admitted to branch stacking.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He said he had been paying for other people's party memberships fees since 1999, forking up to $2,000 of his own money in a single year.

Personal life

Anthony Byrne has been married and divorced twice with two children from his first marriage. He supports the Collingwood Football Club.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> A long-time resident in Endeavour Hills in the electorate of Holt,<ref>Australian Labor Party 2007, 'Anthony Byrne – Member for Holt'. Retrieved January 2008.</ref> Byrne lived outside his electorate in the neighbouring electorate of La Trobe,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> prior to moving to Southbank, in inner-city Melbourne.

External links

• Anthony Byrne MP – Federal Member for Holt
• Parliament of Australia – House of Representatives – The Hon Anthony Byrne MP
• Anthony Byrne Member for Holt ALP Website
• Anthony Byrne MP on Facebook (official)
• Anthony Byrne MP on Twitter (official)
• Template:OpenAustralia
• Summary of parliamentary voting for Anthony Byrne MP on TheyVoteForYou.org.au

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