Eric Abetz
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Eric Abetz (born 25 January 1958), has been a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since February 1994, representing the state of Tasmania. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and was educated at the University of Tasmania. He was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics. He was Tasmanian State President of the Liberal Party 1990-1994. He belongs to the National Right faction of the Australian Liberal Party
Abetz was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 1998-2001 and was Special Minister of State from January 2001 until 2006.
He became minister for Forestry as part of the new Howard cabinet in January 2006. He commenced by his portfolio attacking the Australian Greens in general and Greens Senator Bob Brown in particular. He described the Greens as now representing the extreme left of Australian politics and suggested that there was mostly general agreement between the two major parties on the areas for which he is now responsible in his ministryTemplate:RefTemplate:Ref.
References
- Template:Note"Senator Abetz starts new portfolio with attack on Greens", ABC Tasmania, 25 January 2005
- Template:Note"New Forestry Minister rebuffs Greens", The World Today, ABC, 25 January 2006