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|term_end = 5 August 2013
|predecessor = [[Mark Vaile]]
|successor = [[David Gillespie (Australian politician)|David Gillespie]]
|constituency_MP2 = [[Electoral district of Port Macquarie|Port Macquarie]]
|parliament2 = New South Wales
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|birth_place = [[Lismore, New South Wales|Lismore]], New South Wales
|residence = [[Port Macquarie, New South Wales|Port Macquarie]], New South Wales
|alma_mater = [[University of Sydney]] <br /> [[Macquarie University]] <br /> [[University of Wollongong]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/rob-oakeshott-and-his-kitchen-cabinet-running-a-diy-campaign/news-story/18d677657fafb92094a03d29d46b9955?login=1|title=
|occupation = Political staffer
|profession =
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}}
'''Robert James Murray Oakeshott''' (born 14 December 1969) is
Oakeshott began his political career in state politics. Originally elected as the National Party candidate for the state seat of [[electoral district of Port Macquarie|Port Macquarie]] in the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly]] in 1996, he left the party to become an [[Independent politician|Independent]] in 2002. Oakeshott retained the seat until 2008, when he resigned to contest the federal seat of Lyne, which he won with a large margin. He retained Lyne at the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 election]], again with a large margin.
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Oakeshott retired at the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 election]], choosing not to recontest his seat.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-26/tony-windsor-and-rob-oakeshott-are-quitting-politics/4780492 |title=Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott announce they are quitting politics |author=Griffiths, Emma |date=26 June 2013 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=Australia |access-date=26 June 2013 }}</ref> Oakeshott contested the [[Division of Cowper]] at the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 election]], challenging National incumbent [[Luke Hartsuyker]]. Cowper had absorbed Port Macquarie after the latest [[Redistribution (Australia)|redistribution]].<ref name=comeback>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-10/rob-oakeshott-to-contest-election/7499970|title=Oakeshott to contest federal seat of Cowper|date=10 June 2016|website=Abc.net.au|access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref> Oakeshott lost the election, but managed to turn the once-safe National seat into a marginal seat.
On 15 January 2019, Oakeshott announced his candidacy for the seat of [[Division of Cowper|Cowper]] at the [[2019 Australian federal election]]. The Nationals retained the seat with a small swing towards them.<ref name="Cowper">{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/rob-oakeshott-enters-federal-election-race-20190114-p50rc7.html|title = Rob Oakeshott enters federal election race|date = 14 January 2019}}</ref>
==Early life and career ==
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{{quote|text=As a student he was a pretty interesting fellow but standing on his digs over some of the speeches and some of the sermons he used to give. And in his parting speech to the students, he said, "I hope the great lesson I've taught you as the leader of this college is that you've got to stand up for what you believe in regardless of the consequences."|sign=Rob Oakeshott|source=Lateline, 23 August 2010<ref name="Cameron"/>}}
Oakeshott graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Government in 1992.<ref name="NSW Parliament"/> He then worked as an administrative officer at the Road Transport Forum, for the lobbying company Resolutions, as a staffer for future [[National Party of Australia|National Party]] Leader [[Mark Vaile]], and in public relations for the Coalition in Canberra before his own election to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.<ref name="NSW Parliament"/><ref name="Public relations">{{cite web |url= http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/far-from-an-outsider-or-innocent-20100912-156uu.html|title= Far from an outsider or innocent|author= Paul Sheehan|date= 13 September 2010|work= Sydney Morning Herald|publisher= Fairfax|access-date=13 September 2010}}</ref><ref name="Road Transport Forum">{{cite web |url= http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20060927038 |title= Road Transport Legislation Amendment (Drug Testing) Bill – Second Reading |date= 5 December 2007 |work= Hansard |publisher= [[Parliament of New South Wales]] |access-date=25 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="Staffer1">{{cite web | date = 3 August 2004 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2004/s1168229.htm | title = Nationals concerned about Vaile's survival | publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] | access-date = 10 June 2006}}</ref><ref name="Staffer2">{{cite web | date = 20 July 2004 | url = http://crikey.com.au/articles/2004/07/20-0005.html | title = Where 220 ex Howard staffers are now | work = [[Crikey]] | access-date = 10 June 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060526204616/http://www.crikey.com.au/articles/2004/07/20-0005.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 26 May 2006}}</ref>
