1. Zed Seselja was the Minister for International Development and the Pacific in the Morrison government from December 2020 to May 2022, and previously served as an assistant minister in the Morrison and Turnbull governments since 2016.
23 Facts About Zed Seselja
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Zed Seselja was born in Canberra Hospital, to parents Ljudevit and Katica Zed Seselja, both of whom emigrated separately from Croatia.
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Zed Seselja's mother arrived in late 1970 and five months later they married.
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Zed Seselja graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997, a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1999 and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2002.
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Zed Seselja received a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration in 2000 from the University of Canberra.
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Zed Seselja was admitted as a legal practitioner in 2002.
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At the 2008 election, Zed Seselja received a quota of 1.49 and was elected first in the seven-member Molonglo electorate.
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At the 2012 election, Zed Seselja moved to the five member Brindabella electorate where he received a quota of 1.8.
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Zed Seselja led the Canberra Liberals to their highest-ever number of seats, claiming eight in the seventeen-member ACT Legislative Assembly.
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On 4 February 2013, Zed Seselja stated he would challenge incumbent Senator Gary Humphries for Liberal Party pre-selection for the Senate in the 2013 Australian federal election.
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On 23 February 2013, Zed Seselja won his pre-selection bid, and thus became one of the two official Liberal Party Senate candidates for the ACT.
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Zed Seselja was elected Senator for the Australian Capital Territory at the 2013 federal election.
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In December 2017 as part of a subsequent rearrangement of the Turnbull ministry, Zed Seselja was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation.
14.
When Scott Morrison succeeded Turnbull as prime minister in August 2018, Zed Seselja was appointed Assistant Minister for Treasury and Finance.
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Zed Seselja's portfolio was changed to Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral Matters in May 2019 following the 2019 federal election.
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Zed Seselja was appointed Minister for International Development and the Pacific on 22 December 2020.
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On 12 April 2022, Zed Seselja flew to the Solomon Islands over a military deal that the Pacific nation was to conclude with China.
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The mission, supported by both of Australia's major parties and taking place during a "caretaker" period in which Zed Seselja fought for his re-election to the Australian Senate, was considered by observers to reflect strategic anxieties over the deal, which extended to allies New Zealand and the United States.
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Zed Seselja was unseated at the 2022 federal election by the independent candidate, David Pocock.
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Zed Seselja is a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party.
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Zed Seselja's political views have been described as conservative and aligned with the views of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, although he is a republican.
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Zed Seselja opposes same-sex marriage, supports cutting penalty rates he opposes assisted suicide.
23.
Zed Seselja abstained from the Senate vote on same-sex marriage in November 2017, despite having promised to honour the national postal result three months earlier.