Ross Cameron

The Honourable Ross Cameron
Member of the Australian Parliament for Parramatta
In office 2 March 1996 – 9 October 2004
Preceded by	Paul Elliott
Succeeded by	Julie Owens
Personal details
Born	14 May 1965 Sydney
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Relations	Jim Cameron (father)
Occupation	Lawyer

Ross Alexander Cameron (born 14 May 1965) is an Australian politician who was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 2004, representing the Division of Parramatta, New South Wales.

Early life

The son of Jim Cameron, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, he was born in Sydney, New South Wales, grew up in Turramurra in Sydney and was educated at Knox Grammar School and Sydney University. He was a lawyer before entering politics. He was policy adviser and research officer to the New South Wales Minister for Transport, Bruce Baird, and an intern to United States Republican Senator Mark Hatfield.

Member of Parliament

Cameron was elected to parliament in the 1996 Federal election, winning the Division of Parramatta from the sitting Labor member Paul Elliott. A noted orator, he delivered his maiden speech to the House of Representatives without notes.^[1] Cameron held the traditionally Labor seat of Parramatta for three terms.

While a member of parliament, Cameron was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Family and Community Services from 2001–2003 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer (Peter Costello) 2003–2004.^[2]

Cameron ran regular prayer meetings for politicians in his office in Parliament House.^[3] Mark Latham former leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005, wrote of Ross Cameron in 1997: "Ross Cameron, the brilliant but creepy Liberal member for Parramatta, has talked me into participating in his youth leadership forum in Canberra. I rather suspect it's a front for mobilising Christian soldiers, plus some quality box for Ross".^[4]

Cameron ran an eight-year campaign while in office against the Parliament House contemporary art collection.^[5][6]

In August 2004, Cameron revealed in an interview in Good Weekend that he had an extramarital affair with an "exotic solicitor" while his wife was pregnant with twins.^[7] Cameron "was a frequent overnight visitor to the house his mistress shared with a reporter".^[8] In Truth Overboard, journalist Tom Dusevic wrote in Time Magazine that once Cameron's story was in the public domain "...reporters in Canberra immediately ran with further details of Cameron's private life, unleashing stories they'd been sitting on for years" which included accounts of numerous other affairs which he had failed to disclose in the original interview with Good Weekend.^[9][10][11]

Mark Bahnisch wrote "He was probably.... unwise not to enquire of the “exotic solicitor”‘s flatmate what her occupation was – she turned out to be a member of the Canberra Press Gallery – hence his pre-emptive confession."

At the October 2004 Federal election, he lost his seat to Labor candidate Julie Owens; he was one of only three coalition members to lose their seat at that election.

Christianity and The Fellowship

Cameron, along with several other Australian Politicians, has been associated with the American evangelical Christian organisation, The Fellowship/The Family.^[12] US Senator Mark Hatfield, with whom Cameron served an internship, is a significant leader in the secretive organisation.^{[13][14][15][16]}

After Parliament

After his departure from parliament, he joined Macquarie Bank's Investment Banking Group, working primarily on partnerships between the public and private sectors. He left Macquarie in 2008.^[17]

Cameron was a founder and original board member of MyATM, along with three time undischarged bankrupt ^[18][19] Don Fleming (currently owing $24million),^[20][21][22] Kym Weir, Tim Scala and Grant Chapman. According to The Business Spectator he bought 15,787,600 shares for $3,946,900 on April 1, 2010 and April 2, becoming a substantial shareholder with 15,787,600 shares (7.52%). In a written statement outlining controversial business man Mr Fleming's involvement with the company, Mr Scala said: "Don Fleming founded My ATM jointly with Ross Cameron and myself"^{[21][23][24][25][26][27][28]} Cameron controversially resigned from the board of directors of MyATM four months after the public float, he remains on the board of Aussie ATM and My ATM New Zealand.^{[29][30][31][32][33]}

Since 2013, Cameron has been a regular contributor to programs on Sky News Australia. From July 2014, Cameron became a co-host alongside Kristina Keneally on weekly panel show The Contrarians every Friday afternoon, before the pair were given their own self-titled program Keneally and Cameron.^[34] This program was axed in March 2015, although Cameron is still a contributor for the network.^[35] From 4 December 2016, Cameron will begin co-hosting Outsiders on Sky News.^[36]

On a Sky News panel discussion of the recently released Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape in October 2016, Cameron said the whole thing had made him even more pro-Trump and theatrically demonstrated his support by donning an official Trump slogan cap and removing his shirt to reveal an official Trump Pence campaign t-shirt. ^[37]

