51 Facts About Brendan Nelson

Brendan John Nelson was born on 19 August 1958 and is an Australian business leader and former politician.

Brendan Nelson served as the federal Leader of the Opposition from 2007 to 2008, going on to serve as Australia's senior diplomat to the European Union and NATO.

Brendan Nelson now has a global leadership role with Boeing, an aerospace company.

On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion, Brendan Nelson lost the leadership of the Opposition and the Liberal Party to Turnbull.

Brendan Nelson retired from politics in 2009, and was Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO from 2009 to 2012.

Brendan Nelson was then Director of the Australian War Memorial from 2012 to 2019, subsequently serving as its chair until the end of 2022.

In February 2020, Brendan Nelson was made the President of Boeing Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific.

Brendan Nelson was born in Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne, as the eldest of three children of Des Brendan Nelson, a marine chief steward active in the Seamen's Union, and his wife, Patricia.

Brendan Nelson switched to Flinders University to complete his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery.

Brendan Nelson then relocated to Hobart, Tasmania, taking up practice as a medical practitioner from 1985 until 1995.

In 1988, Brendan Nelson joined the Australian Medical Association, and in 1990 became the Tasmanian State president of the organisation, taking a reformist approach to the role, and assisted the State branch in growing its membership.

Brendan Nelson took a strong public stand against sponsorship of sports events by cigarette companies, lobbying politicians directly for legislative change, and encouraged airlines to increase the number of non-smoking seats.

On 30 May 1993, Brendan Nelson was elected unopposed as federal president of the Australian Medical Association, at 34 being the youngest ever holder of the office.

Brendan Nelson came to the office after significant hostility between the AMA and the federal Labor government, which peaked at the 1993 election under former AMA president Bruce Shepherd and former Health Minister Brian Howe.

Brendan Nelson attempted to establish better relations with the government and its new Health Minister, Graham Richardson.

Brendan Nelson pledged to make Aboriginal health and the effects of unemployment on health a high priority during his term as federal president, and would appoint a full-time worker based in Canberra to look after these issues.

Brendan Nelson took ministers and shadow ministers around Central Australia to view Aboriginal communities.

In January 1994, Brendan Nelson joined the Tasmanian branch of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Brendan Nelson was supported in his bid by former AMA president Bruce Shepherd, who served as his campaign treasurer.

Brendan Nelson was elected to Parliament as expected at the federal election on 2 March 1996, at which the Keating government was defeated and John Howard became Prime Minister.

Brendan Nelson spent his first two terms as a government backbencher, while establishing himself as a leading member of the moderate, or "small-l liberal," wing of the Liberal Party.

Brendan Nelson was a vocal opponent of the views of Independent MP Pauline Hanson following her maiden speech on 10 September 1996, challenging her to visit Palm Island and other Aboriginal communities with him.

Brendan Nelson questioned the Prime Minister, who offered to cooperate and negotiate, but indicated he would not support the Opposition's motion in full.

Brendan Nelson had to apologise to Parliament in March 1997 when it was found that 11 parts of a speech he had given matched a paper on overseas doctors by immigration expert Bob Birrell of Monash University published the previous year.

Brendan Nelson was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence in 2001.

Brendan Nelson introduced a series of radical changes to Australia's higher education system that simultaneously imposed more direct government control over the management of universities while allowing them to earn more revenue by charging higher fees to students.

Brendan Nelson extended the government's policy of directing more federal funding to non-government schools, as well as becoming more involved in reviewing the state education systems.

Brendan Nelson was a popular target for student activism because of these changes.

In 2005 Brendan Nelson expressed support for giving parents the option of having students exposed to the controversial subject of intelligent design.

Brendan Nelson became the first person since Billy Snedden in 1972 to become Opposition Leader without prior experience in Opposition.

Brendan Nelson became the first Catholic to lead the Liberal Party.

Brendan Nelson declared that the Liberal Party had "listened and learned" from the Australian public on WorkChoices.

Brendan Nelson pronounced the program "dead," vowing it would never be resurrected as part of Coalition policy, and called on the Government to move quickly to introduce draft industrial relations legislation.

In January 2008, Brendan Nelson opposed making any formal apology to the Indigenous Australians known as the "Stolen Generations".

Brendan Nelson said such an apology would fuel guilt among middle Australia, and cause a mentality of "victimhood" among indigenous Australians.

In early February 2008, Brendan Nelson changed his stance, and declared that he supported the apology, first personally, then on behalf of his party:.

Brendan Nelson's endorsement triggered nationwide protests; several people watching the speech booed, jeered and turned their backs on him.

Brendan Nelson used his 2008 budget reply to declare the Rudd government budget a "tax and spend" budget, as well as arguing for a 5-cent reduction in petrol excise, and pledging to block an increase in the "alcopop" tax.

In May 2008, Brendan Nelson gave his approval to a merger occurring between the Queensland Liberal Party and Queensland National Party.

Brendan Nelson suffered from another gaffe in August 2008, where he stated:.

Brendan Nelson later attempted to clarify the comment in that he was referring to Costello staying in parliament.

Turnbull and later Liberal leader Tony Abbott eventually became Prime Ministers and meant that so far Brendan Nelson is the only Liberal leader of the 21st century who did not become Prime Minister.

On 16 February 2009, Brendan Nelson announced that he would retire from politics at the next federal election.

Brendan Nelson maintains an interest in Australian political life, recently speaking at a Liberal Party event in honour of Australia's first Indigenous Parliamentarian, Senator Neville Bonner.

Brendan Nelson accepted the appointment from his former rival and commended the decision to appoint Beazley as Ambassador to the US.

On 23 August 2012, the government announced Brendan Nelson's forthcoming appointment in the Australian Public Service as the new Director of the Australian War Memorial effective from 17 December 2012, succeeding Major General Steve Gower.

In February 2020, Brendan Nelson became the president of Boeing Australia.

In December 2023, it was announced that effective January 12,2023, Brendan Nelson would serve as the head of Boeing's international division.

Brendan Nelson is married to Gillian, whom he married in 1999, raising her daughter together.

Brendan Nelson's hobbies include playing guitar and riding motorcycles, a habit he began at 17 when he dropped out of an economics degree at Adelaide University and needed a cheap form of transport.

In 2016 Brendan Nelson was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition for his distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia, to the community, to the advancement of Australia's international relations, and to major cultural institutions.