Andrew Bragg

Andrew James Bragg (born 11 July 1984)[1] is an Australian politician who was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 2019 federal election. He is a member of the Liberal Party.[2] A member of several committees related to finance and technology,[3] Bragg advocates changes to the Australian retirement system[4][5] and supports the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart.[6]

Senator
Andrew Bragg
Senator for New South Wales
Assumed office
1 July 2019
Personal details
Born (1984-07-11) 11 July 1984
Carlton, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLiberal
OccupationAccountant
Manager
Websitehttps://www.andrewbragg.com/

Early life
Bragg at college graduation.

Bragg was born in Melbourne[1] and grew up in Shepparton, Victoria.[7] He played for the Congupna Football Club.[8] He attended local Catholic schools before going on to study accounting at the Australian National University.[7] Bragg's father and three of his grandparents were born in the United Kingdom, and he was a British citizen by descent until renouncing it in December 2017.[1]

Career

Bragg is a trained accountant who worked in internal audit at Ernst & Young.[9]

He then served seven years at the Financial Services Council first in superannuation and asset management policy and later as head of policy.[7]

From 2014 to 2016, Bragg served as Director of Policy & Global Markets at the Financial Services Council. He worked to establish two key pieces of industry self-regulation: a superannuation governance standard and the Trowbridge Review & the inaugural Life Insurance Consumer Code of Practice.[10][11]

In November 2016 he became the policy director of the Menzies Research Centre, a Liberal Party think tank.[12] He became the executive director of the Business Council of Australia in August 2017.[13]

During the period he worked for the Financial Services Council, Bragg completed a Master of Financial Regulation from Macquarie University.[14]

Politics
Bragg (center) at the swearing-in ceremony.

Prior to the 2016 federal election, Bragg was an unsuccessful Liberal preselection candidate for both the Senate ticket in New South Wales and the Division of Murray in Victoria.[7][8]

In April 2017, following the resignation of Tony Nutt, Bragg was appointed as the acting federal director of the Liberal Party. He was considered an ally of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. However, he was not chosen to fill the position permanently.[7] Later in the year, he was the national director of the Liberals & Nationals for Yes campaign during the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.[9]

Bragg was a candidate for Liberal preselection at the 2018 Wentworth by-election, caused by Turnbull's retirement from parliament. He was considered the frontrunner for a period, but withdrew from the race due to concerns that the preselection of a male candidate would be poorly received. He stated that "the Liberal Party should preselect a woman and my withdrawal can pave the way".[15]

In 2018, Bragg won preselection on the Coalition's Senate ticket.[16] He was elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election.[2]

Bragg serves on Senate committees focused on financial technology, economics, and financial services.[3] He led the effort to create a year-long inquiry into Australia's financial technology sector[17] then chaired the resulting committee.[18] Bragg formed a 15-person advisory committee of legal and business experts to advise the Australian government on policies that could increase the country's competitiveness with countries like China in the financial technology sector.[19] Bragg led a motion requiring the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) disclose information about its content-sharing agreement with The New Daily.[20][21] After ABC cancelled the contract with The New Daily, Bragg wrote an op-ed supporting the move in The Daily Telegraph that said The New Daily was the propaganda arm of the superannuation industry.[22] After Bragg refused to retract the statement,[22] The New Daily threatened a defamation lawsuit.[4]

Views

Bragg is a member of the Moderate Faction of the Liberal Party.[23]

Bragg is a vocal critic of industry superannuation funds, which invest mandatory retirement contributions from workers.[4][5] When Bragg worked for the Business Council of Australia, he lobbied to require the funds use independent directors.[4] In Bragg's first speech after being elected to the Senate, Bragg discussed why he opposed mandatory retirement payments.[24][25][26] Bragg also advocates for mandatory disclosures from industry superannuation funds on how retirement funds are being managed and how much money is given to trade unions.[27]

Bragg supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which would require the legislature to consult a network of representatives of indigenous people before passing legislation affecting indigenous people.[28] He lobbied other politicians to support the legislation as well.[6] He also supported having the Australian government purchase the copyrights to the Aboriginal flag.[29] so constituents could use the flag without worrying about copyright infringement.[30] Bragg supports the creation of a dedicated precinct for burying the remains of indigenous people that would be called the National Resting Place or "Ngurra Precinct."[31]

Bragg urged the Australian legislature to pass regulations for cryptocurrency in an effort to encourage cryptocurrency companies to start in Australia.[32] He also advocated for big tech companies like Facebook and Google to make a proportional number of content deals with smaller publishers as they do with larger ones.[33] He participated in negotiations between Facebook and smaller news organizations to broker content agreements with a more diverse range of publishers.[34] Bragg was also an important figure in the "Consumer Data Right" privacy legislation.[35]

Bragg led the Liberal Party's campaign to support same sex marriage,[36] criticized anti-Asian comments during the COVID-19 pandemic,[37] and advocated for carbon-neutral policies.[38]

Author

Bragg contributes to The Australian Financial Review, The Daily Telegraph and The Australian and appears on the ABC and Sky News.[39] He is the author of Fit for Service (2017),[40] the essay "Scrap Iron for Japan" in Paul Ritchie's Forgotten People Updated (2018),[41] and Bad Egg: How to Fix Super (2020).[42] Bragg also published a book called Buraadja: The Liberal Case for National Reconciliation,[43] a three-part series focused on the history of the rights of indigenous people in Australia.[44][45]