==NSW parliament==
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He stood again at the 1999 election, increasing his primary vote to 56.05% and his two-party vote to 66.6%, enough to revert Port Macquarie to its traditional status as a safe National seat.<ref name="1999 election">{{cite web | title=State Electoral District – Port Macquarie Results 1999 | publisher = [[New South Wales Electoral Commission]] | url = http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/election_results/district_index/port_macquarie/results/1999 | access-date = 24 November 2006 }}</ref> Under Opposition Leader [[Kerry Chikarovski]], on 19 April 1999 he was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation and the Shadow Minister for Fisheries and Ports. Following a Shadow Cabinet reshuffle on 1 February 2000, Oakeshott lost Fisheries and Ports and took on the shadow portfolio of Gaming and Racing.<ref name="NSW Parliament"/> However, he had become increasingly dissatisfied with the National Party, stating that he was the youngest person at most meetings he attended, and found himself in opposition to many of the party's policies.<ref name="MP Wanted"/>
Almost immediately after his election to the legislature, Oakeshott identified a number of points of disagreement. He was not at home with the party's strong conservatism on social policy; he recalled being "massively heavied" not to support a Labor bill for a safe injecting room trial. He was also unnerved by a senior National claiming that "blacks and poofters (homosexuals)" were gaining too much influence in the party; he took particular offence to the former because his wife is of South Seas descent. He was also pressured to fall into line on the Nationals' staunch opposition to [[1999 Australian republic referendum|a republic]].<ref name="MP Wanted"/><ref name="Ideology">{{cite news |title= Why the Nationals turned Robert Oakeshott off |author= Claire Harvey |newspaper= The Sunday Telegraph |date= 3 October 2010 |url= http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sunday-telegraph/why-the-nationals-turned-robert-oakeshott-off/story-e6frewt0-1225933295634 |access-date= 3 October 2010}}</ref>
He later said that he should have done "more due diligence" on the Nationals' ideology, saying that he would have never joined the party had he known about its conservative bent. He only did so because he was a budding political consultant and "they're the party around here, I'm a young bloke, I need a job." (Port Macquarie and its predecessor seat, [[electoral district of Oxley|Oxley]], had been in the hands of a conservative party without interruption since 1927, and in the hands of the Nationals for all but six years since 1944.) He added that he didn't think the Nationals didn't do "enough due diligence on me" prior to clearing him to stand for Port Macquarie.<ref name="Ideology"/> He also questioned the relevance of the Nationals in an electorate transformed by demographic change and the growth of tourism.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Clune |first= David |date=December 2002 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 2002 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 48 |issue= 4 |page= 549 |issn=0004-9522}}</ref> Increasingly, he concluded that as long as he remained in the National party room, he would be "a square peg in a round hole." He believed that he had three options–spend a decade in the legislature as a "robotron" National member, quit politics, or run as an independent.<ref name="Ideology"/>
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==Federal parliament==
There were suggestions that Oakeshott would stand as an independent candidate at the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 federal election]] against his former boss and future National Party leader Mark Vaile in the [[Division of Lyne|seat of Lyne]], based on Port Macquarie, but he did not nominate.
===First term===
In April 2008, following the defeat of the [[Howard
On 5 August 2008 Oakeshott resigned from the NSW parliament to stand as an independent candidate at the federal by-election for Lyne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/06/2325482.htm |title=By-elections pressure Coalition's unity|work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=6 August 2008 |access-date=19 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Salusinszky, Imre |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24135323-5006784,00.html |title=Maverick Rob Oakeshott to haunt former party|work=[[The Australian]]|date=6 August 2008|publisher=[[News Limited]] |access-date=19 July 2010}}</ref> His advisor, [[Peter Besseling]], won the [[2008 Port Macquarie state by-election|by-election]] for his state seat.
