Scott Ryan (Australian politician)

Scott Michael Ryan (born 12 May 1973) is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Victoria since 2008, representing the Liberal Party. He has been the President of the Senate since 2017, having previously been a minister in the Turnbull Government from 2016 to 2017. In March 2020 he announced he would not seek re-election to the Senate at the next federal election.

Senator The Honourable Scott Ryan
Ryan in April 2018
President of the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2017
Deputy	Sue Lines
Preceded by	Stephen Parry
Special Minister of State
In office 19 July 2016 – 13 November 2017
Preceded by	Mathias Cormann
Succeeded by	Mathias Cormann (acting)
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cabinet
In office 24 January 2017 – 13 November 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Himself (as Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary)
Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary
In office 15 September 2015 – 24 January 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	new title
Succeeded by	Himself (as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cabinet)
Minister for Vocational Education and Skills
In office February 18, 2016 – 19 July 2016
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Luke Hartsuyker
Succeeded by	Karen Andrews (as Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills)
Senator for Victoria
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2008
Personal details
Born	Scott Michael Ryan 12 May 1973 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Website	scottryan.com.au

Early life

Ryan was born on 12 May 1973, in Brisbane, Queensland,[1] and grew up in Essendon, Victoria.[1] He was educated at St Kevin's College, Melbourne[1] and graduated from the University of Melbourne, with a Bachelor of Arts.[1] While at university, he served as President of the Melbourne University Liberal Club and was a member of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation, where he is a life member.[2]

He started his career as a tutor of political science at St Mary's College, a constituent college of the University of Melbourne.[1] He then worked in corporate affairs for pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.[3][4] He also worked as a speechwriter and political advisor.[1] In 2008, he was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne.[1]

Politics

Ryan was a member of the executive of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party, holding the office of vice president.[1] He was elected to a six-year Senate term at the 2007 federal election, commencing on 1 July 2008.[1] He was preselected in the third position on the Coalition ticket in Victoria.[1] He was re-elected to a second six-year term at the 2013 election, which was cut short by a double dissolution.

Ryan was re-elected at the 2016 Australian federal election. The first sitting of the new Senate allocated which senators were elected for only three years and which received a full six-year term. Ryan was one of two senators who received a six-year term as a consequence of which method was chosen to allocate the seats.[5]

Government minister

Following the 2013 federal election that resulted in the formation of the Abbott Ministry, Ryan was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education;[6] later expanded as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training.[7] Ryan served as the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills following a rearrangement in the First Turnbull Ministry, between February and July 2016.[8][9] Ryan was appointed the Special Minister for State in the first arrangement of the Second Turnbull ministry and gained additional responsibilities as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cabinet in a subsequent rearrangement.[10]

President of the Senate

On 13 November 2017, Ryan was elected President of the Senate, winning by 53 votes to 11 for Senator Peter Whish-Wilson of the Greens. He resigned his ministerial posts to take up the position.[11] His predecessor Stephen Parry resigned from the Senate during the parliamentary eligibility crisis, after discovering he was a dual citizen of the United Kingdom.[11] Ryan is the first former government minister to become President of the Senate since Doug McClelland (1983–1987), and the first person to resign from the ministry to take up the position. He took office at the age of 44, surpassing Kerry Sibraa (who was 49) as the youngest person to assume the presidency.[12]

Following the 2019 election, Ryan was re-elected to the presidency on 2 July 2019.[13] In March 2020 he announced he would retire from federal parliament at the next federal election, citing his unwillingness to serve another six-year term and that "constant renewal is essential for every political party". He committed to remaining as president until the end of his Senate term in 2022.[14]

Personal life

Ryan has two sons with his wife Helen and lives in Melbourne.[1]

References

1. "Biography". Official website. Scott Ryan.
2. "ALSF Life Members". Australian Liberal Students' Federation. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
3. Schubert, Misha (19 June 2006). "Costello's crew power ahead on road to Senate". The Age. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
4. "Candidate for Victoria Mr Scott Ryan". Liberal Party of Australia, Victorian Division. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
5. "Election 2016: Pauline Hanson secures six-year Senate term, Derryn Hinch has three years until re-election". ABC News. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
6. "Abbott Ministry" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
7. "Tony Abbott's revamped Ministry sworn in at Government House". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
8. Massola, James (13 February 2016). "Cabinet reshuffle: Malcolm Turnbull announces new frontbench as Mal Brough resigns". The Age. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
9. "Ministerial Swearing-in Ceremony". Events. Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
10. "New federal ministers officially sworn in". Sky News. Australia. AAP. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
11. "Scott Ryan elected new president of Senate". News. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
12. "Scott Ryan resigns from Turnbull ministry to replace Stephen Parry as Senate president". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
13. "Senate Daily Summary – 2 to 4 July 2019". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
14. "Victorian Senator Scott Ryan announces he will leave federal parliament at the next election". Herald Sun. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.

External links

• Parliamentary info page
• Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Scott Ryan on TheyVoteForYou.org.au