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Rex Patrick

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Rex Patrick
Patrick in 2024
Senator for South Australia
In office
14 November 2017 – 30 June 2022
Preceded byNick Xenophon
Personal details
Born (1967-05-08) 8 May 1967 (age 57)
Whakatāne, New Zealand
Political partyJacqui Lambie Network (since 2024)
Other political
affiliations
Occupation
  • Businessman
  • Politician
Signature
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceRoyal Australian Navy
Years of service1983–1994

Rex Lyall Patrick (born 8 May 1967) is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for South Australia from November 2017 until June 2022. He was appointed to the Senate to fill a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Nick Xenophon. He joined the Senate as member of the Centre Alliance party, though in August 2020 he left the party and became an independent.[1] He created the Rex Patrick Team party in January 2021 and sat in parliament as its only member for the duration of his term. Before entering politics, Patrick served as a submariner in the Royal Australian Navy, then was a businessman and senior business executive officer.[2][3]

Early life

[edit]

Patrick was born in New Zealand and moved to South Australia as a child. He attended school in Whyalla then joined the Royal Australian Navy.[4][5]

Early career

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Patrick served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1983 to 1994.[6][7] He trained as an electronic technician and volunteered for submarine service.[8] He served on several Oberon-class submarines before being selected and posted as a member of the trials crew of the first Collins-class submarine at Osborne in Adelaide.[9]

From 1995 to 2008, Patrick worked for Sonartech Atlas as a project manager.[6] The company was focused on the design and development of sonar systems.[8]

In 2008, Patrick started a company called Acoustic Force,[10] which provided training in sonar and acoustics to domestic and international customers.[7]

In 2009, Patrick began writing articles calling for Australia to buy cheap, off-the-shelf submarines to replace the Collins-class submarine fleet. He believes that attempts were made by naval personnel to muzzle his criticisms of the Collins-class vessels. He said of the Navy's attitude towards freedom of speech and policy debate: "I presume that, from (the navy’s) perspective, the public is better served if debates about defence are devoid of any contributions from people who know about the subject.”[10] In 2012, he noted that American nuclear-powered submarines would be more cost effective for Australia to purchase and maintain and would offer strategic advantages.[11]

In 2013, Patrick took over a training contract with Quantum Ark Technologies, a company that trained members of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

In 2015, Patrick wrote several articles for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) which were published in The Strategist.[12]

Political career

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Staffer

[edit]

Before joining the Xenophon team, Patrick had been a staffer for Liberal Senator David Johnston.[13] When Johnston was the Shadow Defence Minister, Patrick assisted him in exposing the very high annual cost of the Collins-class submarines compared with their very low availability rates, being well over $500 million per annum but, at one stage, not a single submarine was at sea. Due to the pressure they were able to put on the Defence Department, the Coles review was commissioned in 2012 and the problems associated with the Collins-class submarine were then rectified.[14]

Xenophon referred to Patrick by the nickname "Inspector Rex", owing to his investigative skills and use of Freedom of Information laws to obtain information in the public interest.[8]

On inheriting the Quantum Ark Technologies' files in 2013, Patrick discovered a mass data breach of classified documents from the French manufacturer DCNS related to the new Indian Navy's Scorpène submarines. Patrick took the data on a disc to a senior Defence official who declined to take it and so Patrick retained the disc, even though he knew of the leak during the competition to select the international partner for the Future Submarine Project, and didn't act on it until after the contract was awarded so as not to affect France's chances in the contract.[15] In 2016, after the contract was awarded, and the security breach became directly relevant to Australia from a national security perspective, Patrick, then an adviser to then Senator Nick Xenophon, provided some of the documents, carefully redacted, to The Australian newspaper after which Xenophon handed the disc to Defence Minister Marise Payne.[16]

Patrick was not investigated for his handling of the sensitive material,[17] and retained his security clearance as a naval contractor.[13]

Australian Senate (2017–2022)

