86 Facts About Malcolm Turnbull

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull was born on 24 October 1954 and is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018.

Malcolm Turnbull held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Malcolm Turnbull was Chair of the Australian Republican Movement from 1993 to 2000, and was one of the leaders of the unsuccessful "Yes" campaign in the 1999 republic referendum.

Malcolm Turnbull was first elected to the Australian House of Representatives as a member of parliament for the division of Wentworth in New South Wales at the 2004 election, and was Minister for the Environment and Water in the Howard government from January 2007 until December 2007.

Two years later, citing consistently poor opinion polling, Malcolm Turnbull resigned from the Cabinet on 14 September 2015 and challenged Abbott, successfully reclaiming the leadership of the Liberal Party by ten votes.

Malcolm Turnbull was sworn in as prime minister the following day.

The Malcolm Turnbull government initiated the National Innovation and Science Agenda as its key economic priority, working to promote STEM education, increase venture capital funding for new start-ups, and launch an "ideas boom".

Malcolm Turnbull pursued "city deals" with local and state governments to improve planning outcomes and encourage investment in major infrastructure projects such as the Western Sydney Airport.

In 2016, Malcolm Turnbull led the Coalition to a narrow victory in a double dissolution election.

Malcolm Turnbull announced "Snowy Hydro 2.0", a major expansion of the Snowy Mountains Scheme as a key component in enabling the transition to renewable energy.

Malcolm Turnbull resigned from Parliament, triggering a by-election in his former seat of Wentworth.

Since retiring from politics, Malcolm Turnbull has become an advisor to Kasada, an Australian cybersecurity start-up.

Malcolm Turnbull has been critical of the direction of the Liberal Party, and has joined with fellow former prime minister Kevin Rudd in criticising the dominance of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp in Australian political debate.

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull was born in Sydney, on 24 October 1954, the only child of Bruce Bligh Turnbull and Coral Magnolia Lansbury.

Malcolm Turnbull's father was a hotel broker, while his mother was a radio actor, writer, and academic, and a second cousin of the British film and television actress Angela Lansbury.

Malcolm Turnbull is of Scottish descent; his great-great-great-grandfather John Turnbull arrived on the Coromandel in 1802 in New South Wales and became a tailor.

Malcolm Turnbull's parents married in December 1955, fourteen months after his birth.

Malcolm Turnbull spent his first three years of school at Vaucluse Public School.

Malcolm Turnbull was made senior school co-captain in 1972, as well as winning the Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition, excelling particularly in the literary subjects such as English and history.

However, contrary to certain sources, Malcolm Turnbull was not the dux of his graduating year at Sydney Grammar.

In 1987, in memory of his late father, he set up the Bruce Malcolm Turnbull means-tested scholarship at Sydney Grammar, which offers full remission of fees to a student unable to afford them.

In 1973, Malcolm Turnbull attended the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1977 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1978.

Malcolm Turnbull worked part-time as a political journalist for Nation Review, Radio 2SM and Channel 9, covering state politics.

In 1978, Malcolm Turnbull won a Rhodes Scholarship and attended Brasenose College, Oxford, where he studied for a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law from 1978 to 1980, graduating with honours.

Malcolm Turnbull was general counsel and secretary for Australian Consolidated Press Holdings Group from 1983 to 1985.

Malcolm Turnbull attempted to use the press to goad the counsel assisting the commission, Douglas Meagher QC, into suing him and Packer for the withering public attack both undertook to sully Meagher's and Costigan's names.

Malcolm Turnbull accused Meagher and Costigan of being "unjust, capricious, dishonest and malicious".

Malcolm Turnbull left the firm he co-founded in 1997 to become a managing director of Goldman Sachs Australia, eventually becoming a partner in Goldman Sachs and Co.

Malcolm Turnbull purchased a stake in the internet service provider OzEmail in 1994 for $500,000.

In May 2002, Malcolm Turnbull appeared before the HIH Insurance royal commission to be questioned on Goldman Sachs's involvement in the possible privatisation of one of the acquisitions of the collapsed insurance company.

