Timothy Andrew Fischer AC FTSE (born 3 May 1946), is a former Australian politician. Australias second-highest ranked political post is the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... For Kim Beazleys father, Kim Beazley senior, see Kim Edward Beazley. ... John Anderson is a common name shared by a number of individuals: John HD Anderson (1726-1796), a Scottish scientist. ... The Division of Farrer is an Australian Electoral Division, centred on the regional city of Albury, New South Wales. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) is an independent non-government organization dedicated to the promotion in Australia of scientific and engineering knowledge to practical purposes. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early history

Fischer was born in Lockhart, in the Riverina district of New South Wales, son of a farmer of German descent. He was educated at Xavier College, Melbourne. In 1966 he was conscripted into the Australian Army, and served in the Vietnam War - an experience which left him with a lifelong identification with the Australian armed forces, as well as an affinity with Asia. Lockhart is a town of 950 people and Local Government Area in the Riverina Region of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Riverina is a prosperous agricultural region of south-western New South Wales (NSW), Australia. ... “NSW” redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this school-related article may require cleanup. ... The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

On his return from Vietnam Fischer took up farming at Boree Creek in the Riverina, and became active in the Country Party, as the party was then called. He represented Sturt in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1971 to 1980 and Murray from 1980 to 1984.^[1] For most of that time he was a fairly unremarkable country member (although he served on the opposition frontbench from 1978 to 1984), which makes his rapid success in federal politics all the more surprising. Boree Creek is a town in the Riverina district of New South Wales, Australia. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Sturt was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in the Broken Hill area. ... The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. ... Murray-Darling is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. ...

Federal political career

In 1984 Fischer won the federal seat of Farrer for the National Party of Australia (NPA), as the Country Party had been renamed. Within a year he was on the opposition frontbench, and soon became a popular figure in both the NPA and the Parliament: his sometimes rustic manner and bumbling English concealing a shrewd political brain. In 1990, when the attempt by Charles Blunt to modernise the NPA's image ended with his losing his seat, Fischer was elected NPA leader, defeating the former leader Ian Sinclair. The Division of Farrer is an Australian Electoral Division, centred on the regional city of Albury, New South Wales. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Charles Blunt Charles William Blunt (born 19 January Australian politician, was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in economics. ... Rt Hon Ian Sinclair For the British writer, see Iain Sinclair. ...

Fischer was an enthusiastic supporter of the "Fightback" package of economic and tax reforms proposed by the Liberal leader Dr John Hewson in 1991. But he was unsuccessful in persuading the majority of rural voters, particularly in Queensland, that the proposed changes, particularly the goods and services tax (GST) was in their interests, and Labor under Paul Keating won the 1993 election. This article concerns the modern Australian political party. ... For the English soldier and regicide, see John Hewson (regicide). ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... The Goods and Services Tax is a Value-added tax that exists in a number of countries. ... For other persons named Paul Keating, see Paul Keating (disambiguation). ...

The Liberals finally regained office under John Howard in 1996. Fischer became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, although the NPA was in a much weaker position in terms of seats than it had been in previous coalition governments under Robert Menzies and Malcolm Fraser. Fischer was unable to prevent the government introducing tough gun control measures following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, measures which were opposed by many rural people. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 – 15 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ... This article is about the former prime minister of Australia; for the Western Australian public servant, see Malcolm Fraser (surveyor). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Gun politics. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ...

Fischer also had difficulty with the determination of many Liberals, including the Treasurer, Peter Costello, to carry out sweeping free-market reforms, including abolishing tariff protection for rural industries, deregulating petrol prices and other measures seen as harmful by farmers' organisations. The issue of native title for Indigenous Australians following the Mabo and Wik decisions also caused much political difficulty for Fischer. Peter Howard Costello (born 14 August 1957) is an Australian politician. ... Native title is a concept in the law of Australia that recognises the continued ownership of land by local Indigenous Australians. ... Languages Several hundred indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religions Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group names Indigenous... Eddie Mabo & Ors v The State of Queensland (No. ... The Wik Decision is a decision of the High Court of Australia in Wik Peoples v. ...

Further trouble for Fischer and the NPA came with the rise of One Nation, a right-wing populist party led by Pauline Hanson, a disendorsed Liberal candidate who was nonetheless elected member for the Queensland seat Oxley at the 1996 federal election. One Nation had its greatest appeal in country areas of New South Wales and Queensland, and during 1997 and 1998 it looked as through One Nation might sweep the NPA out of existence. In the 1998 election campaign, however, Fischer strongly counter-attacked One Nation, mainly on the grounds of their "flat tax" economic policies, and succeeded in holding the NPA's losses to one Senate seat in Queensland. One Nation is a nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ... Pauline Lee Hanson (née Seccombe; born May 27, 1954) is an Australian politician who was the leader of One Nation Party, a party with a populist, anti-immigration platform. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ...

