Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott MP (born 4 November 1957) is the 28th and current Prime Minister of Australia. He has held this position since 2013, and been Leader of the Liberal Party since 2009. Abbott is the Member of Parliament representing the Sydney-based Division of Warringah, having first been elected at a 1994 by-election. Abbott was born in London, England, to an Australian mother and English father, and emigrated to Sydney with his parents in 1960. Prior to entering parliament, he studied for a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney, and then a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics as a Rhodes Scholar at The Queen's College, Oxford. He was later conferred with a Master of Arts. After graduating, Abbott trained as a Roman Catholic seminarian, later working as a journalist, manager and political advisor. In 1992, he was appointed director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, a position he held until his election to parliament in 1994. He was first appointed to Cabinet following the 1998 election, as part of the Second Howard Ministry, becoming Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business. In 2003, he became Minister for Health and Ageing, retaining this position until the defeat of the Howard Government at the 2007 election. Initially serving in the Shadow Cabinets of Brendan Nelson and then Malcolm Turnbull, he resigned from the frontbench in November 2009 in protest against Turnbull's support for the Rudd Government's proposed Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Forcing a leadership ballot on the subject, Abbott defeated Turnbull by 42 votes to 41 to become the party's leader and Leader of the Opposition. Abbott led the Coalition at the 2010 election, which resulted in a hung parliament. Following negotiations, Labor formed a Government with the support of one Greens MP and three independent MPs. Abbott was re-elected as Liberal Leader unopposed. He went on to lead the Coalition to victory at the 2013 election and was sworn in as the 28th Prime Minister of Australia on 18 September 2013.