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On 30 October 2017, Xenophon announced Patrick as his Senate replacement, and the nomination was lodged with the South Australian Parliament on 1 November. Premier Jay Weatherill revealed that an NXT Senate candidate from the 2016 election, Tim Storer, had "assert[ed] rights" to the vacancy.[18] On 14 November, Patrick was confirmed as the replacement senator by a joint sitting of the SA Parliament.[19][20] He became a senator on 15 November when he was sworn in by the Senate.[21]

Within three days of his appointment, Patrick defended the appointment of Xenophon as an advisor on a part-time contract,[20] but Xenophon subsequently announced that he would leave the role "within weeks".[22]

Patrick used his first speech in the Senate to call for more parliamentary oversight of the Australian Intelligence Community.[23]

In December 2017, Patrick informed the Turnbull Government that NXT would suspend negotiations on welfare reform because a minister had failed to answer "reasonable questions". Patrick said that was part of "a broader problem with regard to the government’s preparedness to be appropriately open and accountable".[24]

Notably Patrick supported the blocked a vote in the Senate that would've seen an inquiry into the Liberal and National Party government "Grass-gate" scandal. Labor was pursuing the Energy Minister Angus Taylor over his interest in a family company linked to an investigation into alleged illegal land clearing.[25]

Patrick was critical of the Future Submarine programme, suggesting that the Rear Admiral overseeing the project, Gregory Sammut, has no professional experience in project management.[26] The project was revealed by Xenophon to have a requirement that 50% of the submarine's manufacture be Australian, down from the publicity stated figure of 60%. Patrick called it "treachery" by the Turnbull Government.[27][failed verification]

Patrick used Parliamentary Privilege to call ExxonMobil Australia's boss, Richard James Owen, a "shameless corporate tax dodger" due to his payment of little tax in Australia. Patrick asserted that "he should be called out for what he is. Behind a veneer of professional respectability, he's a hypocrite and a corporate scumbag".[28]

Patrick pulled a stunt in the federal Senate Chamber to push his view that submarine jobs would be lost to Western Australia. That incurred the wrath of the Senate President, Scott Ryan, who told Senator Patrick: "Remove yourself from the chamber. You're embarrassing yourself."[29]

In August 2020, Patrick split from the Centre Alliance, arguing that standing as an independent would improve his chances for re-election at the next federal election.[30] His Centre Alliance Senate colleague Stirling Griff regarded the move as akin to removing "a powerful voting bloc that has achieved a remarkable amount for South Australia".[31] During the Parliamentary year, Patrick was noted for criticising the Murray-Darling Basin Authority for its delays in appointing an Indigenous representative and for putting a sunset clause on the cashless debit card in Indigenous communities.[32][33] Following a tweet about alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan made by Zhao Lijian that was deemed offensive by some Australian politicians, Patrick called on the Commonwealth Government to expel two-thirds of China's 143 diplomats and consular staff.[17]

In January 2021, the Australian Electoral Commission approved Patrick's application to form a political party called the Rex Patrick Team[34]

In November 2021, Patrick was opposed to the Liberal Morrison government plans for a Voter ID Law, calling it "a solution looking for a problem"[35]

Rex Patrick Team

[edit]
Rex Patrick Team
AbbreviationREX, RPT
LeaderRex Patrick
Founded26 October 2020
Registered7 January 2021
Dissolved24 October 2022
Split fromCentre Alliance
Senate
1 / 76
(2020–2022)

The Rex Patrick Team was formed by Patrick in October 2020, after he left Centre Alliance.[36]

The party was registered with the AEC in January 2021.[34]

At the 2022 federal election, the party received 2.08% of the vote in the Senate in South Australia. Apart from Patrick, the only other candidate for the party was Leonie McMahon.

The party voluntarily deregistered in October 2022 after Patrick failed to be re-elected.

After politics

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Patrick ran for Lord Mayor of Adelaide in the 2022 South Australian local elections.[37] He lost to Jane Lomax-Smith by 52 votes, prompting Patrick to appeal the result due to the small margin and potential voter fraud.[38] Patrick subsequently dropped his appeal in March 2023. [39]

Notes

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  1. ^ At the time Patrick joined the party, it was called the Nick Xenophon Team.

