Former Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews dies at the age of 69
Former Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews has died at the age of 69.
The former politician and member of Australia’s Liberal Party died ‘peacefully’ on Friday night with his wife Margie by his side.
His family announced his death in a statement shared by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott on social media. Mr Andrews battled cancer for the past year.
“We are deeply proud of his service to our country, our local community and his party, even as we are heartbroken by his death after a year-long battle with cancer,” the statement said.
“Kevin was dedicated to his country, his family and his faith and lived a life of service.
‘Until his death he was working on a number of projects, including his memoirs, which we will seek to publish posthumously.’
The father-of-five represented the Blue Ribbon seat of Menzies in Melbourne’s east for three decades.
He held prominent cabinet positions in the Howard and Abbott coalition governments.
Liberal Member for Menzies Kevin Andrews died peacefully overnight. He is pictured giving his farewell speech at the House of Representatives in Canberra in March 2022
Mr Andrews was a senior figure within the right wing of the Liberal Party, who championed conservative causes and was at various times minister of defence, social services, immigration, aging and industrial relations.
He was born in the Gippsland town of Sale in eastern Victoria and later moved to Melbourne to study law at both Monash University and the University of Melbourne.
He worked as an associate to Sir James Gobbo at the Supreme Court of Victoria before leaving to become a lawyer.
After six years he switched to politics and won Menzies in a by-election in 1991, which he held for the next 31 years.
He rose to prominence while still a backstabber when he introduced the Andrews Bill in 1996, which limited the rights of the ACT and Northern Territory to make euthanasia laws.
The legislation remained in place for the next 25 years before being repealed in 2023.
As minister he pushed for several controversial laws, including a citizenship test and the WorkChoices industrial relations package.
Mr Andrews (left) was a minister in the governments of John Howard and Tony Abbott (right).
He listed the reforms among his achievements in his farewell speech to parliament, although WorkChoices faced strong opposition and was a major factor in the coalition’s defeat in the 2007 election.
He backed Mr Abbott when Malcolm Turnbull challenged him for the leadership in 2015, and unsuccessfully ran for deputy leader against Julie Bishop that same day.
A devout Catholic, Andrews advocated traditional family values and opposed abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research.
He married his wife Margaret in 1979.
Mr Andrews retired in 2022 after losing a preselection battle for Menzies, the first time in more than three decades that a sitting federal Liberal MP has been ousted in a Victorian preselection battle.
Mr Andrews at the Old Parliament House in Canberra for the launch of the Pollie Pedal charity in February 2015
He was the longest-serving MP at the time and said in his final speech that he entered politics to make a difference.
“It was the concern that the government was not recognizing and responding appropriately to the needs of families, especially those with children, that motivated me to run for office in the first place,” he said in March 2022.
Mr Andrews also worked as a sports reporter and race caller and wrote several books on subjects including marriage, Italian cycling and a biography of Australia’s tenth Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
Tributes have been paid to Mr Andrews, including from former Health Secretary Greg Hunt.
“We are extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Kevin Andrews. He was always honest, honorable and decent to work with and as a colleague. And he loved his community, his country and most of all his family,” he said.
‘With all best wishes and condolences to Margie and the family.’
