Joe Hockey

Joe Hockey   (politician)
Born	2 August 1965
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Member of	American Australian Association, WEF/Young Global Leaders/2006
Australian politician and diplomat  Australia/Ambassador/US  In office 29 January 2016 - 30 January 2020  Treasurer of Australia In office 18 September 2013 - 21 September 2015 Succeeded by Scott Morrison  Australia/Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations In office 30 January 2007 - 3 December 2007  Australia/Minister for Human Services In office 26 October 2004 - 30 January 2007  Australia/Minister for Small Business and Tourism In office 26 November 2001 - 26 October 2004  Member of the Australian Parliament for North Sydney In office 2 March 1996 - 23 October 2015

Joseph Benedict Hockey (born 2 August 1965) is an Australian politician and diplomat. Even with getting a push from the right place, he never made it to the top.

He was the Member of Parliament for North Sydney from 1996 until 2015. He was the Treasurer of Australia in the Abbott Government from 18 September 2013 until September 2015 when he resigned from Cabinet, having refused an alternative offer from the incoming Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. He was previously the Minister for Human Services and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations in the Howard Government. He was also Ambassador of Australia to the United States from January 2016 until January 2020.

Hockey's parliamentary resignation triggered a 2015 North Sydney by-election where he was succeeded by Trent Zimmerman who had previously worked for Hockey as a staffer. His appointment as Ambassador of Australia to the United States was announced on 8 December 2015 to replace Kim Beazley, whose term ended in early 2016, and he assumed that position on 29 January 2016. His term as ambassador ended on 30 January 2020 and was succeeded by Arthur Sinodinos the week after.

Early Life

Hockey attended St Aloysius' College, Milsons Point and the University of Sydney, residing at St John's College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. While at university he was President of the University of Sydney Students' Representative Council, and assisted in inviting Pope John Paul II to visit the University of Sydney during the 1986 Australian papal visit. Upon graduating, Hockey worked as a banking and finance lawyer at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and subsequently as the Director of Policy to the Premier of New South Wales, before entering politics.

Hockey was preselected as a Liberal Party of Australia candidate for the 1996 election in the Division of North Sydney when aged just 29. He faced little preselection competition, since the seat's incumbent independent, Ted Mack, was thought to be unbeatable. However, Mack did not renominate; had his intentions been known earlier, it was widely believed at the time that Hockey would have faced a more rigorous preselection contest for what has traditionally been a "blue ribbon" Liberal seat.

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