View source for Luke Hartsuyker

{{Short description|Australian politician (born 1959)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name             = Luke Hartsuyker
| honorific-suffix = 
| image            = Luke Hartsuyker 2017 (cropped).png

| constituency_MP = [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]
| parliament      = Australian
| majority        = 
| predecessor     = [[Garry Nehl]]
| successor       = [[Pat Conaghan]]
| term_start      = 10 November 2001
| term_end        = 11 April 2019

| office1          = [[Minister for Education and Training#List of Ministers for Higher Education|Minister for Vocational Education and Skills]]
| predecessor1     = ''New ministerial post''
| successor1       = [[Scott Ryan (Australian politician)|Scott Ryan]]
| term_start1      = 21 September 2015
| term_end1        = 18 February 2016
| primeminister1   = [[Malcolm Turnbull]]

| office2           = [[Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment#List of assistant ministers for trade and investment|Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment]]
| primeminister2    = [[Malcolm Turnbull]]
| predecessor2      = [[Keith Pitt]] 
| successor2        = [[Mark Coulton]]
| term_start2       = {{start date|2017|12|20|df=y}}
| term_end2         = {{end date|2018|03|05|df=y}}

| office3          = Assistant Minister to the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|Deputy Prime Minister]]
| primeminister3   = [[Malcolm Turnbull]]
| predecessor3     = [[Keith Pitt]]
| successor3       = [[Damian Drum]]
| term_start3      = 19 July 2016
| term_end3        = {{end date|2017|12|20|df=y}}

| office4          = [[Minister for Employment (Australia)#List of assistant ministers for employment|Assistant Minister for Employment]]
| predecessor4     = [[Kate Ellis (politician)|Kate Ellis]]
| successor4       = ''Office abolished''
| primeminister4   = [[Tony Abbott]]
| term_start4      = 18 September 2013
| term_end4        = 21 September 2015

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1959|4|28}}
| birth_place = [[Muswellbrook]], New South Wales, Australia
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| spouse = Irene
| children = 2
| party = [[National Party of Australia|National]]
| relations =
| residence =
| alma_mater = [[University of Newcastle (Australia)|University of Newcastle]]
| occupation =[[Accountant]] and [[business owner]]
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website = {{URL|www.lukehartsuyker.com.au/}}
| footnotes =
}}
'''Luke Hartsuyker''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɑː|r|t|ˌ|s|uː|k|ər}} {{Respell|HART|soo|kər}}; born 28 April 1959) is a former Australian politician who was a member of the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] from 2001 to 2019, representing the [[Division of Cowper]] in [[New South Wales]] for the [[National Party of Australia|National Party]]. He served as a government minister in the [[Turnbull government]] and an assistant minister in the [[Abbott government]]. In August 2018, he announced he would retire from parliament at the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]].<ref name=retire>{{cite news|url=https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/luke-hartsuyker-is-calling-it-a-day/3487002/|title=Coffs MP Luke Hartsuyker calling it a day|publisher=Coffs Coast Advocate|date=8 August 2018|access-date=13 August 2018}}</ref>

==Background and career==
Hartsuyker was born in [[Muswellbrook]], New South Wales, where he attended a state primary school and state high school. His father, Tom Hartsuyker, immigrated from the [[Netherlands]] in 1951 and subsequently established a Dutch-themed tourist park in [[Coffs Harbour]] called The Clog Barn. Hartsuyker was born a [[Dutch nationality law|Dutch citizen]] by descent, but automatically lost his citizenship in 1995 by failing to meet a provision requiring foreign-born citizens to return to the Netherlands every ten years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/03%20Senators%20and%20Members/32%20Members/Citizenship/45P/HartsuykerL_CTZ45P.pdf|title=Citizenship Register – 45th Parliament|accessdate=4 February 2024}}</ref>

Hartsuyker holds a [[Bachelor of Commerce]] degree from [[University of Newcastle (Australia)|Newcastle University]], and an Associate Diploma in valuation. He is a Fellow of the [[CPA Australia|Chartered Practising Accountants Australia]]. He managed his father's business before entering politics. He and his wife, Irene, have two sons.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/politics/ten-aussie-politicians-who-grew-up-with-or-ran-small-businesses/|title=Ten Aussie politicians who grew up with or ran small businesses – SmartCompany|date=2015-08-18|work=SmartCompany|access-date=2017-06-17|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22chamber/hansardr/2002-02-13/0025%22|title=ParlInfo – Governor-General's Speech: Address-in-Reply|website=parlinfo.aph.gov.au|language=en-US|access-date=2017-06-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=00AMM|title=Hon Luke Hartsuyker MP|publisher=Parliament of Australia|language=en-AU|access-date=2017-06-17}}</ref>

== Politics ==
In the [[2001 Australian federal election|2001 federal election]] Hartsuyker was elected to the [[Division of Cowper]] after longstanding [[National Party of Australia|Nationals]] MP [[Garry Nehl]] retired from the seat. Hartsuyker retained the seat in subsequent elections: [[2004 Australian federal election|2004]], [[2007 Australian federal election|2007]], [[2010 Australian federal election|2010]], [[2013 Australian federal election|2013]], and [[2016 Australian federal election|2016]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/guide/cowp/|title=Cowper – Australia Votes {{!}} Federal Election 2016 (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|language=en-AU|access-date=2017-06-17}}</ref>

