Eric Abetz

Eric Abetz is a Liberal Senator for Tasmania, having been elected to the upper house in 1994. He was employment minister and Senate leader in the government of Tony Abbott, but was dropped from the ministry in September 2015 when Malcolm Turnbull became prime minister. From 2006 to 2007, he was fisheries, forestry and conservation minister in the Howard government.

A former national president of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation, he was state president of the Tasmanian branch of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994.

Mr Abetz was educated at the University of Tasmania, and was a barrister & solicitor before entering politics.