About the Senator

About Guy Barnett, Liberal Senator for Tasmania since February, 2002

Since becoming a Senator for Tasmania, Guy Barnett has lobbied hard for his home state in the Federal Parliament.

He has been a strong and vocal campaigner for healthy active lifestyles and the prevention of obesity and diabetes, especially among children. He has worked to establish effective links between government, community and business groups to work together to create positive outcomes for a healthier Australia.

Senator Barnett has also pushed for greater recognition of the contribution of volunteers in Australian communities, and is continuing in his campaign to establish support for volunteers so that they may continue to provide invaluable services to the community.

He has also been involved in World Vision’s Make Poverty History campaign, assuring that fight against third world poverty remains on the national agenda.

Born in Launceston in 1962, he was raised on a farm and educated at Hagley Farm Primary School and then Launceston and Geelong Grammar Schools before studying law at the University of Tasmania, including a Masters of Law.

Senator Barnett practiced law in Melbourne and worked with a Washington D.C. law firm for Australian trade and agricultural interests. At age 26 years he was appointed senior adviser to Tasmanian Premier Robin Gray.

He established and operated his own award-winning public and government affairs business with offices in Hobart and Canberra.

He was honorary lawyer and consultant to numerous organisations including the Baptist Churches of Tasmania, Retail Traders Association and Timber Communities Australia.

His Parliamentary duties involve being Deputy Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, and he is a member of the Senate Standing Committee called the Australian Crime Commission. He has membership of a range of Coalition policy committees, including Economics Committee, Social Policy Committee, Legal and Immigration Committee, and has non-voting membership of Foreign policy and Defence Committee, Infrastructure and the Environment and education and Industry. Prior to the Change of Government in 2007 he was formerly Chairman of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Standing Committee, Deputy Chair of the Prime Minister's Workplace Relations Taskforce and a member of the Senate's Scrutiny of Bills Committee. He was also Chairman of the Senate Publications Committee and a former secretary of the Coalition's Health & Ageing Policy Committee. He is a founding and executive member of the Parliamentary Diabetes Support Group.

Senator Barnett (Grad Dip AICD) enjoys tennis, squash and trout fishing and lives in Launceston with his wife Kate and their three children.