Christopher Pyne

The Honourable Christopher Pyne
Official portrait, 2015
Minister for Defence
In office 28 August 2018 – 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Marise Payne
Succeeded by	Linda Reynolds
Minister for Defence Industry
In office 19 July 2016 – 27 August 2018
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Steven Ciobo
Leader of the House
In office 18 September 2013 – 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison
Deputy	Darren Chester
Preceded by	Anthony Albanese
Succeeded by	Christian Porter
Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
In office 21 September 2015 – 19 July 2016
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Ian Macfarlane
Succeeded by	Greg Hunt
Minister for Education and Training
In office 18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Bill Shorten
Succeeded by	Simon Birmingham
Manager of Opposition Business
In office 16 February 2009 – 18 September 2013
Deputy	Luke Hartsuyker
Leader	Malcolm Turnbull Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Joe Hockey
Succeeded by	Tony Burke
Minister for Ageing
In office 21 March 2007 – 3 December 2007
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Santo Santoro
Succeeded by	Justine Elliot
Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing
In office 30 January 2007 – 21 March 2007
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Fiona Nash
Member of the Australian Parliament for Sturt
In office 13 March 1993 – 11 April 2019
Preceded by	Ian Wilson
Succeeded by	James Stevens
Personal details
Born	Christopher Maurice Pyne (1967-08-13) 13 August 1967 (age 56) Adelaide, South Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Carolyn Pyne
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Adelaide University of South Australia
Profession	Lawyer, politician and author
Website	Official website

Christopher Maurice Pyne (born 13 August 1967) is a retired Australian politician. As a member of the Liberal Party, he held several ministerial positions in the Howard, Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments, and served as a member of parliament (MP) for the division of Sturt from 1993 until his retirement in 2019.

Pyne was elected to the Australian House of Representatives at the 1993 federal election, winning the seat of Sturt in South Australia. In 2007, Pyne was given the portfolios of Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Ageing while serving in the Howard government, which he held until the Liberal-National Coalition's loss at the 2007 election. While in opposition, Pyne was appointed Manager of Opposition Business in the House. After the Coalition's victory at the 2013 election, Pyne entered the Cabinet of Australia and became Leader of the House and Minister for Education. Upon the election of the Turnbull government at the 2015 Liberal leadership ballot, he remained Leader of the House and became Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. With the reelection of the government in 2016, he became the Minister for Defence Industry. Upon the installment of the First Morrison ministry in August 2018, he became the Minister for Defence.

Pyne retired from politics at the 2019 Australian federal election.^[1][2][3] In June 2019, he was appointed as an industry professor at the University of South Australia.^[4] In the same month Pyne started a new defence industry consulting job, prompting a Senate investigation into a potential breach of Ministerial Standards.^[5]