The Royal Commissioner's report made no adverse findings against him or Goldman Sachs Malcolm Turnbull was one of nine defendants who settled later litigation over the collapse in undisclosed payments, thought to be worth as much as $500m.

In 1981, Malcolm Turnbull stood for Liberal Party preselection in the Division of Wentworth prior to the 1981 Wentworth by-election.

Malcolm Turnbull was defeated by Peter Coleman, who went on to win the seat.

Malcolm Turnbull later attempted preselection in the safe state seat of Mosman in 1983, losing to Phillip Smiles.

Malcolm Turnbull let his membership of the Liberal Party lapse in 1986, before rejoining in 2000.

Malcolm Turnbull was made Federal Treasurer of the Liberal Party in 2000, and was a member of the party's federal and New South Wales executives from 2002 to 2003.

Malcolm Turnbull spent time as a director of the Menzies Research Centre, the Liberal Party's research centre.

In 1993, Malcolm Turnbull was appointed by Prime Minister Paul Keating as Chair of the Republic Advisory Committee, charged with exploring ways of moving Australia to a republican form of government by replacing the Queen of Australia with an elected Australian head of state.

Later that year, Malcolm Turnbull became Chair of the Australian Republican Movement, a position he would hold until 2000.

Malcolm Turnbull was an elected delegate at the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra.

At the convention, Malcolm Turnbull cautioned against mixing the roles of President and Prime Minister, advocating a parliamentary republic, and supported the bi-partisan appointment republican model adopted by the convention.

Malcolm Turnbull was an active campaigner in the unsuccessful 1999 referendum to establish an Australian republic, serving as Chair of the Yes Committee.

Malcolm Turnbull published a book on the campaign, titled Fighting for the Republic.

Malcolm Turnbull retired from the Australian Republican Movement in 2000, having already left the board of Ausflag in 1994; he joined the Australian National Flag Association in 2004.

Malcolm Turnbull has had a long affiliation with the Liberal Party of Australia throughout his career.

In 2015, it was revealed that Malcolm Turnbull had held talks with Labor state politician John Della Bosca during the 1990s on a possible party switch, and that he had harboured aspirations in his youth to head the Australian Workers' Union, which is linked with the Labor Party.

In 2000, Malcolm Turnbull intended to seek Liberal preselection for Wentworth but did not eventually contest after concluding that preselection hopeful Peter King had the numbers in the branches.

In 2003, Malcolm Turnbull announced that he would challenge King for the seat and successfully defeated him to become the Liberal candidate.

On 26 September 2006, Howard announced the creation of a new Office of Water Resources, sitting within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, to address the problem of drought in Australia; Malcolm Turnbull was given responsibility for this office.

In February 2007, Malcolm Turnbull was criticised for claiming a government allowance of 175 a night and paying it to his wife as rent while living in a townhouse owned by her in Canberra.

Malcolm Turnbull refused to answer questions regarding Handbury's contribution to the Wentworth Forum, the main fund-raising organisation for Malcolm Turnbull's 2007 election campaign.

Malcolm Turnbull declared his candidacy later that same day, and was considered by the media as a favourite.

Malcolm Turnbull won the ballot by four votes and became Leader of the Opposition.

Later that month, Malcolm Turnbull confessed that he had smoked marijuana in his younger days, becoming the first Liberal Leader to make such an admission.

In early 2009, Malcolm Turnbull appointed Chris Kenny, a former staffer to Alexander Downer and an Advertiser journalist, as his chief of staff.

In May 2009, Malcolm Turnbull attacked the 2009 Australian federal budget which came amidst the fallout from the global financial crisis.

In June 2009, Godwin Grech, a Treasury civil servant, privately contacted Malcolm Turnbull, alleging that a car dealer with links to the Labor Party had received preferential treatment under the OzCar program, sparking the 'OzCar affair'.

Malcolm Turnbull later repeated these allegations in Parliament, stating that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan had "used their offices and taxpayers' resources to seek advantage for one of their mates and then lied about it to the Parliament" and that they needed to "either explain their actions or resign".

Malcolm Turnbull announced that his policy would be to support the CPRS, despite significant disagreement among his colleagues.

