34 Facts About Ian Macphee

Ian Malcolm Macphee AO was born on 13 July 1938 and is an Australian former politician.

Ian Macphee held ministerial office in the Fraser government as Minister for Productivity, Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, and Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs.

Ian Macphee was a member of the House of Representatives from 1974 to 1990, representing the Liberal Party.

Ian Macphee was known for his contributions in developing Australian multiculturalism as immigration minister and for being one of the most prominent "small-l" liberals within the Liberal Party.

Ian Macphee's father was an electrical engineer who served with the Royal Australian Navy during World War II and later worked at the steelworks in Whyalla, South Australia.

Ian Macphee eventually graduated Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney.

Ian Macphee subsequently moved to the Territory of Papua and New Guinea and joined the territorial administration's Public Solicitor's Office.

Ian Macphee wrote opinion pieces for The Bulletin and Pacific Islands Monthly on local affairs and Australia's role in the lead-up to Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975.

Ian Macphee spent time at Yale University and the University of Hawaii, graduating Master of Arts from the latter with a thesis on South-East Asian history and politics.

Ian Macphee returned to Australia in 1968 and joined the New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures as an assistant director.

Ian Macphee later moved to Melbourne and became director of the Victorian Chamber of Manufactures.

Ian Macphee served on the Victorian Committee on Discrimination in Employment and Occupation.

Ian Macphee unsuccessfully sought Liberal preselection for the New South Wales seat of Berowra prior to the 1969 election, losing to Tom Hughes.

Ian Macphee was president of the Liberal Party's Roseville East branch from 1970 to 1971.

In March 1974, Ian Macphee was preselected as the Liberal candidate for the safe seat of Balaclava, defeating 23 other candidates following the retirement of the incumbent MP Ray Whittorn.

Ian Macphee retained Balaclava for the Liberal Party at the 1974 federal election.

Ian Macphee was elevated to the second Fraser ministry following a ministerial reshuffle in November 1976, assuming the new portfolio of Minister for Productivity.

Ian Macphee was appointed Minister Assisting the Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and replaced Tony Street as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs.

Ian Macphee received a broad mandate to deal with matters and policy affecting industrial productivity, although the creation of the new Department of Productivity was met with criticism from some who felt its responsibilities overlapped with existing departments.

Ian Macphee spoke favourably on the recommendations of the Jackson Committee and said existing protectionist policies would need to be reviewed to produce "an internationally competitive, export-oriented manufacturing industry".

Ian Macphee was assisted by receiving full bipartisan support from the shadow Immigration Minister Mick Young.

Ian Macphee helped oversee the introduction of the Special Broadcasting Service.

Ian Macphee played an important role in the opening of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs and he worked with the Institute's director, Petro Georgiou, in overseeing government policy in this area.

Ian Macphee became a Cabinet minister in May 1982 when Fraser promoted him to Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs.

Ian Macphee defended the role of compulsory arbitration as a means to protect wages in spite of pressure from the more conservative elements within the party, and held this post until the Fraser Government was defeated in March 1983.

Ian Macphee remained in Shadow Cabinet, continuing as shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations before he was given the job of shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs after the 1984 election.

At this election, Ian Macphee transferred to the newly created Division of Goldstein, essentially a reconfigured version of Balaclava.

Ian Macphee stood for the deputy leadership that Howard had vacated, finishing runner-up to Neil Brown with 15 votes out of 70.

Ian Macphee kept this position until April 1987 when Howard sacked him.

Ian Macphee returned to the backbench until retiring prior to the 1990 election.

Ian Macphee served on the board of CARE Australia and from 1994 he served as a director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for a period of five years.

Ian Macphee, given his history with Howard, was critical of the Howard Government, stating that he was "consistently outraged" by the Government's position on refugee policy.

Ian Macphee publicly supported the 2005 "backbench revolt" of Petro Georgiou, Judi Moylan, Bruce Baird and Russell Broadbent, which saw the softening of some aspects of the legislation.

Ian Macphee was highly critical of the Howard Government's role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.