Biography

The Hon. Warren Entsch MP

Warren’s diverse career history has given him a unique insight when representing his constituency in Canberra.

He has worked as a railway porter, insurance clerk, real estate salesman, fitter and welder with a mining company, grazier, crocodile farmer, and served Australia for nine years in the RAAF as an aircraft engine fitter.

He has also played an active role on numerous Cape York industry and advisory groups.

Warren was first elected to Parliament in March 1996 as the Member for Leichhardt.

As a new member, he was privileged to serve on several joint committees addressing Native Title issues, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Environment, Recreation and the Arts.

From 1998 to 2001 Warren held the role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources and from 2002-06 he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources.

In 2007 he was appointed to the Northern Australia Water and Land Taskforce.

Warren resigned as Parliamentary Secretary prior to his retirement from politics at the 2007 election to spend more time with his teenage son before he ventured off to university.

In 2010, Warren became the first person in Australian political history to retire and then recontest the same seat, for the same party—and win.

Following his re-election Warren was appointed as Chief Opposition Whip and during his first year back in politics he established the first Parliamentary Friendship Group for LGBTIQ Australians, where he remains as Co-Chair to this day.

He was again re-elected at the 2013 election and appointed the inaugural Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia, which produced the Pivot North report—subsequently contributed to the Government’s White Paper on Developing Northern Australia and brought about the establishment of a Northern Australia government portfolio.

Throughout his career, Warren has been a powerful and outspoken advocate for positive policy reforms, both from within Government and Opposition.

Most notably he was one of the key drivers for the introduction of medical cannabis, he also had a profound impact on the removal of legal and financial discrimination against the gay community.

After many years and much determination, Warren’s advocacy was instrumental in securing marriage equality in Australia after he introduced the legislation into the Australian Parliament in December 2017.

After the 2019 election the Prime Minister appointed Warren as the Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef.

Since then his focus has turned to addressing the plight of plastic in our oceans and the many challenges presented by climate change.

Over the years, Warren has also been very active in his advocacy for mental health and tuberculosis.

The latter has seen him appointed as the Co-Chair of the Australian TB Caucus in 2014, a position he still holds, and Warren is now on the executive of the Global TB Caucus

Recently Warren helped to establish the National Threatened Species Institute where he is now Patron of the institute.

Warren is actively involved in the local community and is Patron of a number of groups including the Cairns Men’s Shed, the Rondo Theatre, Vietnam Veterans’ Motorcycle Club (FNQ Chapter), the North Queensland Rubies women’s indigenous hockey team, the Blaze men’s indigenous hockey team and the Leichhardt Lions football club.

He is a keen supporter and sponsor of local events, sporting clubs and other non-profits and is a Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian.

When he’s not working in the electorate or in Canberra, he enjoys spending time on his farm with his family, collecting art, breeding birds or riding his Harley Davidson.