Personal life

In March 2020, Bragg tested positive for coronavirus as part of a cluster of cases associated with a wedding.[46]

Bragg is a Grand Commander in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia's Order of Christ-loving. He was awarded the honour by Archbishop Makarios after assisting the archbishop to obtain Australian permanent residency. He is reportedly "the first non-Greek and non-Orthodox person to receive the highest honour that the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia can bestow".[47]

References
  1. "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  2. "Senate Results". ABC News. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  3. Hutchinson, Samantha (9 May 2021). "Senator Bragg's 'Big W' dreams and the film that makes him cry". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  4. Albrechtsen, Janet (23 July 2021). "Andrew Bragg: the man who took on the Big Super bullies and won". The Australian.
  5. Harris, Rob; Samios, Zoe (6 December 2020). "Senator Andrew Bragg puts pressure on ABC over New Daily media deal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  6. Murphy, Katharine (8 June 2021). "Liberal senator says Coalition MPs shifting to support Indigenous voice to parliament". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  7. Knott, Matthew (28 April 2017). "Andrew Bragg: Can an inexperienced 32-year-old save the Liberal Party?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  8. "Andrew Bragg seeks preselection in Murray". The Weekly Times. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  9. "Meet Andrew". NSW Liberals. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  10. "How the unions bullied the FSC and NXT against independent super fund directors". Australian Financial Review. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  11. "Bragg to depart FSC | Money Management". www.moneymanagement.com.au. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  12. "Andrew Bragg firms as Liberals' federal director". The Australian Financial Review. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  13. "Andrew Bragg". Connor Court Publishing. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  14. "Andrew Bragg". BenchTV. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  15. "Wentworth frontrunner Andrew Bragg pulls out, says Liberal Party must preselect woman". ABC News. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  16. "Surprise Liberal preselection result spells end of Jim Molan's Senate career". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  17. Koehn, Emma (12 September 2019). "Hopes fintech inquiry will 'validate' bank competitors". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  18. Waters, Cara (20 November 2020). "'Hacked to death by random reviews': Liberal senator warns regulators to back off on Afterpay". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  19. Kehoe, John (10 September 2020). "Why Sydney might finally challenge Hong Kong as a finance hub". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  20. Samios, Zoe; Visentin, Lisa (21 March 2021). "ABC terminates New Daily contract, focuses on Google and Facebook". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  21. Hutchinson, Samantha; Brook, Stephen (24 February 2021). "Super industry warrior takes super fight to Aunty". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  22. Maddison, Max (23 July 2021). "The New Daily sues Liberal Andrew Bragg senator for article". The Australian.
  23. Massola, James. "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  24. Borys, Stephanie (24 July 2019). "Superannuation shouldn't be compulsory for low-income earners, Liberal Andrew Bragg says". ABC. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  25. "Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg calls for voluntary superannuation". The New Daily. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  26. Dunckley, Mathew (15 August 2019). "'Blatant over-reach': Pfizer, Coles deals attacked in push for super choice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  27. Duke, Jennifer; Crowe, David (3 June 2020). "Super funds will be 'biggest political donors in Australia': Andrew Bragg". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  28. Martin, Sarah (30 September 2019). "Liberal senator to outline a model for an Indigenous voice to parliament". the Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  29. Harris, Rob (4 September 2020). "Coalition MPs back government buying out Aboriginal flag copyright". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  30. Harris, Rob (3 December 2020). "Liberal senator calls for Aboriginal flag to be on display inside Parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  31. Jervis-Bardy, Dan (29 July 2021). "Liberal senator makes case for Indigenous institution in Canberra". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  32. Yeates, Clancy (19 April 2021). "Liberal senator Andrew Bragg sounds fintech alarm in push for clearer crypto rules". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  33. Samios, Zoe (6 June 2021). "'The big tech companies are hard to deal with': Senator Bragg". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  34. Samios, Zoe (1 July 2021). "Facebook spurns Broadsheet, The Urban List and Concrete Playground". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  35. "Australia Faces Big Choices on Crypto Regulation". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  36. Conifer, Dan (24 July 2019). "Liberal senator Andrew Bragg wants Indigenous voice to Parliament enshrined in constitution". ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  37. Karp, Paul (16 June 2020). "Liberal senator joins cross-party condemnation of anti-Asian racism in Australia". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  38. Murphy, Katharine (13 September 2021). "Liberal Andrew Bragg urges Scott Morrison to commit to net zero". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  39. "Andrew Bragg". Q+A. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  40. "9781925501377-Fit for Service: Meeting the demand of the As". Connor Court Publishing. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  41. "9781925826012-The Forgotten People: Updated -- Edited by Pau". Connor Court Publishing. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  42. Bragg, Andrew (2 June 2020). "Book extract: Bad Egg by Andrew Bragg". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  43. Workman, Alice (13 May 2021). "Andrew Bragg flies the flag for Indigenous recognition". The Australian.
  44. Penberthy, David (30 April 2021). "Liberal moderates join push for Indigenous voice referendum". The Australian.
  45. Murphy, Katharine (18 August 2021). "Josh Frydenberg won't endorse objective of Andrew Bragg's book on Indigenous voice to parliament". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  46. IllawarrMercury: Federal senator Andrew Bragg tests positive to coronavirus after attending wedding at Stanwell Tops venue, March 2020
  47. "Greek Orthodox Church leader's $6.5 million Sydney Harbour apartment". News.com.au. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
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