Wayne Swan delivered his fifth budget, and again, we are seeing a further increase in debt. Through accounting tricks and shuffling money between months and years, the Treasurer is making a false claim about having turned around his record of debt and deficit.
Here we have it again: another year, another increase in borrowings; another year, yet more put on the national credit card.
Click here for a short biography.
Scott was born in Brisbane on May 12, 1973 and raised in Essendon.
After attending local primary and secondary schools he was awarded a scholarship to St Kevin’s College to complete Years 11 and 12. He then went onto the University of Melbourne where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours. Scott also worked as a tutor in the Department of Political Science and at St Mary’s College at the University.
Scott has worked in the health and pharmaceutical industries as well as in politics at both state and federal levels, as a speechwriter and political adviser, in government and opposition.
Immediately before entering the Senate in 2008, Scott worked as a consultant in the health and insurance sectors as well as serving as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne.
Scott has been an active member of the Liberal Party since 1990, having worked in every state and federal campaign since then. He was President of the Melbourne University Liberal Club and active in the Australian Liberal Students’ Federation and is an Honorary Life member of both organisations.
He served the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party as a Vice President (2006-07), Chairman of the Constitutional Committee (2003-2007) and on the Liberal Party’s Administrative Committee (2006-08). He was also a leading member of the Party Futures Committee that implemented substantial reforms to the Victorian Division in 2008. He is currently Patron of the Future Leaders Program and New Members Network.
He was elected to the Senate at the 2007 Federal Election and took office on 1 July 2008. He is the youngest Liberal Senator ever elected from Victoria.
Scott was appointed to the position of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition following the 2010 election. He currently serves on the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, the Presiding Officers’ Information Technology Advisory Group and the Senate Select Committee on Reform of the Australian Federation.
Prior to his promotion, Scott served as Chairman of the Senate Standing References Committee on Finance & Public Administration (and Deputy Chairman of the Finance & Public Administration Legislation Committee). He was also a Temporary Chair of Committees (Acting Deputy President of the Senate) prior to the 2010 election.
In his remaining private time Scott enjoys reading, particularly history, biographies and US politics, travel and scuba diving. He is a member of the Essendon FC, the Melbourne Rebels RFC, and the Institute of Public Affairs, the Centre for Independent Studies and the Samuel Griffith Society and co-convenor of the Parliamentary Brain Tumour Awareness Group.
Scott is married to Helen and has a son Nicholas, they live in Melbourne.
