Tim Watts (politician)

Australian politician

The Honourable

Tim Watts

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs

Incumbent

Assumed office
1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Prime Minister| Anthony Albanese
Preceded by| Steven Ciobo (2015)
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Gellibrand

Incumbent

Assumed office
7 September 2013
Preceded by| Nicola Roxon
Personal details
Born|

Timothy Graham Watts

(1982-06-08) 8 June 1982 (age 42)
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Political party| Australian Labor Party
Spouse| Joyce Kwok
Children| 2
Alma mater| Bond University
Monash University
London School of Economics
Profession| Lawyer
Politician
Website| www.timwatts.net.au

Timothy Graham Watts (born 8 June 1982) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has been a member of the House of Representatives since the 2013 federal election, representing the Victorian seat of Gellibrand. Since 1 June 2022, Watts has served as Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs in the ministry of Anthony Albanese.

## Early life

[edit]

Watts was born on 8 June 1982 in Toowoomba, Queensland.[1] He is a descendant of John Watts, an immigrant from England who was a member of the first parliament of Queensland.[2]

Watts attended Centenary Heights State High School in Toowoomba. He holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Bond University, a Master of Public Policy and Management from Monash University and a Master of Science in Politics and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science.[1]

## Career

[edit]

Watts worked as a solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques from 2003 to 2005. He subsequently worked for Senator Stephen Conroy as deputy chief of staff from 2005 to 2009, and briefly as a senior adviser to Victorian premier John Brumby.[1] In 2009 he was recruited by Telstra to advise on the company's relationship with the new National Broadband Network, with the title of corporate relations manager. His appointment was seen as part of a strategy by the new CEO David Thodey to repair Telstra's relationship with the federal government, which had deteriorated under his predecessor Sol Trujillo.[3][4]

## Politics

[edit]

In April 2013, Watts won ALP preselection for the Division of Gellibrand, following the retirement of the incumbent MP Nicola Roxon.[5] He was initially one of five candidates for preselection, including future senator Kimberley Kitching and Roxon's preferred candidate Katie Hall. However, the others withdrew prior to the final ballot. He reportedly had the support of Stephen Conroy's Centre Unity faction.[6][7] Watts didn't live in the seat then.[8][9]

Watts retained Gellibrand for the ALP at the 2013 federal election. In parliament he has served on a number of standing committees. Following the 2019 election, he was appointed to new leader Anthony Albanese's shadow ministry as an assistant shadow minister with the portfolios of communications and cyber security.[1] In February 2021 he announced plans for a national ransomware strategy.[10]

In 2020, Watts was mentioned in secret recordings made of ALP powerbroker Adem Somyurek, who described him as "bowing to me".[11]

## Political positions

[edit]

### Family violence

[edit]

Following the murder of Fiona Warzywoda in the electorate in 2014,[12] Watts campaigned for preventing and removing family violence across Melbourne's West and Australia.[13]

In 2014, Watts launched the bipartisan "Parliamentarians against Family Violence" with Coalition MPs Andrew Broad and Ken Wyatt.[14] Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty addressed a meeting of the group in 2015, expressing that "Cross-party commitment is important to the issue of family and domestic violence".[15]

In response, former Labor Leader, Mark Latham used a column in the Australian Financial Review to label Watts as "symptomatic of the decline in Labor's thinking" and argue that "Watts has fallen for the feminist line on domestic violence".[16]

In 2015, Watts and fellow Labor MP Terri Butler introduced a private member's bill to criminalise the non-consensual sharing of private sexual material.[17][18]

In an opinion piece published by the Chifley Research Centre, Watts called for action in response to the issue of family violence. He has written on the importance of engaging with the states, territories and relevant stakeholders, as well as the use of effective communication in achieving successful policy outcomes to the issue.[19]

### Foreign affairs

[edit]

Watts has been an outspoken advocate of Australian Aid in the Parliament[20] and has travelled to Cambodia[21] and Papua New Guinea[22] to visit Australian funded development programs[23] in those countries.

Watts has been an advocate of greater Australian engagement in Asia, speaking frequently about Asian-Australian diaspora communities.[24][25] He has been a delegate to a number of bilateral events such as the Australian Chinese Youth Dialogue,[26] Australian Indian Youth Dialogue[27] and CAUSINDY.[28] He was also a program participant for the Asialink Leaders Course in 2017.[29]

Watts has also written on the economic growth of Indonesia in recent years, stating "there is no other nation in Asia more important to our future than Indonesia". Subsequently, he has called for an increase to the cap on working holiday visas for Indonesians and argued that it is time Australians consider Indonesia as "critical" to both the economic prosperity and security of the country.[30]

### New Australian flag

[edit]

Watts has written on the importance of multiculturalism in modern Australian society, and in doing so has called for a new Australian flag which does not bear the Union Jack.[31] He described the importance of national symbols and the importance in ensuring they are reflective of the "modern, multicultural, Southeast Asian nation we have become".[31]