In 2008, Hartsyuker was [[naming (parliamentary procedure)|named]] after refusing to leave the Chamber for holding a life-sized cardboard cutout of then-Prime Minister [[Kevin Rudd]], which he passed on to other members of the Opposition frontbench. He was aided by Liberal MP [[Don Randall (politician)|Don Randall]], who brought the cutout into the chamber.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/chaos-in-parliament-over-cardboard-kevin-20080222-1trt.html | title=Chaos in parliament over cardboard Kevin | date=22 February 2008 }}</ref>

An [[Redistribution (election)|electoral redistribution]] changed Cowper's boundaries prior to the 2016 election: [[Port Macquarie]] was included in Cowper for the first time, while the region north of Coffs Harbour was transferred out of Cowper to the [[Division of Page]].<ref name=":0" />

Former [[Independent politician|Independent]] MP [[Rob Oakeshott]], who lives in Port Macquarie (which had been within the [[Division of Lyne]] prior to the redistribution), contested the [[Division of Cowper]] at the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 election]].<ref name=":0" /> A number of [[National opinion polling for the 2016 Australian federal election#New South Wales|seat-level opinion polls in Cowper]] found the incumbent Hartsuyker and independent Oakeshott neck-and-neck on the [[two-party-preferred vote]]. Hartsuyker won re-election, but suffered a swing of 13 percent – the closest that the Nationals had come to losing Cowper in over half a century. The Nationals have held it for all but one term since 1919. While Oakeshott slashed Hartsuyker's two-party margin to 4.5%, Cowper is still a safe National seat in a "traditional" two-party matchup with Labor.

On 8 August 2018, Hartsuyker announced he would retire from federal politics at the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 federal election]].<ref name=retire/>

===Ministerial career===
Hartsuyker served as the [[Minister for Employment (Australia)#List of assistant ministers for employment|Assistant Minister for Employment]] and as the [[Leader of the House (Australia)|Deputy Leader of the House]] in the [[Abbott Ministry]], between 18 September 2013 and September 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tony Abbott's cabinet and outer ministry|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbotts-cabinet-and-outer-ministry-20130916-2tuma.html|access-date=16 September 2013|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=16 September 2013|agency=Australian Associated Press}}</ref> He was the [[Minister for Education and Training#List of Ministers for Higher Education|Minister for Vocational Education and Skills]] in the [[First Turnbull Ministry]] between September 2015 and February 2016;<ref name=Age130216>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/cabinet-reshuffle-malcolm-turnbull-announces-new-frontbench-as-mal-brough-resigns-20160213-gmta7z.html |title=Cabinet reshuffle: Malcolm Turnbull announces new frontbench as Mal Brough resigns |work=The Age |date=13 February 2016 |access-date=13 February 2016 |author=Massola, James}}</ref> the Assistant Minister to the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia#List of assistant ministers to the deputy prime minister|Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister]] between July 2016 and December 2017; and the [[Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment#List of assistant ministers for trade and investment|Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment]] in the [[Second Turnbull Ministry]] between December 2017 and March 2018.<ref name="Turnbull2nd-4thAR">{{cite press release|quote=Luke Hartsuyker moves to the role of Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.|url=https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ministerial-arrangements-2|title=Ministerial Arrangements|date=19 December 2017|publisher=[[Australian Government]]|author=Turnbull, Malcolm|author-link=Malcolm Turnbull|access-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313005337/https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ministerial-arrangements-2|archive-date=13 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-01/darren-chester-handed-veterans-affairs-portfolio/9500090 |title=Darren Chester handed Veterans Affairs portfolio in Cabinet reshuffle |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia |date=1 March 2018 |access-date=7 March 2018 |author=Belot, Henry }}</ref>

===Positions===
Hartsuyker opposes [[Same-sex marriage in Australia|same-sex marriage]] and stated he would not vote for it. A 2011 poll in the [[The Coff's Harbour Advocate|Coffs Harbour Advocate]], representing those within his electorate, resulted in 78% of respondents in favour of same-sex marriage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/hartsuyker-says-no-gay-marriage/1197551/|title=Hartsuyker says no to gay marriage|work=Coffs Coast Advocate|access-date=2017-06-18|language=en}}</ref> After his electorate voted in favour of same-sex marriage in the [[Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey]], Hartsuyker did vote in favour of the ''[[Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Garry Nehl]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]]|years=2001–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Pat Conaghan]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Keith Pitt]] }}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment#List of assistant ministers for trade and investment|Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment]] |years=2017–2018 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mark Coulton]]}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=Assistant Minister to the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|Deputy Prime Minister]] |years=2016–2017 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[Damian Drum]] }}
|-
{{s-new|minister}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Minister for Education and Training#List of Ministers for Higher Education|Minister for Vocational Education and Skills]]|years=2015–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Scott Ryan (Australian politician)|Scott Ryan]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Kate Ellis (politician)|Kate Ellis]] |as=Minister for Employment Participation }}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Minister for Employment (Australia)#List of assistant ministers for employment|Assistant Minister for Employment]]|years=2013–2015}}
{{s-non|reason=Ministry abolished}}
{{s-end}}

{{Abbott Ministry}}
{{First Turnbull Ministry}}
{{Second Turnbull Ministry}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartsuyker, Luke}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Abbott government]]
[[Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Cowper]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Australia]]
[[Category:Turnbull government]]
[[Category:Australian people of Dutch descent]]
[[Category:People who lost Dutch citizenship]]
[[Category:People from Muswellbrook]]
[[Category:University of Newcastle (Australia) alumni]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2001–2004]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2004–2007]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2007–2010]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2010–2013]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2013–2016]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2016–2019]]