The Honourable
Ron Boswell
AO
Leader of the National Party in the Senate
In office
10 April 1990 – 3 December 2007
Preceded byJohn Stone
Succeeded byNigel Scullion
Senator for Queensland
In office
5 March 1983 – 30 June 2014
Preceded byNeville Bonner
Personal details
Born
Ronald Leslie Doyle Boswell

(1940-12-09) 9 December 1940
Perth, Western Australia
Political partyThe Nationals
SpouseLeita Boswell
EducationSt Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace
WebsiteRonBoswell.com

Ronald Leslie Doyle Boswell AO (born 9 December 1940) is an Australian former politician. He represented the Nationals in the Australian Senate for Queensland from 1983 to 2014 and led the party in the Senate from 1990 to 2007. He became Father of the Senate in 2008.

Early life

Boswell was born in Perth, Western Australia[1] and was educated at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland.[2]

Career

Boswell in the 1990s, during the Howard government.

He was the leader of the National Party in the Senate from 10 April 1990 to 3 December 2007 and held many positions in the Coalition shadow ministry including Shadow Minister for Regional Development and External Territories (from September 1988 to April 1990), Shadow Minister for Northern Australia and External Territories (April 1993 to May 1994) and Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs (May 1994 to December 1994). Boswell was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services in July 1999 but left the position in October 2003.[3] After he was succeeded as leader of the Nationals in the Senate by Nigel Scullion following the 2007 election, Boswell became Scullion's deputy. He was succeeded in that position by Fiona Nash in 2008.

In 2011, Boswell was a critic of the then Australian Government's carbon emissions trading scheme. He called for the scheme to be abandoned.[4] On 17 September 2012, during a Senate debate on a proposed marriage inequality bill, Boswell spoke out against same sex marriage in Australia stating: "Two mothers or two fathers can’t raise a child properly. Who takes the boy to football? Who tells him what's right from wrong? What does he do? Go along with mum, or two mums? How does he go camping or fishing? It won’t work, it’s defying nature!"[5] At the same time he remained an outspoken opponent of fringe conservative movements such as the Australian League of Rights and One Nation.

Boswell announced on 21 September 2012 that he did not intend to seek re-election in 2013 and would retire when his Senate term expired in 2014.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Senator the Hon Ronald Boswell". Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Charges of buying players put schoolboys rugby values to test". The Australian. News Limited. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "Biography for BOSWELL, the Hon. Ronald Leslie Doyle". Australian Parliament. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Obama leaves the ETS table - We should too". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Gay marriage bill 'personal' for senator". The Australian. Retrieved 21 November 2012.; "SENATE MARRIAGE DEBATE GETS PERSONAL". Gay News Network. Retrieved 21 November 2012.; "Boswell Stands by Gay Marriage View". Sky News (Australia). 18 September 2012.; Harrison, Dan (17 September 2012). "Gay marriage bill 'personal' for senator". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  6. ↑ Carrol, Adam (22 September 2012). "Boswell to Retire in 2014". The Courier Mail. The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
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