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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CANBERRA 000535 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2019 
TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV PINS PINR AS
SUBJECT: PM RUDD NAMES JOHN FAULKNER NEW DEFENSE MINISTER 
 
REF: CANBERRA 524 
 
CANBERRA 00000535  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor James F. Cole. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (C/NF) Prime Minister Rudd named Special Minister of 
State and Cabinet Secretary Senator John Faulkner as Defence 
Minister on June 5, replacing Joel Fitzgibbon, who had 
stepped down the previous day (reftel.)  Faulkner, 55, is 
known for his toughness, integrity and attention to detail. 
Although from the Left wing of the Australian Labor Party 
(ALP), Faulkner is a pragmatist who is trusted by Rudd and 
held in high regard across the ALP.  Faulkner was one of only 
a handful of Labor MPs to have had previous ministerial 
experience when the ALP returned to power in 2007, having 
served as Minister for Veterans Affairs and Defense Science 
and Personnel, and then Minister for the Environment during 
the Keating government.  Former ALP Leader and Defense 
Minister Kim Beazley phoned Faulkner five times, urging him 
to put his hand up for the job.  Faulkner concedes he has a 
"steep learning curve" but is widely viewed as more capable 
than his predecessor.  He is expected to attend the NATO 
Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels June 11-12. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
ANNOUNCEMENT 
------------ 
¶2. (SBU) On June 5, the day after Fitzgibbon resigned, Rudd 
announced Senator John Faulkner as the new Defense Minister. 
Rudd said Faulkner had "unquestionable integrity and strength 
of character".  As late as two hours prior to the 
announcement, there was media speculation Faulkner didn't 
want the job.  Faulkner revealed at the press conference that 
former ALP Leader and Defense Minister Kim Beazley had phoned 
him five times, urging him to throw his hat in the ring, 
lending credence to the speculation, and that he had phoned 
Beazley's successor as Defense Minister, Robert Ray, for 
advice.  Faulkner conceded he had a "steep learning curve," 
accepting the job in the wake of a major transformation of 
the Australian Department of Defence outlined in the Rudd 
government's recent Defence White Paper.  Prior to the 
announcement, former Defense analyst Hugh White (a former 
adviser to Beazley and Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and former 
senior Defense bureaucrat) declared Faulkner would be "an 
outstanding defense minister" and that his "manner and style" 
would suit the role.  Faulkner remarked: "I'll have very high 
expectations of the Department of Defense as its new 
minister." Faulkner is expected to attend a NATO meeting next 
week which will discuss Australia's commitment in Afghanistan. 
 
WHO IS FAULKNER? 
---------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Faulkner was among a very few ALP MPs to have had 
Cabinet experience when the ALP returned to office in 
November 2007, having served as Minister for Veterans Affairs 
and Minister for Defense Science and Personnel in 1993, and 
Qand Minister for Defense Science and Personnel in 1993, and 
then Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories in 
the Keating ALP government (a Cabinet position) in 1994.  As 
Leader of the Opposition ALP in the Senate during 1998-2004, 
Faulkner was well known for his attention to detail and focus 
on government accountability, particularly during Senate 
inquiries.  Faulkner is from the New South Wales Left faction 
of the ALP.  In the 1980s, he was arguably its most powerful 
powerbroker, serving as NSW ALP Assistant General Secretary 
1980-89.  In 1989, he entered the Senate following the 
retirement of Arthur Gietzelt.  Since then, Faulkner has 
become more pragmatic and gradually divorced himself from 
factional warfare.  Widely viewed as honest and a straight 
shooter, he is looked upon by many in the ALP as an elder 
statesman whose advice is taken very seriously.  He has been 
a key figure in ALP leadership ballots and election campaigns 
during the last decade.  Rudd holds him in the highest 
 
CANBERRA 00000535  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
regard. One powerful figure in the ALP Left told us Faulkner 
is part of Rudd's "inner circle" when government political 
strategy is discussed. 
 
BIOGRAPHIC DETAILS 
------------------ 
¶4. (U) John Philip Faulkner was born in Leeton, New South 
Wales (NSW), on April 12, 1954, and lived most of his life in 
Sydney, where he attended public schools and graduated from 
Macquarie University with an arts degree and education 
diploma.  He joined the Labor Party as a teenager and held 
various party positions, including member of the NSW 
Administrative Committee (1978-1989), Assistant General 
Secretary, NWS Branch of the ALP (1980-1989); delegate, NSW 
Annual Conference (since 1975); delegate to the national 
Conference (since 1982); and member of the APL National 
Executive (since 1989.)  For four years, Faulkner worked as a 
specialist teacher of children with severe disabilities and 
then worked as a research officer for the NSW Minister for 
Sport and Recreation.  He was appointed to the Australian 
Senate on April 4, 1989, to fill the vacancy created by the 
retirement of Senator Arthur Gietzelt, and was elected for 
further six-year terms in 1993, 1998 and 2004.  After the 
1996 Federal election, he became Leader of the Opposition in 
the Senate and Shadow Minister for Social Security (March 
1996-March 1997.)  He was then appointed Shadow Minister for 
Public Administration and Government Services (March 1997 - 
2001.)  Senator Faulkner also became Shadow Minister with 
responsibility for Territories (i.e., Northern Territory and 
the Australian Capital Territory) during October 1997 - 
October 1998.) 
 
¶5. (U) After the 1998 Federal election, Senator Faulkner 
remained Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and assumed 
the portfolios of Shadow Minister for Public Administration 
and Government Services, and Shadow Minister for Olympic 
Coordination and the Centenary of the Federation.  He 
remained as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after the 
2001 Federal election.  In the 2001-2004 Parliamentary term, 
Faulkner held several portfolios, including Shadow Minister 
of State, Shadow Minister for Public Administration and 
Accountability, and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs.  After 
the 2004 election he stood down as Leader of the Opposition 
in the Senate, serving as National President of the 
Australian Labor Party from April 2007 to March 2008.  Under 
the Rudd Government, Faulkner was appointed Special Minister 
of State, Cabinet Secretary and Vice-President of the 
Executive Council. 
 
¶6. (C/NF) Faulkner is reputedly very protective of his home 
life, and personal details are noticably absent from 
available official biographic material.  The 2002 Australian 
Political Alamanac notes he "has two teenage children from a 
QPolitical Alamanac notes he "has two teenage children from a 
former marriage."  A November 7, 2006, Australian newspaper 
story identified NSW Tourism Minister, Sandra Nori, as 
Faulkner's former wife in an article alleging she had had an 
affair with NSW MP Paul Gibson while she was married. 
 
GOOD CHOICE 
----------- 
 
¶7. (C/NF) COMMENT: Faulkner is widely regarded as a safe pair 
of hands and we anticipate a good working relationship based 
on our contacts with him.  The government remains committed 
to the Defense reform program driven by Fitzgibbon, which 
means Faulkner may continue to face resistance from vested 
interests in the defense bureaucracy.  However, given his 
temperment and reputation, we believe Faulkner will have a 
greater chance of pushing the reform agenda through would 
Fitzgibbon.  He has better political instincts, superior 
knowledge of the process of government process and commands 
more respect.  Faulkner's commitment to probity will lessen 
the likelihood that he will become embroiled in the 
 
CANBERRA 00000535  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
controversies that plagued Fitzgibbon's tenure. 
 
¶8. (C/NF) During meetings with Ambassador McCallum in 2008, 
Faulkner seemed disengaged from the central issues facing the 
government at that time, and instead was more focused on 
Parliamentary issues.  However, we expect him to quickly get 
up to speed on his new portfolio. 
 
CLUNE