References

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  1. ^ "Crossbench SA senator Rex Patrick quits Centre Alliance party to sit as an independent". ABC News. 10 August 2020.
  2. ^ Doran, Matthew (31 October 2017). "Nick Xenophon readies NXT for his Canberra departure, announcing Senate replacement and new name". ABC News. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  3. ^ @AuSenate. "The South Australian Parliament has chosen Rex Patrick to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former Senator Xenophon". Twitter. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  4. ^ Shepherd, Tory (30 October 2017). "Senator Nick Xenophon to be replaced by longtime adviser Rex Patrick in Senate". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Nick's replacement says 'it's time'". 13 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Rex Patrick". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  7. ^ a b "SA's latest Senator Rex Patrick". News. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "New SA Senator for Nick Xenophon Team outlines history, priorities". ABC News. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  9. ^ "ParlInfo - FIRST SPEECH". Parlinfo.aph.gov.au. 4 November 1992. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b Stewart, Cameron (5 July 2014). "Collins-class submarine critic calls in AFP over navy 'plot'". The Australian. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  11. ^ Ellery, David (10 December 2012). "Keeping Collins afloat ludicrous: expert". Canberra Times. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  12. ^ "Rex Patrick Archive | The Strategist". www.aspistrategist.org.au. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  13. ^ a b Wroe, David (9 December 2016). "Revealed: Senator Nick Xenophon, the staffer and the national security leak". The Maitland Mercury. Fairfax Regional Media. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  14. ^ https://rex.nxtmps.org.au/speeches/a-better-approach-to-defence-procurement/ [dead link‍]
  15. ^ "PODCAST: From the scullery to the Senate, Rex Patrick, senator for South Australia". 17 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Navigating sub leaks scandal". 11 December 2016.
  17. ^ a b Hurst, Daniel; Davidson, Helen; Visontay, Elias (30 November 2020). "Australian MPs unite to condemn 'grossly insulting' Chinese government tweet". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  18. ^ https://hansardpublic.parliament.sa.gov.au/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-11-28080 [dead link‍]
  19. ^ "Senator Rex Patrick". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Taxpayer's tab for Xenophon job". 16 November 2017.
  21. ^ "New X-team senator backs citizenship referendum". 14 November 2017.
  22. ^ "Xenophon to leave controversial post". 17 November 2017.
  23. ^ "Spies need scrutiny, new NXT senator warns". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 December 2017.
  24. ^ "NXT suspends negotiations with Coalition on Senate legislation". TheGuardian.com. 21 December 2017.
  25. ^ "Minister may still face grassland inquiry - 9News". www.9news.com.au. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  26. ^ Greene, Andrew (17 January 2018). "Future Submarine program facing multi-billion-dollar blowout, Senator Rex Patrick says". ABC News. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  27. ^ Shepherd, Tory (29 January 2018). "Secret documents show minimum 50 per cent Australian build on Future Frigates defence project". The Advertiser. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  28. ^ Livingston, Angus; Duke, Jennifer (12 February 2020). "'Corporate scumbag': Senator slams ExxonMobil for not paying tax". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  29. ^ "Senator's weird sub stunt". PerthNow. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  30. ^ Smith, Matt (9 August 2020). "Rex Patrick becomes an independent". The Advertiser. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  31. ^ Doran, Matt (9 August 2020). "Crossbench SA senator Rex Patrick quits Centre Alliance party to sit as an independent". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  32. ^ Foley, Mike (22 November 2020). "'Disgrace': Calls for Indigenous voice in water management". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  33. ^ Curtis, Katina (9 December 2020). "Welfare recipients to spend another two years on cashless debit cards". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  34. ^ a b "Registration of a political party Rex Patrick Team" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 7 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Proposed voter ID laws a 'solution looking for a problem', Senator Rex Patrick says". sbs.com.au. 1 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Senator Rex Patrick forms own party Rex Patrick Team, following split from Centre Alliance". The Advertiser.
  37. ^ "Rex Patrick confirms Lord Mayor tilt, calls for new 20-year city plan". InDaily. 7 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  38. ^ "Losing Adelaide lord mayoral candidate to appeal against election result". ABC News. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  39. ^ "Vanquished Adelaide mayoral candidate drops legal challenge contesting result". ABC News. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
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