Senator Barnaby Joyce

Recent Speaker

LNP Senator for Queensland and Leader of the Nationals in the Senate

May 11, 2009

The challenges facing regional Australia “Climate chang

Barnaby Joyce’s life is the story of the National Party. Born and raised in the country he went on to small business and now carries both close to his heart in his job in politics.

Barnaby grew up on a property at Danglemah, in the hills behind Tamworth. He was one of six children and, even at primary school, stated that he would one day get into politics. This determination grew from seeing the demise of the small towns around him and the effect this had on the people’s lives.

Barnaby was sent off to boarding school at Riverview in Sydney where he saw the other side of the coin; realising that what people don’t see, they rarely understand. This is the issue with people working in big business failing to understand the rights of people in small business or people in the cities failing to understand the life of people in the country. Barnaby believes the potential to enter into business is an essential freedom that can be lost by over regulation or over centralisation.

After leaving school Barnaby gained a degree in commerce, majoring in accountancy. Concentrating on developing this field of knowledge he worked for eight years between tax in a chartered accountancy firm, cost in a large multinational and finance in a bank. Whilst doing this he also attained his CPA before opening his own accountancy practice from an old shop front in St George, Queensland.

With a young family he went through the trials of money going out and nothing coming in. Living in a rented house 9km from town, the risk of going into business required the sale of the family four wheel drive, replaced with the purchase of a second hand car, for extra finance. The business turned the corner and was built up to employ 3 accountants prior to Barnaby entering politics. The mark it left on him was indelible.

Barnaby has strong belief in a duty to your nation and a duty to your community and, as such, was a member of the Army Reserve and a long term member of St Vincent De Paul. He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary and was president of the Balonne Skill Centre whilst raising $1.3 million for its construction in his local town of St George.

Barnaby is married to Natalie and has four daughters. He takes to the Senate his practical hands on approach to business, a country style of getting straight to the issue and a strong belief based compass. An ardent believer that the Senate has lost it constitutional integrity, he has been happy to stand up for the rights of his state, Queensland, and deal with the consequences accordingly.

Barnaby holds that representing your state is a privilege, not a right, and the day will come where the people of Queensland may send him back to his first loves: his family and the land