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| Andrew Wilkie | |
|---|---|
| Name | Andrew Wilkie |
| Birth date | 20 February 1961 |
| Birth place | Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation | Politician, intelligence officer, Australian Army officer |
| Party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Australian National University |
Andrew Wilkie is an Australian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as the independent Member of Parliament for the Division of Clark (formerly Denison) since 2010. He is known for his public resignation from the Australian Intelligence Community in 2003 over the Iraq War intelligence dossier, his advocacy on gambling reform and drug policy, and his role as a crossbench representative in the Parliament of Australia. Wilkie's career spans the Australian Army, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Office of National Assessments, and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.
Wilkie was born in Hobart, Tasmania and educated at local schools before attending the Australian National University where he studied economics and politics. He later undertook postgraduate study and professional training relevant to roles in Australian Defence Force, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, and Office of National Assessments practice. During his formative years he developed interests that led to service in the Australian Army Reserve and later full-time commissioning into the Australian Army.
Wilkie served as an intelligence analyst in several Australian intelligence agencies, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Office of National Assessments, and as an intelligence officer attached to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet during the administration of John Howard. He worked on assessments related to Iraq War, Saddam Hussein, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and regional security issues involving Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan. In 2003 he resigned from the Australian intelligence community in protest at the public version of the Australian government’s Iraq intelligence dossier prepared before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, arguing that the dossier overstated the certainty of WMD claims. His resignation and subsequent public testimony to the Iraq Inquiry and statements to the media placed him at the centre of debates about intelligence, executive decision-making, and the role of analysts in policymaking. Following his resignation he worked as the intelligence adviser to the first Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, engaging with oversight issues involving the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Australian Secret Intelligence Service.
Wilkie entered electoral politics after campaigning against what he described as misleading intelligence on Iraq and later focusing on domestic issues such as poker machine reform. He contested the federal seat of Higgins for the Australian Greens at one stage and later ran as an independent in the Division of Denison, unseating the Labor incumbent in 2010 to become an independent MP. In the House of Representatives he has held the seat through successive federal elections, representing constituents in Hobart and broader southern Tasmania. As an independent he has negotiated with Liberal Party of Australia, Australian Labor Party, and crossbenchers on supply and caretaker arrangements, and has been influential in hung-parliament scenarios including the 2010 federal hung parliament when crossbenchers played a decisive role. Wilkie has served on parliamentary committees concerned with intelligence oversight, public accounts, and social policy, interacting with institutions such as the Parliament of Australia and the Australian Electoral Commission.
Wilkie is best known for his advocacy on poker machine reform, supporting restrictions on pokie venues, mandatory pre-commitment systems, and caps on wagering. He has campaigned for changes to federal and Tasmanian laws concerning poker machines and supported measures tied to public health and community welfare. Wilkie has also advocated for drug law reform, including proposals related to cannabis regulation and harm-minimisation approaches, engaging with debates involving the Therapeutic Goods Administration and state and territory legislatures. On foreign policy, he has been a critic of interventions premised on contested intelligence claims, voicing positions during debates on the Iraq War, Afghanistan conflict, and Australia's involvement in regional security arrangements. He has supported strengthened oversight of intelligence agencies through bodies like the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and has called for transparency in counter-terrorism and surveillance legislation, engaging with statutes such as the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 and parliamentary scrutiny processes.
Wilkie resides in Hobart and maintains links to local community organisations, sporting clubs, and veteran associations connected to his service with the Australian Army. He has been active in local cultural and civic events in Tasmania, including engagement with the City of Hobart council and Tasmanian community groups. Wilkie is known for a plain-spoken public style and for prioritising constituency service in areas such as health, social welfare, and local infrastructure.
Wilkie's public profile rose following his 2003 resignation and whistleblower role regarding Iraq intelligence, which attracted international media attention from outlets covering the Iraq Inquiry, debates in the United Kingdom, and commentary in United States press. He has been cited in academic and policy analyses of intelligence ethics, oversight, and the relationship between analysts and political leaders in contexts involving the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Downing Street memo debates, and parliamentary inquiries. Domestically, his electoral success and policy campaigns have earned recognition from Tasmanian community groups and public advocacy organisations concerned with gambling reform, public health, and civil liberties.
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives Category:Australian politicians Category:Australian intelligence personnel