Joe Hockey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Hockey
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Official portrait, 2016
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| 21st Ambassador of Australia to the United States |
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| In office 29 January 2016 – 30 January 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Kim Beazley |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Sinodinos |
| Treasurer of Australia | |
| In office 18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Chris Bowen |
| Succeeded by | Scott Morrison |
| Manager of Opposition Business | |
| In office 3 December 2007 – 16 February 2009 |
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| Leader |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Albanese |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Pyne |
| Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations | |
| In office 30 January 2007 – 3 December 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Preceded by | Kevin Andrews |
| Succeeded by | Julia Gillard |
| Minister for Human Services | |
| In office 26 October 2004 – 30 January 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Preceded by | Jocelyn Newman |
| Succeeded by | Ian Campbell |
| Minister for Small Business and Tourism | |
| In office 26 November 2001 – 26 October 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Preceded by | Ian Macfarlane |
| Succeeded by | Fran Bailey |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for North Sydney |
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| In office 2 March 1996 – 23 October 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Ted Mack |
| Succeeded by | Trent Zimmerman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Benedict Hockey
2 August 1965 North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Other political affiliations |
Coalition |
| Spouse |
Melissa Babbage
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney |
| Signature |  |
Joseph Benedict Hockey (born 2 August 1965) is an Australian former politician and diplomat. He was a Member of Parliament for North Sydney from 1996 to 2015. He also served as the Treasurer of Australia from 2013 to 2015.
Before becoming Treasurer, he was the Minister for Human Services and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. After leaving politics, he became the Ambassador of Australia to the United States from 2016 to 2020.
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Early Life and Education
Joe Hockey was born in North Sydney on 2 August 1965. He was the youngest of four children. His mother, Beverley, was Australian, and his father, Richard Hokeidonian, was from Mandatory Palestine. His father's last name was changed to "Hockey" when he arrived in Australia in 1948. Joe was named after Joseph Benedict Chifley, a former prime minister whose policies helped his father come to Australia.
Joe Hockey went to St Aloysius' College and then the University of Sydney. There, he studied Arts and Law. While at university, he was the President of the University of Sydney Students' Representative Council. He even helped invite Pope John Paul II to visit the university in 1986. In 1987, he protested against new university fees. After university, he worked as a lawyer and then as a policy director for the Premier of New South Wales before starting his political career.
Political Journey
Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Joe Hockey worked as a policy advisor for Premier John Fahey. He also became the president of the NSW Young Liberals.
Joining the Howard Government
In 1996, at 29 years old, Joe Hockey was chosen to run for the Liberal Party of Australia in the Division of North Sydney. He won the election and became a Member of Parliament. He used a bus painted in the colours of a local sports team to connect with voters. He also focused on local issues like aircraft noise around Sydney Airport.
Soon after being elected, he became the chair of the Sydney Airport Community Forum. He worked with Anthony Albanese to help people affected by airport noise.
In 1998, he became the Minister for Financial Services and Regulation. From 2001 to 2004, he was the Minister for Small Business and Tourism. As Tourism Minister, he wrote a plan to help the tourism industry.
In 2004, he became the Minister for Human Services. In 2007, he was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. He was the first person holding the North Sydney seat in over 60 years to join the Cabinet.
Joe Hockey also appeared on the TV show Sunrise in a segment called "Big Guns of Politics." This helped introduce him to many people who weren't usually interested in politics.
Time in Opposition
When the government changed in 2007, Joe Hockey became a Shadow Minister. He was the Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, and later for Finance. In February 2009, he became the Shadow Treasurer.
There was talk about him moving into state politics to become the Premier of New South Wales, but he chose to stay in federal politics. In 2009, polls showed he was a popular choice for leader of the Liberal Party. However, he decided not to challenge for the leadership at that time.
In December 2009, he ran in a vote for the Liberal Party leadership against Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott. He was eliminated in the first round, and Tony Abbott became the leader. Joe Hockey remained the Shadow Treasurer.
He gave several speeches during this time, known as his "In Defence of..." series. These speeches covered topics like God, liberty, and enterprise. They were seen as a way for him to show what he believed in.
In 2012, he gave a speech in London where he said Australians needed to become more self-sufficient. This speech caused a lot of discussion in Australia.
Treasurer in the Abbott Government
In 2013, the Coalition won the election, and Joe Hockey became the Treasurer of Australia. As Treasurer, he was in charge of the country's money and economy.
In 2014, he presented the government's budget. This budget aimed to reduce government spending and faced a lot of public discussion. In 2015, he delivered another budget, which was seen as less strict than the previous one.
In June 2015, he was criticised for his advice on housing affordability, suggesting young people should "get a good job that pays good money."
Later in 2015, Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister. Turnbull offered Joe Hockey a different role in the government, but Hockey decided to leave Parliament instead. He gave his final speech to Parliament on 21 October 2015.
Ambassador to the United States
Joe Hockey resigned from Parliament on 23 October 2015. In December 2015, it was announced that he would become the next Ambassador of Australia to the United States. He started this role on 29 January 2016.
As Ambassador, he worked to strengthen the relationship between Australia and the United States. His term as ambassador ended on 30 January 2020. He was replaced by Arthur Sinodinos.
Life After Politics
After his role as Ambassador ended, Joe Hockey planned to continue living and working in the United States. He was reported to be considering a part-time job as a guest lecturer at an American university.
In October 2022, Joe Hockey released his autobiography.
Personal Life
Joe Hockey met his wife, Melissa Babbage, in 1991. They got married on 18 December 1994. Melissa is an investment banker. They have three children and live in Hunters Hill, New South Wales. When his youngest child was born, Joe Hockey was the first federal Minister to take paternity leave.
He enjoys outdoor activities like walking the Kokoda Track and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He did these to raise money for medical equipment. Joe and his wife also own a cattle farm in Queensland. In 2012, he lost over 20 kg after having gastric sleeve surgery.
In 2014, Joe Hockey started a legal case against Fairfax Media over an article. He said the article wrongly suggested he accepted bribes. In June 2015, the judge ruled partly in his favour, saying the headline was defamatory when seen without the full article. He was awarded $200,000 in damages.
See also
- WorkChoices – a policy related to Joe Hockey's time as Workplace Relations Minister