Post-political career

In 1999 Fischer surprised his colleagues by resigning as party leader and as a minister, and by announcing that he would retire at the election due in 2001. His decision to quit politics was motivated partly by the demands of his family. In 1992 he married Judy Brewer, and they had two sons, one of whom (Harrison)suffers from autism. Since his retirement he has returned to farming at Boree Creek, and is involved in charity work, assisting organisations such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, The Fred Hollows Foundation and Autism New South Wales. Autism is a brain development disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior, all exhibited before a child is three years old. ... The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is an international organization of Roman Catholic lay men and women of all ages, whose primary mission is to help the poor and less fortunate. ... Fred Hollows Frederick Bossom (Fred) Hollows, AC (April 9, 1929 – February 10, 1993) was an ophthalmologist who became known for his work in restoring eyesight for countless thousands of people in Australia and many other countries. ...

In 2004, Fisher was appointed chairman of Tourism Australia. His term as chairman ended on June 30th, 2007. Tourism Australia is a statutory authority of the Government of Australia, with responsibility for tourism marketing within Australia and internationally, as well as research and forecasting of domestic and global tourism trends. ...

In 2005 Fischer received Australia's highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ...

Tim Fischer aboard the inaugural Adelaide to Darwin train, January 15, 2004.

Fischer is noted as a tireless advocate for rail transport and is probably Australia's best known railfan.^[2] He had a childhood hobby of studying rail guages of the world. Since retiring from politics he has continued his association with rail as Special Envoy to the Adelaide to Darwin railway line and traveled on the first freight train and first Ghan passenger train to Darwin in 2004. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 685 pixel, file size: 153 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Tim Fischer aboard the inaugural Adelaide to Darwin train, January 15, 2004. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 685 pixel, file size: 153 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Tim Fischer aboard the inaugural Adelaide to Darwin train, January 15, 2004. ... For other uses, see Adelaide (disambiguation). ... “Port Darwin” redirects here. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... French 1912 drawing of typical elements of railways Railway tracks running through Stanhope railway station in North East England, UK A railway yard in Portland, Oregon. ... Railfans practicing their hobby at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. ... For other uses, see Adelaide (disambiguation). ... “Port Darwin” redirects here. ... Current route map of the Ghan The Ghan, short for The Afghan, is the 48-hour, 2,979-km passenger service on the Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin Central Australian Railway in Australia. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Fischer was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) in 2001. He served as Chairman of the ATSE Crawford Fund supporting international agricultural research from 2001 to 2006. The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) is an independent non-government organization dedicated to the promotion in Australia of scientific and engineering knowledge to practical purposes. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

Legacy

Fischer retains a good reputation in Australian public life, and even his political opponents were generous with their praise on his retirement. As well as his personal characteristics, this was at least due to his political views. A moderate on environmental protection, his concerted effort to attack what was widely viewed as the economic lunacy of One Nation's policies went down well with the capital city middle class. Whilst unable to support it publicly, it was believed that he was a closet supporter of, or at least not actively opposed to, an Australian republic. More generally, his internationalist perspective was widely appreciated and unexpected from a leader of such a conservative rural party. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ...

He stood out as somewhat of an eccentric in the relatively buttoned-down world of Australian politics. He was famous for his ability to mangle the English language with stilted grammar, using a few key phrases carrying his point before heading off in another direction entirely. As Trade Minister, his calling-card became the Akubra hat, which he managed to convince not a few Asian leaders to don. The Akubra hat is a distinctive part of Australian culture. ...

Trivia

• Fischer once cited Rage Against the Machine, a hard rock/hip-hop fusion band that were notoriously left-wing as a favourite. He later retracted the statement, claiming that it was an advisor's mistake. [1]

He sometimes nicknamed "The Hat" for the hat he is often seen wearing. Rage Against the Machine (also Rage and RATM) is a Grammy Award-winning American rock band, noted for their blend of hip hop, heavy metal, punk and funk as well as their revolutionary politics and lyrics. ...

Publications

• Seven days in East Timor: ballot and bullets by Tim Fischer, Allen & Unwin, 2000. ISBN 9781865082776.
• Tim Fischer's Outback Heroes: and communities that count by Peter Rees and Tim Fischer, Allen & Unwin, 2003. ISBN 9781865088310.
• Transcontinental Train Odyssey: the Ghan, the Khyber, the Globe by Tim Fischer, Allen & Unwin, 2004. ISBN 9781741144505. A personal guide to the great transcontinental railways of the world.
• Asia & Australia: tango in trade, tourism and transport by Tim Fischer, University of New England Press, 2005. ISBN 9781863899222.

Notes

The Parliament of New South Wales consists of the Governor of New South Wales, the New South Wales Legislative Council and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• The boy from Boree Creek: the Tim Fischer story by Peter Rees, Allen & Unwin, 2001. ISBN 1865085340.

External links

• Parliament biography
• Interview with Tim Fischer by Kerry O'Brien (The 7.30 Report)
• Inauguration of Tourism Australia