## Publications

[edit]

In 2015, Watts and Labor MP Clare O'Neil released Two Futures: Australia at a critical moment through Text Publishing, which sought to address long-term policy challenges facing Australia.[32] In 2019 he released another book, The Golden Country: Australia's Changing Identity.[33]

## Personal life

[edit]

Watts lives in Footscray[34] with his wife and two children. He has an investment property in Kingston.[34]

Since about 2006, Watts has been the author of a blog entitled "Blogging the Bookshelf", in which he discusses the books that he has been reading.[35]

Watts supports the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League.[36]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Mr Tim Watts MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
2. ^ "First speech". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
3. ^ Oakes, Dan (15 July 2009). "Telstra hires former Conroy adviser". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
4. ^ O'Doherty, Fiona (15 April 2013). "Labor candidate Tim Watts powers ahead". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
5. ^ "Tim Watts wins Gellibrand preselection". news.com.au. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
6. ^ Willingham, Richard; Gordon, Josh (27 March 2013). "Preselection rumble over Labor seat". The Age. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
7. ^ Willingham, Richard; Gordon, Josh (9 April 2013). "Dirt flies in Gellibrand preselection". The Age. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
8. ^ "Home is where the vote is: Should politicians live in the seats they represent?". 16 May 2013.
9. ^ "Watts powers ahead". heraldsun. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
10. ^ Ferguson, Richard (17 February 2021). "Labor pushes for national plan to tackle $1.4bn in ransomware attacks". The Australian. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
11. ^ McKenzie, Nick; Tozer, Joel; Ilanbey, Sumeyya (14 June 2020). "'Who's going to protect Albo': Tapes show how powerbroker controls ALP". The Age. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
12. ^ Watts, Tim (18 June 2014). "Constituency Statements: Domestic Violence". OpenAustralia.org. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
13. ^ Ireland, Judith (20 October 2014). "Tim Watts on why privileged men need to join the domestic violence fight". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
14. ^ Whinnett, Ellen (20 October 2014). "Parliamentarians Against Family Violence to campaign against abuse". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
15. ^ Grant, Hannah (2 March 2015). "Our Watch Ambassador, Rosie Batty, addresses parliamentarians on family violence". Our Watch. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
16. ^ Keane, Bernard (18 May 2015). "Latham enlists domestic violence for his own culture war". Crikey. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
17. ^ Watts, Tim; Butler, Terri (17 October 2016). "Criminal Code Amendment (Private Sexual Material) Bill 2016". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
18. ^ Donovan, Samantha (26 February 2016). "Revenge porn should be criminalised says Senate committee". PM. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
19. ^ Watts, Tim (21 March 2015). "The Time to Tackle Family Violence is Now". Chifley Research Centre. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
20. ^ Watts, Tim. "Australian Aid". OpenAustralia.org. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
21. ^ Watts, Tim (12 February 2015). "Adjournment: International Development Assistance". OpenAustralia.org. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
22. ^ Save the Children Australia (16 August 2015). "Tim Watts supports Australian Aid". YouTube. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
23. ^ Whinnett, Ellen (14 August 2015). "PNG: Where foreign aid barely scratches the surface". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
24. ^ Watts, Tim (1 October 2014). "A Community That Works: Multiculturalism in Australian Society". YouTube. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
25. ^ Kainth, Shamsher (16 February 2016). "Tim Watts supports long stay parental visa". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
26. ^ "The ACYD is delighted to announce the delegates for the 2015 Dialogue". Australian Chinese Youth Dialogue. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
27. ^ "Federal MP Tim Watts: A strong supporter of the Indian Community". Indus Age. 1 December 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
28. ^ Watts, Tim (23 September 2016). "Tim Watts MP speaks about CAUSINDY". YouTube. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
29. ^ "Biographies of the Asialink Leaders Program participants 2017" (PDF). Asialink. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
30. ^ Watts, Tim (4 October 2016). "Indonesia, Islam and Hanson". Medium. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
31. ^ a b Watts, Tim (10 September 2015). "The Need for a Flag that Represents Australia". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
32. ^ O'Neil, Clare; Watts, Tim (12 August 2015). Two Futures: Australia at a critical moment. Text Publishing. ISBN 9781925240214. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
33. ^ Watts, Tim (17 September 2019). The Golden Country: Australia's Changing Identity, book by Tim Watts. Text Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-925603-98-9.
34. ^ a b "The private interests of Tim Watts MP". openpolitics.au. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
35. ^ Kelly, Fran (6 January 2016). "Buy, borrow or toss: Labor MP Tim Watts' book recommendations". Radio National Breakfast. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
36. ^ "Each AFL Teams Biggest Political Fan".

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Parliamentary biography
* Blogging the Bookshelf

Parliament of Australia

Preceded by

Nicola Roxon

|  Member for Gellibrand
2013–present  | Incumbent
Political offices
Vacant

Title last held by

Steven Ciobo
as Parliamentary Secretary  |  Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs
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