On 1 December 2009, just one week after Malcolm Turnbull announced the policy on the CPRS, Abbott announced he would challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the leadership.

In July 2012, Malcolm Turnbull was criticised by some Liberal MPs for saying that civil unions should be introduced as a first step towards establishing same-sex marriage in Australia.

In spite of the economic cost, Malcolm Turnbull stated that whilst subsidising broadband to regional areas is "fiendishly expensive", there was no other option.

In December 2014, Malcolm Turnbull brokered a deal between the Australian government, NBN Co and Telstra whereby NBN Co acquired Telstra's copper network and hybrid-fibre coaxial to deliver the NBN.

On 14 September 2015, after 30 consecutive Newspolls had put the Liberals far behind Labor, Malcolm Turnbull resigned from the Cabinet and announced he would challenge Abbott for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

Malcolm Turnbull was sworn in as the 29th prime minister of Australia the following day.

Malcolm Turnbull announced an extensive reshuffle of the Cabinet on 20 September 2015 to form the first Malcolm Turnbull ministry.

Malcolm Turnbull stated that he would not lead a government that did not take climate change seriously.

On 21 March 2016, Malcolm Turnbull announced that Parliament would consider bills to reinstate the Australian Building and Construction Commission, with the bills having previously been rejected twice before.

On 8 May, Malcolm Turnbull visited Government House to advise Cosgrove to issue the writs for a double dissolution on 9 May; this confirmed the date of the election as 2 July 2016.

Malcolm Turnbull said he would not have invited Alsuleiman if he had known of his position regarding homosexuals.

Since the 2016 election, the Malcolm Turnbull government had followed prior Coalition government energy policies.

Malcolm Turnbull announced that these changes were in response to the high wholesale gas prices that were a result of a shortage of gas in the domestic gas market, and that it was "unacceptable" that domestic prices were so high, indicating that a consequence of these restrictions would be a decrease in the wholesale gas price.

However, in December 2017 both Joyce and Alexander, having renounced their foreign citizenships, contested and won by-elections in their former seats of New England and Bennelong respectively, thereby retaining Malcolm Turnbull's governing majority in the House of Representatives.

On 21 August 2018, Malcolm Turnbull survived a challenge to his leadership of the Liberal Party by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, winning by 48 votes to 35.

Malcolm Turnbull responded that, pending a report from the Solicitor-General of Australia on the eligibility of Dutton to serve in Parliament and the receipt of a petition calling for a party room meeting that bore the signatures of at least half of the parliamentary party, he would call such a meeting, vacate the leadership and not stand in the subsequent leadership election.

On 1 June 2019, Malcolm Turnbull returned to the private sector as a senior advisor to major global private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

Malcolm Turnbull has publicly criticised the Morrison government for not taking strong enough action on climate change, arguing that they should readopt his National Energy Guarantee policy.

On 25 October 2020, Malcolm Turnbull gave his support to former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's petition for a "Royal Commission to ensure a strong, diverse Australian news media" with the goal of investigating Rupert Murdoch's control over Australian news media, tweeting that he had signed it and encouraging others to follow suit.

In January 2021, Malcolm Turnbull joined the board of the International Hydropower Association as a non-executive member, becoming a co-chair of the organisation's International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower.

Malcolm Turnbull is married to Lucy Malcolm Turnbull, who was the Lord Mayor of Sydney from 2003 to 2004 and has held a number of other prominent positions.

The couple were married on 22 March 1980 at Cumnor, Oxfordshire, by a Church of England priest while Malcolm Turnbull was attending the University of Oxford.

Alex Malcolm Turnbull is married to Yvonne Wang, who is of Chinese descent.

Malcolm Turnbull supported legislation relaxing restrictions on abortion pill RU486, and he voted for the legalisation of somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Malcolm Turnbull did so despite vocal opposition to both proposals by Cardinal George Pell, the then-Archbishop of Sydney.

Malcolm Turnbull was not listed in the 2014 list of the BRW Rich 200.

On 1 January 2001, Malcolm Turnbull received the Centenary Medal for services to the corporate sector.