Peter Slipper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend and Honourable Peter Slipper
27th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 24 November 2011 – 9 October 2012
Deputy	Anna Burke
Preceded by	Harry Jenkins
Succeeded by	Anna Burke
Deputy Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
In office 28 September 2010 – 24 November 2011
Preceded by	Anna Burke
Succeeded by	Anna Burke
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration
In office 21 October 1998 – 22 October 2004
Prime Minister	John Howard
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Sharman Stone
Member of the Australian Parliament for Fisher
In office 13 March 1993 – 7 September 2013
Preceded by	Michael Lavarch
Succeeded by	Mal Brough
In office 1 December 1984 – 11 July 1987
Preceded by	Evan Adermann
Succeeded by	Michael Lavarch
Personal details
Born	Peter Neil Slipper (1950-02-14) 14 February 1950 (age 75) Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Political party	National (1984–1987) Liberal (1993–2011) Independent (2011–2013) Palmer United (2013)
Other political affiliations	Liberal National (state level, 2008–2011)
Spouses	Lyn Hooper ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 2001)​ Inge-Jane Hall ​ (m. 2006)​
Relations	Max Hooper (father-in-law)
Alma mater	University of Queensland
Occupation	Bishop, politician, barrister, farmer

Peter Neil Slipper (born 14 February 1950) is an Australian who used to be a politician and is now a bishop. He served as the 27th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives from 2011 to 2012. The Speaker is like the referee in parliament, making sure debates follow the rules.

For most of his career, he was a member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He was a member of parliament (MP) for the area called Fisher from 1984 to 1987 and again from 1993 to 2013. An MP is someone elected to represent their local community in the national parliament.

Since 2017, he has been a bishop in Australia for the Catholic Apostolic Church of Australia (ICAB). This church is connected to the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church. He also works as an honorary consul for Brazil in Australia.

Slipper grew up in Ipswich, Queensland. He studied arts and law at the University of Queensland. Before becoming a politician, he worked as a lawyer and a farmer.

Early Life and Education

Peter Slipper was born on 14 February 1950 in Ipswich, Queensland. His parents were Joan and Stanley Slipper. His father worked as a mechanical engineer for Queensland Railways.

Peter went to school in Townsville. He finished his high school education at Ipswich Grammar School. After that, he studied law and arts at the University of Queensland. He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1977 and later a Bachelor of Arts. Before entering politics, he worked as a solicitor, which is a type of lawyer. He also had interests in business and farming.

Political Career

Peter Slipper joined the Young National Party when he was younger. He helped with election campaigns for the National Party in the 1970s. He was also the state president of the Young Nationals.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Slipper was first elected to parliament in 1984. He won the seat of Fisher as a candidate for the National Party. He was 34 years old at the time. After one term, he lost his seat in the 1987 election.

In 1993, Slipper ran for the same seat again, but this time as a member of the Liberal Party. He won and returned to parliament.

Roles in Government

During the time the Howard government was in power (1996-2007), Peter Slipper held several important roles:

• He was a government whip from 1997 to 1998. A whip helps make sure party members vote together.
• He was a parliamentary secretary from 1998 to 2004. This role is now called an assistant minister. He helped the Minister for Finance and Administration.
• He also served as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister from 2002 to 2003.

Slipper also worked on many parliamentary committees. These committees study different topics and help make laws. He was chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 2004 to 2007.

Questions About Expenses

In 2010, there were questions in the media about Peter Slipper's use of parliamentary travel expenses. He said that any issues were due to misunderstandings or different ways of interpreting the rules. He stated that he was cleared of these allegations.

Becoming Deputy Speaker

After the 2010 election, Slipper had some disagreements with his Coalition colleagues. The Coalition is a group of political parties working together. On 28 September 2010, Slipper accepted a nomination from the Labor Party to become the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He won the vote for this position.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

In November 2011, the Speaker of the House, Harry Jenkins, unexpectedly resigned. Peter Slipper was nominated to become the new Speaker. He was chosen for the role on 24 November 2011.

When he became Speaker, Slipper resigned from the Liberal National Party. He became an independent member of parliament. This meant he did not belong to any political party while he was Speaker. He was the first independent Speaker since 1909.

Changes as Speaker

As Speaker, Slipper brought back some old traditions. He started wearing the traditional gown and bar jacket over his suit. He also brought back a more formal procession into the House once a week. This procession included the Serjeant-at-Arms and the Mace, which is a symbol of authority. During his first formal procession, he wore a gown, bar jacket, and a white bow tie.

Slipper quickly gained a reputation for being strict. During his first Question Time, he asked four of his former Coalition colleagues to leave the chamber for not following the rules.

Challenges and Resignation

In April 2012, Peter Slipper faced new questions about his conduct and expenses. He decided to take a break from his role as Speaker to deal with these matters.

On 9 October 2012, Peter Slipper announced his resignation as Speaker in Parliament. He said he was leaving the position with sadness and regret. He believed it was best for the Parliament that he step down because of the recent controversies. After resigning, he moved to the crossbench in Parliament, sitting as an independent member.

After the Speakership

In May 2013, Slipper briefly joined the Palmer United Party. However, his membership was quickly revoked. He then said he had withdrawn his application to join the party.

Slipper ran as an independent candidate in the Division of Fisher in the 2013 federal election. However, he was not re-elected.

Religion and Later Life

In 2008, Peter Slipper became a priest in the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia. This church is part of the Traditional Anglican Communion. He also served as the chancellor of this group.

In 2016, Slipper traveled to Brazil. He was ordained as a deacon and then a priest by the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church. In 2017, he was made a bishop in Australia for this church.

Personal Life

Peter Slipper married Lyn Hooper in 1981. Lyn's father, Max Hooper, was a government minister in Queensland. Peter and Lyn had two children together before they divorced in 2001. In 2006, Peter Slipper married Inge Hall. Many of his fellow politicians attended their wedding.

See also

• Politics of Australia