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Oakeshott won virtually every booth in the electorate, receiving about two-thirds of the primary vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13827-130.htm|title=Lyne by-election 2008|publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|year=2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120053125/http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13827-130.htm|archive-date=20 November 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The extent of his primary vote saw him receive more than $100,000 in electoral reimbursements from the [[Australian Electoral Commission]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Media_releases/2008/10_02.htm |title=Public funding payments for Lyne and Mayo by-elections |publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]] |date=2 October 2008 |access-date=19 July 2010}}</ref>
In his first term, Oakeshott voted 32 times with the ruling [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government (including in support of the proposed [[emission trading scheme]]) and nine times with the opposition. He has explained that this record was not indicative of support for Labor's policy platform, but rather because he believed in allowing governments to govern.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/profile-rob-oakeshott-20100822-13azm.html|title=Profile: Rob Oakeshott|author=Arup, Tom|work=[[The Age]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|date=23 August 2010|access-date=25 October 2010}}</ref>
===Second term – support for minority government===
Oakeshott was re-elected in the [[2010 Australian federal election]]. With neither Labor nor the Liberal/National [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] having enough members to form government on their own, he became one of a number of independents whose support was sought by both sides in a bid to form a minority government. Among the legislation that he supported was the proposed [[emissions trading scheme]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/powers-in-balance-after-rise-of-the-crossbenchers-20100821-13a42.html?rand=1282402988738|title=Power's in balance after rise of the crossbenchers|author=Coorey, Phillip|date=22 August 2010|work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> Oakeshott decided with the other incumbent independents, [[Bob Katter]] and [[Tony Windsor]], to negotiate as a bloc. While holding different opinions on the issue of climate change,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/independents-wobble-before-winds-of-climate-change-20100825-13rpw.html |author=Davis, Mark |title=Independents wobble before winds of climate change|work=[[The Age]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|date=25 August 2010|access-date=25 October 2010}}</ref> all three have highlighted broadband as a policy important to them.<ref name="Another Poll">{{cite news|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-election/call-another-poll-if-talks-fail-oakeshott-20100822-13ayz.html|author=Coorey, Phillip |title=Call another poll if talks fail: Oakeshott|publisher=[[Brisbane Times]]|date=23 August 2010|access-date=25 October 2010}}</ref> Oakeshott expressed his desire to establish stable government and raised concerns that a 76-seat government was "a by-election away from trouble" and, to avoid this, he proposed the formation of a government with ministers from both of the usually antagonistic major parties.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/oakeshott-raises-prospect-of-a-mixandmatch-government-20100824-13js2.html|title=Oakeshott raises prospect of a mix-and-match government|work=[[The Age]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|date=24 August 2010|access-date=25 October 2010}}</ref> If no stable government capable of governing for the full three-year term could be formed, he recommended that the government should call a new election.<ref name="Another Poll"/>
On 7 September 2010, Oakeshott gave his backing to the formation of a Labor minority government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/07/3005028.htm|title=Labor clings to power|date=7 September 2010|work=ABC News online|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=7 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/labor-over-the-line-windsor-and-oakeshott-hand-power-to-gillard-20100907-14you.html|title=Labor over the line: Windsor and Oakeshott hand power to Gillard|last=Davis|first=Mark|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=7 September 2010|access-date=7 September 2010}}</ref> He made the announcement at the end of a 17-minute speech.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-features/rob-oakeshotts-17-minute-speech-that-changed-australia/story-fn5ko0pw-1225915578904|title=Rob Oakeshott's 17 minute speech that changed Australia|website=Heraldsun.com.au|access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref> After announcing his decision, he stated that he had been offered a ministry by Julia Gillard and would be considering the offer.<ref name="Oakeshott refuses ministry">{{cite web |url= http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/oakeshott-forsakes-100k-pay-rise-by-refusing-ministry/story-fn59niix-1225917708253 |title= Oakeshott forsakes $100k pay rise by refusing ministry |author= Lanai Vasek |date= 11 September 2010 |work= The Australian |publisher= News Limited |access-date=15 September 2010}}</ref> On 10 September 2010 he announced that he had turned down becoming the minister for Regional Australia, a portfolio created because of the agreement between himself, Tony Windsor and the ALP.