Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Port Macquarie
In office 30 November 1996 – 13 August 2008
Preceded by
Wendy Machin
Succeeded by
Peter Besseling
Personal details
Born
Robert James Murray Oakeshott
(1969-12-14) 14 December 1969 (age 54) Lismore, New South Wales
Political party
National (1996–2002) Independent (2002–present)
Residence(s)
Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Alma mater
University of Sydney Macquarie University University of Wollongong[1] University of New South Wales (BMed)
Occupation
Political staffer
Robert James Murray Oakeshott (born 14 December 1969) is a retired Australian politician. He was the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales from 2008, when he won the 2008 Lyne by-election, until his retirement in 2013. Oakeshott described his views as economically conservative and socially progressive.[2]
Oakeshott began his political career in state politics. Originally elected as the National Party candidate for the state seat of Port Macquarie in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1996, he left the party to become an Independent in 2002. Oakeshott retained the seat until 2008, when he resigned to contest the federal seat of Lyne, which he won with a large margin. He retained Lyne at the 2010 election, again with a large margin.
The 2010 election resulted in a hung parliament, with the diverse crossbench holding the balance of power. Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and other crossbenchers agreed to back the incumbent Gillard Labor government to form minority government, providing it with confidence and supply, while retaining the right to vote on conscience in any other matters.
Oakeshott retired at the 2013 election, choosing not to recontest his seat.[3] Oakeshott contested the Division of Cowper at the 2016 election, challenging National incumbent Luke Hartsuyker. Cowper had absorbed Port Macquarie after the latest redistribution.[4] Oakeshott lost the election, but managed to turn the once-safe National seat into a marginal seat.
On 15 January 2019, Oakeshott announced his candidacy for the seat of Cowper at the 2019 Australian federal election. The Nationals retained the seat with a small swing towards them.[5]
^"Oakeshott's dream to be a GP". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
^Browne, Peter (3 September 2008). "MP wanted for growing rural seat. Mavericks very welcome". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^Griffiths, Emma (26 June 2013). "Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott announce they are quitting politics". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
^"Oakeshott to contest federal seat of Cowper". Abc.net.au. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
^"Rob Oakeshott enters federal election race". 14 January 2019.
Robert James Murray Oakeshott (born 14 December 1969) is a retired Australian politician. He was the independent Member of the House of Representatives...
Matthew Oakeshott, Baron Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay (born 1947), British Liberal Democrat politician Michael Oakeshott (1901–1990), English philosopher Rob Oakeshott...
balance of power. Greens MP Adam Bandt and independent MPs Andrew Wilkie, RobOakeshott and Tony Windsor declared their support for Labor on confidence and...
defeated. Members and senators who chose not to renominate are as follows: RobOakeshott MP (Lyne, NSW) – announced retirement 26 June 2013 Tony Windsor MP (New...
balance of power: Greens MP Adam Bandt and Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, RobOakeshott and Tony Windsor declared their support for Labor on confidence and...
Ridgeway introduced himself to the Senate in Gumbaynggirr. In 2008, RobOakeshott became the first politician to use an Indigenous language in the House...
Four crossbench MPs, Greens Adam Bandt and independents Andrew Wilkie, RobOakeshott and Tony Windsor declared their support for Labor on confidence and...
Party MPs, both independents from rural electorates, Tony Windsor, RobOakeshott decided to support a Labor government. Katter presented his 20 points...
submitted it on 30 July. The ensuing by-election was won by independent RobOakeshott, the former state member for Port Macquarie and a former Vaile staffer...
frontman Tim Freedman; and ex-Federal MPs Tony Windsor, Kevin Rudd, and RobOakeshott. In 2020, poet, playwright and novelist Alison Croggon became the paper's...
country independents RobOakeshott and Tony Windsor and Tasmania independent Andrew Wilkie also reached agreement with Gillard. Oakeshott and Windsor, both...
vacant after the resignation of Nationals-turned-independent member RobOakeshott, over the Nationals by a two-party margin of 54.5–45.5%, despite a swing...
in negotiating the support of independent members Tony Windsor and RobOakeshott through his role of Leader of the House. Albanese was also responsible...
broken in 2002, when three-term National member and shadow minister RobOakeshott resigned from the party to become an independent. He was handily reelected...
Parliament Bob Katter Jim Russell as independent Member of Parliament RobOakeshott Nicholas Cassim as Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott Geoff Moxham...
travel-related misconduct were conducted. The Coalition, as well as RobOakeshott, Andrew Wilkie and Tony Windsor, called on Slipper to continue to stand...
failed to win a majority in their own right. Windsor, together with RobOakeshott and Bob Katter, initially resolved to form a bloc to assist negotiations...
Climate 200 endorsed the teal independents, including John Hewson, RobOakeshott, Tony Windsor and Meg Lees. Turnbull, whose former seat of Wentworth...
a former Labor member. Julia Banks John Hewson Barry Jones Meg Lees RobOakeshott Tony Windsor Jim Middleton Simon Holmes à Court Mike Cannon-Brookes...
Australian politicians, then Defence Minister Jason Clare and Independent RobOakeshott in the six-day walk from Telupid to the Last Camp site in Ranau together...
crossbenchers to obtain minority government in 2010, Noel Pearson lobbied RobOakeshott to back Abbott. Rising to support the passage of the Gillard government's...
independent candidate and former state MP RobOakeshott, who retained the seat at the 2010 election. Oakeshott announced on 26 June 2013 that he would not...
and Lyne by-elections. The Lyne by-election resulted in independent RobOakeshott being elected, reducing the total number of Coalition seats to 64. Bradfield...
corners of our country where the market has failed". Independent MPs RobOakeshott, Tony Windsor, Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie expressed support for NBN...
suspended, but Baldwin was supported by the Coalition, independent MP RobOakeshott and WA Nationals MP Tony Crook. The resulting vote on suspending Baldwin...
Jenkins. Baldwin was supported by the Coalition and by independent member RobOakeshott and West Australian National member Tony Crook. The resulting vote on...
of conduct." Independent MP Tony Windsor flagged action along with RobOakeshott to increase Parliament's powers to deal with cases such as Thomson's...
Forrest Mike Gaffney Greg Hall Tony Mulder Tania Rattray Adriana Taylor Rob Valentine Jim Wilkinson corporateName=Australian Electoral Commission; address=10...
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