Martin Hamilton-Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Hamilton-Smith
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| Leader of the Opposition in South Australia | |
| In office 12 April 2007 – 8 July 2009 |
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| Premier | Mike Rann |
| Deputy | Vickie Chapman Isobel Redmond |
| Preceded by | Iain Evans |
| Succeeded by | Isobel Redmond |
| Minister for Investment and Trade | |
| In office 27 May 2014 – 17 January 2018 |
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| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Susan Close (as Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade) |
| Minister for Small Business | |
| In office 19 January 2016 – 17 January 2018 |
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| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Tom Koutsantonis |
| Minister for Defence and Space Industries | |
| In office 27 May 2014 – 17 January 2018 |
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| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Jack Snelling |
| Minister for Health Industries | |
| In office 18 September 2017 – 18 January 2018 |
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| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Minister for Veterans' Affairs | |
| In office 27 May 2014 – 18 January 2018 |
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| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Zoe Bettison |
| Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party |
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| In office 12 April 2007 – 8 July 2009 |
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| Deputy | Vickie Chapman Isobel Redmond |
| Preceded by | Iain Evans |
| Succeeded by | Isobel Redmond |
| Deputy Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party |
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| In office 30 March 2010 – 6 April 2010 |
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| Leader | Isobel Redmond |
| Preceded by | Steven Griffiths |
| Succeeded by | Mitch Williams |
| Minister for Innovation | |
| In office 4 December 2001 – 5 March 2002 |
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| Premier | Rob Kerin |
| Preceded by | none (created) |
| Succeeded by | none (abolished) |
| Minister for Tourism | |
| In office 4 December 2001 – 5 March 2002 |
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| Premier | Rob Kerin |
| Preceded by | Rob Kerin |
| Succeeded by | Mike Rann |
| Member of the South Australian Parliament for Waite | |
| In office 11 October 1997 – 17 March 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen Baker |
| Succeeded by | Sam Duluk |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Martin Leslie James Hamilton-Smith
1 December 1953 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia (SA) (1997–2014) Independent (2014–2018) |
| Spouse | Stavroula Raptis |
| Alma mater | Royal Military College, Duntroon University of New South Wales University of Adelaide |
| Website | MartinHamilton-Smith.com.au |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1971–1995 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Commands | Australian contingent of the Multinational Force and Observers 1st Commando Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Second Malayan Emergency |
Martin Leslie James Hamilton-Smith (born 1 December 1953) is an Australian politician. He served in the South Australian House of Assembly for the area of Waite. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 until he retired in 2018.
He was first elected with the Liberal Party. He became the leader of the Liberal Party in South Australia and the Leader of the Opposition from 2007 to 2009. He also served as a Minister in the Liberal government led by Rob Kerin from 2001 to 2002.
After the 2014 election, he became an independent politician. From May 2014 to January 2018, he was a Minister in the Labor government led by Jay Weatherill. His roles included Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, and Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Later, he also became Minister for Space Industries and Minister for Health Industries.
On 6 January 2018, Hamilton-Smith announced he would not run for re-election in the 2018 election.
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Education and Learning
Martin Hamilton-Smith graduated from Marion High School. In 1971, he received a scholarship to attend the Royal Military College, Duntroon. While there, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New South Wales.
In 1985, he completed a Master of Arts in History, focusing on Australia's relationships with the United States and Southeast Asia. He also earned a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies in 1988. Later, in 2002, while serving as a Member of Parliament, he completed a Master of Business Administration (Advanced) at the University of Adelaide.
Military Service and Leadership
Martin Hamilton-Smith became an officer in the Australian Army in 1975 after graduating from the Royal Military College. He served in the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).
In 1980, he led Australia's first counter-terrorist assault force within the SAS. He also served in Malaysia and commanded the 1st Commando Regiment in Sydney. In 1993, he was the commanding officer of the Australian group in the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai, Egypt. This force helps monitor the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
Business Career and Childcare
After leaving the Army in 1995, Martin Hamilton-Smith focused on his family business. This business, started in 1989, involved property development, investments, and private childcare centers. It grew to employ about 125 people across six locations in South Australia and New South Wales.
He became the President of a childcare association in South Australia. He also served as the National Secretary of the Australian Confederation of Childcare (ACCC) and edited their national magazine from 1995 to 1997. These roles allowed him to represent small childcare businesses to the government.
Political Career in Parliament
Martin Hamilton-Smith first won the seat of Waite in the 1997 election. He won by six percent against the Australian Democrats. He was chosen by the Liberal Party to run for the seat.
In the 2002 election, when the Labor Party came to power, he kept his seat. He also held his seat in the 2006 election. In 2001, he became Cabinet Secretary and then a Minister for Innovation and Tourism in the Liberal government led by Rob Kerin.
Becoming Liberal Leader
In 2007, Martin Hamilton-Smith challenged the then-Liberal leader, Iain Evans. He won the leadership vote with 13 votes to 10. On 19 April 2007, he announced changes to the opposition team.
Under his leadership, opinion polls showed the Liberal Party's support growing. However, by late 2008 and early 2009, polls showed the Labor Party regaining a strong lead. A special election in Frome in 2009 also saw an independent candidate win the seat from the Liberals.
Leadership Challenges and Changes
In July 2009, after some challenges, Martin Hamilton-Smith announced a vote for the leadership. He won against his deputy, Vickie Chapman, by one vote. However, he then decided to step down. A second vote was held, and Isobel Redmond became the new leader on 8 July 2009. Hamilton-Smith supported Redmond in this vote.
On 30 March 2010, Hamilton-Smith was elected as the Deputy Leader of the SA Liberals. He replaced Steven Griffiths.
In October 2012, he again sought the leadership of the Liberal Party. However, Isobel Redmond kept her position as leader by just one vote. Steven Marshall was elected as the new deputy leader. When Redmond resigned in January 2013, Hamilton-Smith supported Steven Marshall, who became leader without opposition. Hamilton-Smith was then appointed to several important roles, including Shadow Minister for Economic and Regional Development.
Independent in a Labor Government
The 2014 election resulted in a "hung parliament." This meant no single party had enough seats to form a government on its own. Two independent politicians, Geoff Brock and Bob Such, held the power to decide which party would govern.
On 27 May 2014, Martin Hamilton-Smith announced he would leave the Liberal Party. He became an "Independent Liberal" Member of Parliament. He then joined the Labor government led by Premier Jay Weatherill as a Minister. He took on roles such as Minister for Trade, Defence Industries, and Veterans' Affairs. He agreed to support the Labor government on important votes, saying that South Australia needed a stable parliament for businesses.
An opinion poll in his local area of Waite showed mixed feelings about his decision. Some people felt betrayed, while others did not.
Later, the Labor Party won a special election, giving them enough seats to form a majority government. Despite this, the Weatherill government kept Brock and Hamilton-Smith in their cabinet.
In 2016, Hamilton-Smith became the Minister for Small Business. In 2017, he also became the Minister for Space Industries and Health Industries. During his four years as a minister, he helped keep important submarine and shipbuilding work in South Australia. He also helped create Investment Attraction South Australia and hosted a major space conference in Adelaide. He also worked to improve communication for small businesses.
While he was Leader of the Liberal Opposition, Hamilton-Smith supported moving football from Westlakes to the city. This led to the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval.
On 6 January 2018, Martin Hamilton-Smith announced he would retire from politics at the 2018 state election. He resigned from his ministerial roles on 17 January 2018.
