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Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954 ), Australia n politician, was elected to the Australian House Of Representatives in October 2004 for the Division Of Wentworth , New South Wales , representing the Liberal Party . He was a Dux of Sydney Grammar School , Rhodes Scholar , BCL(Oxon) graduate, prominent barrister, Merchant Banker , chairman of Goldman Sachs and advocate for an Australian republic before entering politics. EARLY LIFE Turnbull spent his first three years of school at Vaucluse Public School . He was awarded a scholarship to continue his primary education at Sydney Grammar Prep, Edgecliff . He then went to Sydney Grammar School's Senior school at College Street. He was Dux of his year at both the Prep school and the Senior school. In 1987, memory of his late father, he set up the Bruce T. Turnbull means-tested scholarship at Sydney Grammar School, which offers full remission of fees to a student who is unable to pay the school's fees. Turnbull graduated from Sydney University with a double degree in law and arts. He then studied law at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 1978. He studied for a Bachelor Of Civil Law degree while at Oxford and then returned to Australia. He first worked as a journalist before practising as a barrister. He rose to the public's attention as the successful advocate in the '' Spycatcher '' trial (he blocked the British Government's attempts to suppress the memoirs of a former MI5 agent), and later wrote a book on the trial. CAREER Turnbull has also had a successful career in business. He was General Counsel and Secretary for Australian Consolidated Press Holdings Group (the family company of Kerry Packer ) ( 1983 - 85 ) and defended Packer against the "Goanna" allegations made by the Costigan Commission . He subsequently became managing director of merchant banking firm Turnbull and Partners Ltd ( 1987 - 97 ), where one of his partners was former Labor Premier Of New South Wales Neville Wran . He was chairman of Australia's leading Email company OzEmail Ltd ( 1994 - 99 ), a director of FTR Holdings Ltd ( 1995 - 2004 ), chairman and managing director of Goldman Sachs Australia ( 1997 - 2001 ) and a partner with Goldman Sachs and Co ( 1998 - 2001 ). In 1999 Turnbull sold Ozemail to the telecommunications giant MCI Worldcom . Turnbull's stake was reportedly worth nearly A$60 million. He is generally believed to be Australia's richest parliamentarian by a substantial margin. From 1993 to 2000 Turnbull was the chairman of the Australian Republican Movement . He was an elected delegate at the Constitutional Convention in Canberra in February, 1998 , and in 1999 published a book on the subject, called ''Fighting for the Republic''. Following the unsuccessful 1999 Referendum campaign to establish an Australian Republic , in 2000 Turnbull retired as chairman of the Australian Republican Movement. In May 2002 , Turnbull appeared before the HIH Royal Commission and was questioned on his involvement on the possible Privatisation of one of the acquisitions of the collapsed insurance company. Turnbull's involvement with the republican movement, his frequent criticism of Prime Minister John Howard during the 1999 referendum, and his business partnership with Neville Wran led many Australians to suppose that he was a Labor supporter. In fact he has always been a Liberal. He was Federal Treasurer of the Liberal Party, and a member of the Liberal Party's Federal and New South Wales Executives, 2002 - 03 , and is also a director of the Menzies Research Centre, the Liberal Party's research centre. In 2003 Turnbull announced that he was seeking a seat in Federal Parliament . In early 2004 he won a hotly contested preselection battle for the seat of Wentworth , the eastern suburbs electorate of Sydney , Cantenna, defeating Peter King , the sitting Liberal member. King ran for the seat at the 2004 Election as an independent. This turned the traditionally safe Liberal electorate into an election wildcard, the contest for the seat becoming a three man race between Turnbull, King and Labor candidate David Patch. The Liberal vote fell 10 percent, but Turnbull still won. Since his election Turnbull has made a series of speeches on economic matters, particularly taxation, which some commentators have seen as implied criticisms of the policies of the Treasurer, Peter Costello , although Turnbull denies this. Announcing his cabinet reshuffle on January 24 2006, Australian Prime Minister John Howard promoted Turnbull from the backbench to Parliamentary Secretary . In this new capacity he reports directly to the Prime Minister, and says he is keen to assist the Prime Minister in developing and executing policies which will ensure a more secure and sustainable water future for all Australians 1 . FAMILY Turnbull is married, with two children, Alexander and Daisy, and lives in Sydney . His wife, Lucy Turnbull , a prominent businesswoman and a former Lord Mayor Of Sydney , is the daughter of distinguished Australian Barrister and former federal Attorney-General Tom Hughes AO QC, and her uncle is the respected writer and art critic Robert Hughes . WRITING Turnbull has written several books in relation to his contributions to the Rupublic debate, as well as his experiences during the Spycatcher trial. Notable examples of his writings include: "The Spycathcer Trial (1988)"; "The Reluctant Republic (1993, foreword by Robert Hughes)"; and "Fighting for the Republic: the Ultimate Insider's Account (1999)". In 1994 a portrait of Malcolm Turnbull by artist Bill Leak won the People's choice award at the Archibald Prize . EXTERNAL LINK |
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