Janet Albrechtsen

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox person Janet Kim Albrechtsen (born 23 September 1966Template:Cn) is an Australian opinion columnist with The Australian. From 2005 until 2010, she was a member of the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia's public broadcaster.

Early life and education

The daughter of Danish immigrants to Australia, Albrechtsen was born in Adelaide and attended Seacombe High School. She subsequently studied at University of Adelaide, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours.<ref name=WhosWho>"Dr Janet Kim Albrechtsen", Who's Who in Australia Template:Subscription required</ref> She subsequently attained a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Sydney.<ref name="WhosWho" /> Her thesis was titled The regulation of the fundraising process in Australia: searching for an optimal mix between legislative prescriptions and market forces.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Albrechtsen moved to Sydney to work as a commercial solicitor at Freehills.<ref name=WhosWho/> and taught at the University of Sydney Law School. Since turning to commentary, Albrechtsen has written for the Australian Financial Review, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Quadrant, Canada's National Post, the Vancouver Sun, The Wall Street Journal and The Wall Street Journal Asia.<ref name=WhosWho/>

Albrechtsen was a member of the Foreign Affairs Council from 2003 until 2007.<ref>"Lawyer-turned-columnist Janet Albrechtsen talks pop culture, public figures and guilty pleasures" Template:Webarchive by Julia Baird, ABC News (Australia), 22 October 2014</ref>

Albrechtsen was appointed to the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2005. She had previously derided the ABC as a "Soviet-style workers collective".<ref name=WhosWho/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She told reporters in late 2009 that she was planning to retire from the board, and completed her five-year term on 18 February 2010 without seeking reappointment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014 it was reported that Albrechtsen was appointed to an independent nomination panel that advises the Minister for Communications on the shortTemplate:Endashlisting of candidates for appointment to the ABC Board.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2008, Albrechtsen wrote a chapter for Peter van Onselen's book The Liberals and Power. She argued the Liberals have become preoccupied with "dominating the rational low ground", abandoning the high moral ground to the left.Template:Citation needed Norman Abjorensen said he appreciated her view of Howard's legacy as not just a transformation of the Australian economy but also one of the Labor Party.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Albrechtsen conducted a lengthy interview series in 2014 with former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, which aired as a featured story on Seven Network's Sunday Night, and again in January 2015 as its own five-part series on Sky News Australia entitled Howard Defined.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Albrechtsen was from 2014 until 2017 director and chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee of the National Museum of Australia.<ref>"2016–17 Annual Report" Template:Webarchive, National Museum of Australia, pp. 38–39</ref>

Janet Albrechtsen was appointed a director of the Institute of Public Affairs in 2016, and as chairman in July 2018, replacing Rod Kemp, a position held until November, 2019.<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Janet Albrechtsen LinkedIn profile.</ref>

She is an ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Commentary

Albrechtsen's political views can be described as libertarian, as expressed by the Institute of Public Affairs. These views are based around the dignity of the individual, freedom from government control and individual responsibility. She writes about the fiscal responsibility by government<ref>"Turnbull has failed to justify his knifing of Abbott" by Janet Albrechtsen, The Australian, 14 September 2016</ref> and the people,<ref>"We, the people, are the threat to fiscal reform" by Janet Albrechtsen, The Australian, 17 February 2015</ref> issues relating to political correctness, identity politics and modern day 'grievance feminism',<ref>Template:YouTube, Dr Janet Albrechtsen, Centre for Independent Studies Annual Big Ideas Forum, October 2015</ref><ref>"New puritanism at work in refusals to show film The Red Pill" by Janet Albrechtsen, The Australian, 19 April 2017</ref> the growing censorship on campuses,<ref>"No-offence culture of American campuses hurts Australia too" by Janet Albrechtsen, The Australian, 1 November 2016</ref> freedom of speech<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the role of civil society.<ref>Template:YouTube, Institute of Public Affairs, May 2014</ref>

Personal life

Albrechtsen was married to lawyer John O'Sullivan, a friend of Malcolm Turnbull. They are now separated.<ref>"Former rich lister Craig Gore's wings to stay clipped" Template:Webarchive by Colin Kruger, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 June 2018</ref> The couple had three children,<ref>"Michael Kroger's quiet on new love, Janet Albrechtsen", The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 31 August 2011Template:Dead link</ref> including Sascha O'Sullivan, who was also a journalist for The Australian.<ref>"Contributions by Sascha O'Sullivan", The Australian</ref><ref>"The new News Corp aristocracy" Template:Webarchive by Guy Rundle, Crikey, 23 November 2018</ref>

External links

• Janet Albrechtsen, archive of Albrechtsen's articles at The Australian
• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Twitter