Chris Crewther

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Chris Crewther
Member of the Australian Parliament for Dunkley
In office 2 July 2016 (2016-07-02) – 18 May 2019
Preceded by	Bruce Billson
Succeeded by	Peta Murphy
Personal details
Born	(1983-08-06) 6 August 1983 (age 38) Mitcham, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Grace
Children	2
Education	Master of Diplomacy, with distinction (ANU) Master of Laws specialising in international law (ANU) Bachelor of Laws with Honours (UC)
Alma mater	Australian National University University of Canberra The University of Melbourne
Website	http://www.chriscrewther.com.au

Christopher John Crewther (born 6 August 1983) is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2016 to 2019.^[1]

Early life and education[]

Crewther was born in Mitcham and spent his first few years in Kilsyth/Mooroolbark, before moving to Horsham in the Wimmera when he was four.^[2] Crewther attended Horsham 298 Primary School, Horsham Lutheran Primary School, Murtoa Secondary College, and Horsham College.^[3]

After school, Crewther undertook part of a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne (completing the equivalent of the first year of Optometry), before transferring to study law in Canberra.^[2] He graduated from a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Canberra, with a Science Minor.^[4]

Crewther subsequently completed a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, and was admitted as a legal practitioner before the ACT Supreme Court in October 2006.

Crewther then graduated with two master's degrees in international law and diplomacy from the Australian National University,^[5] the latter in which he was awarded the James Ingram AO Prize for Excellence in Diplomatic Studies for achieving top student.^[6]

Career[]

Crewther commenced his professional career working as an associate to Magistrate (now Supreme Court Justice) John Burns in the ACT Magistrates' Court. He then worked as a lawyer in private practice, as well as in legal, policy and project management roles for AIATSIS and the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture. Crewther then worked as an international lawyer through the United Nations at the Kosovo Property Agency in Pristina.^[7]

After returning to Australia from Kosovo, Crewther worked as an adviser to former Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Michael Ronaldson, before running for Parliament in 2013.

Crewther then worked as CEO of Mildura Development Corporation (now Mildura Regional Development) and ran his own small business, before being elected to Parliament in 2016.^[4]

Crewther has also been a board director of Zoe Support Australia and several other boards and committees.^[8]

Politics[]

Crewther was the Liberal candidate for the outer regional/rural seat of Mallee in 2013, which has been held by the National Party since its establishment in 1949. Crewther was the first Liberal Party to contest the electorate since 1993, reflecting the Liberal and National Parties agreement to not contest the same seat except on the retirement of a sitting member. Crewther achieved 27% of the primary vote but the seat was held by the National Party.^[9]

Crewther was subsequently elected to parliament in 2016 in the inner regional/outer metropolitan seat of Dunkley, winning the seat with a 1.43% margin on the retirement of long serving member Bruce Billson.^[8]

Following a speech to parliament in late 2016, Crewther established the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Tourette Syndrome as its Founding Chair.^[10]

Crewther was chair of the Australian Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee, under the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT). He chaired the Sub-Committee's 'Inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia',^[11] tabling to Parliament the Sub-Committee's Interim Report in August 2017^[12] and Final Report ('Hidden in Plain Sight') in December 2017,^[13] which resulted in Australia's Modern Slavery Act 2018.^[14][15][16]

For this work, Crewther was named amongst Assent Compliance's Global Top 100 Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Leaders for 2018^[17] and awarded a Freedom Award from Anti-Slavery Australia in October 2019.^[18][19][20]

He was defeated at the 2019 election by Labor candidate Peta Murphy. Crewther was disadvantaged by an electoral redistribution which made Dunkley notionally Labor, along with a statewide swing to Labor.^[21]

Crewther ran again for Liberal Party preselection in Dunkley for the 2022 Federal Election, but was ultimately unsuccessful.^[22]

In December 2021 Crewther defeated long-standing Member for Mornington David Morris to win preselection as the Liberal candidate for Mornington for the 2022 Victorian state election.^[23]

Personal life[]

Crewther lives on the Mornington Peninsula and has two young children with his wife Grace. He has a mild form of Tourette's, which was diagnosed in his early 20s.^[10]

References[]