<ref name="Ministerial offer">{{cite web |url= http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s3008980.htm |title= Ministerial offer 'attractive': Oakeshott |author= Frances Bell |date= 10 September 2010 |work= Lateline |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=15 September 2010}}</ref> Oakeshott later released a statement saying that he would accept nomination to be the [[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives]] if he were nominated by another member, provided proposed Parliamentary reforms were put into place.<ref name="Speaker">{{cite web |url= http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s3012428.htm |title= Exclusive: Oakeshott makes a bid for Speaker |author= Glenn Milne |author-link= Glenn Milne |date= 15 September 2010 |work= The Drum |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=15 September 2010}}</ref> In the event, he was not nominated, and Labor's [[Harry Jenkins]] was elected unopposed as speaker.<ref name="Speakership">{{cite news |title= Harry Jenkins rules, okay |author= Rob Burgess |newspaper= Business Spectator|date= 28 September 2010 |url= http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Harry-Jenkins-rules-okay-pd20100928-9Q684?opendocument&src=rss |access-date= 3 October 2010 }}</ref> Following Jenkins' resignation from the speakership in November 2011, Oakeshott was again offered the speakership, this time by opposition leader [[Tony Abbott]], in a deal that would deliver government to the Liberal-National coalition. Oakeshott declined and [[Peter Slipper]], a coalition MP, became speaker, allowing the Labor Party to continue in minority government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-gives-abbott-the-slip-20111124-1nx0d.html|title=Gillard gives Abbott the slip|first=Phillip Coorey, Lenore|last=Taylor|date=24 November 2011|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref>
Shortly before the [[Australian Labor Party leadership spill, 2012]], Oakeshott stated that he would not, as a matter of course, continue to support the minority Labor
Oakeshott's support for Labor didn't play well with his constituents. Despite his large personal majority, both his federal and state electorates were still comfortably safe National seats in "traditional" two-party matchups. Proving this, Besseling lost Port Macquarie to the Nationals' [[Leslie Williams (politician)|Leslie Williams]] at the [[2011 New South Wales state election|2011 state election]] partly due to voter anger at Oakeshott's support for Gillard.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/26/3174374.htm |title=Close battle expected in Port Macquarie electorate |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=26 March 2011 |access-date=5 June 2011}}</ref>
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===Retirement===
Oakeshott retired from politics prior to the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 federal election]], and did not contest his seat.<ref name="APH34">{{Cite Au Parliament|mpid=IYS|name=Mr Robert Oakeshott MP|access-date=2022-08-01}}</ref> It was subsequently won by the National Party candidate [[David Gillespie (Australian politician)|David Gillespie]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/throsby/rob-oakeshott/5978618|title=Robb Oakeshott|publisher=ABC|date=17 January 2015}}</ref>
===Comeback===
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In January 2019, Oakeshott announced he would stand again in Cowper at the [[2019 Australian federal election]].<ref name="Cowper"/> He was unsuccessful in his bid to win the seat.<ref name="2019 Poll">{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/poverty-on-the-agenda-for-newly-elected-cowper-mp-pat-conaghan/news-story/f604967eab375b97acc97c31492fadbd?nk=e3f5402b2b0fafbb081b5415b6b1db7c-1558251809|author=Higgins, Ean |title='Gutted' Rob Oakeshott points the finger at Nationals over Cowper loss|publisher=[[The Weekend Australian]]|date=19 May 2019|access-date=19 May 2019}}</ref>
In October 2021 Oakeshott was named as an advisor for climate fund, [[Climate 200]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-01|title=Windsor and Oakeshott ride again in push to bring climate to forefront|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2021/10/01/windsor-and-oakeshott-ride-again-in-climate-push/|access-date=2021-10-13|website=Crikey|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Post-politics==
In 2017, Oakeshott was among the first batch of students to begin studying a undergraduate medical degree at [[University of New South Wales]]'s new Rural Clinical School Campus in [[Port Macquarie]]. He graduated in November 2022. Oakeshott said he aimed to work as a regional general practitioner in the Port Macquarie area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-18/former-mp-rob-oakeshott-graduates-with-a-medical-degree/101670584|title=Former independent politician Rob Oakeshott embraces new medical career on the NSW Mid North coast|publisher=ABC News|date=18 November 2022}}</ref>
==Private life==
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{{succession box | title=[[Electoral district of Port Macquarie|Member for Port Macquarie]]| before=[[Wendy Machin]]|after= [[Peter Besseling]]| years=1996–2008}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{succession box | title=[[Division of Lyne|Member for Lyne]] | before=[[Mark Vaile]] | after=[[David Gillespie (Australian politician)|David Gillespie]]| years=2008–2013}}
{{s-end}}
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