Event

 

It is a real pleasure for me to invite you to lunch with the new Australian Ambassador, Joe Hockey.   Ambassador Hockey, whose biography follows this note, was previously Australia’s Treasurer.  Australia has long been one of our closest allies on both defense and trade matters, and the NFTC has been privileged to work with the Australian embassy and previous ambassadors on numerous issues of mutual interest.  Ambassador. Hockey plans to be active explaining Australia’s support for TPP, and this lunch will be a good opportunity to hear his views on that issue and on others that impact the bilateral relationship.

 

 

 

The Honourable Joe Hockey is Australia’s Ambassador to the United States of America, taking up his posting in Washington in January 2016.

 

Mr Hockey has had a long and distinguished career in public service. He first entered Parliament in 1996 as the Member for North Sydney and spent more than seventeen years on the front bench.

 

Mr Hockey served as a Minister in a number of different portfolios including Financial Services, Small Business and Tourism, Human Services and Employment and Workplace Relations.

 

In 2013 Mr Hockey was appointed Treasurer of the Commonwealth and was responsible for all economic policy including fiscal policy. He served as Chair of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in 2014 and a member of the leadership troika in 2015. As Treasurer he was a regular delegate to IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and APEC meetings.

 

Previously Mr Hockey served as a banking and finance lawyer with a major Australian law firm. He graduated from the University of Sydney with Bachelor degrees in Arts and Law.

 

Mr Hockey is married to Ms Melissa Babbage, a company director and former investment banker. They have three young children Xavier, Adelaide and Ignatius.