Potential return to politics

In September, 2011 Cameron said he may run for a seat at the next federal election and had discussed the matter with Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. While he ruled out running for his old seat of Parramatta, Liberal sources said he was considering putting his hand up for seats such as Dobell, Robertson or Kingsford Smith or the Senate, but it would depend on how his business interests were going.^[30]

References

1. "The right thing". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 14 August 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
2. "Biography for CAMERON, the Hon. Ross Alexander". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
3. "In God They Trust". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 April 2004. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
4. The Latham diaries – Google Books. Books.google.com.au. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
5. "Just Say No To Art". The Art Life. 13 April 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
6. "7.30 Report – 07/04/2004: Art collection questioned". Australia: ABC. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
7. "Liberals' dilemma as Cameron fights on". The Sun-Herald. 22 August 2004.
8. "Campbell's outing: public has a right to know the truth". The Australian. 21 May 2010.
9. Dusevic, Tom (25 August 2004). "Truth Overboard". TIME. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
10. Kerr, Christian (29 August 2011). "It's not sex but lies that cause trouble". The Australian. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
11. "The former flatmate of the woman yesterday recalled Mr Cameron showering and dressing himself in the bathroom of the apartment on at least two occasions in winter 2001. At other times, Mr Cameron could be found in the kitchen making coffee. The MP was unaware his lover shared the apartment with a reporter. At the time of the affair the woman worked as a Commonwealth DPP solicitor. She has moved to Washington. The pair hit it off when Mr Cameron revealed he had trained as a solicitor and worked for top firm Blake Dawson Waldron. "How MP betrayed his pregnant wife Telegraph 17 August 2004
12. "The Religion Report – 3 September 2008 – Elite Fundamentism – The Fellowship's gospel of Capitalist Power". Australia: ABC. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
13. http://nslf.org.au/our-vision/
14. Toohey, Paul (19 February 2010). "Good God, it's Tony Abbott". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
15. "In God they trust – National". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 April 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
16. "God under Howard: The rise of the religious right in Australia – Reviews". The Age. Australia. 26 February 2005. Retrieved 17 October 2011.Ross Cameron ran regular meetings and prayer breakfasts in Canberra while in office which were modelled on the Fellowship's cellular functioning in the USA. (see God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australia)
17. "Macquarie: government by private enterprise". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
18. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business-journal/serial-bankrupt-winds-up-again-with-debts-of-24m/story-e6fredel-1226287771548
19. http://www.prospectindaily.com.au/?iid=60437&startpage=page0000001#folio=2
20. http://flindersindaily.flinders.edu.au/default.aspx?iid=60435&startpage=page0000002#folio=2
21. Hunt, Nigel (6 June 2010). "Bankrupt in link to Port Adelaide sponsor". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
22. "Mr Fleming, who in 1990 was referred to in State Parliament as a "criminal" by then-Treasurer Stephen Baker, has previously been at the centre of Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigations and Australian Taxation Department investigations." In 1987, he was declared bankrupt with about $10 million in debts and in 1989 he was charged, and acquitted, of $25 million in tax avoidance in connection with a Tasmanian scallop boat fleet investment. In 2005, 10 companies run by Mr Fleming and his wife collapsed, leaving investors, including mums and dads, businesses and banks, $17 million out of pocket. The companies were involved in commercial property investments, grape seed crushing, pistachio farms and coconut plantations. The revelation that Mr Fleming has once again emerged as a major player in the business world has also prompted warnings from those who have lost money in his previous ventures." http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/bankrupt-in-link-to-port-adelaide-sponsor/story-e6frea83-1225875941652
23. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/bankrupt-in-link-to-port-adelaide-sponsor/story-e6frea83-1225875941652
24. "Financial Review – News Store". Newsstore.smh.com.au. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2011.The company was initially banned by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) from public release on the Australian stock exchange after queries concerning the viability and public interest in the company as well as the claim of a 20% projected profit guarantee for investors
25. http://www.ecommercereport.com.au/?p=1067
26. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/former-mp-ross-cameron-a-right-loser/story-e6freuzi-1226059954388
27. "Tough withdrawal for My ATM". Afr.com. Retrieved 17 October 2011.On eventually floating in January 2011, the MyATM share price fell from its open of .21c to .009c in the first seven months of trading, losing investors millions of dollars.
28. Tabakoff, Nick (21 May 2011). "Cashflow concern on My ATM | thetelegraph.com.au". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
29. http://www.myatmnz.co.nz/myatm-board-members.html
30. "Former mp Ross Cameron a right loser". October 2011.
31. http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/companyInfo.do?by=asxCode&asxCode=MYA
32. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-07/my-atm-administration-port-adelaide-sponsor/3716552?section=sa
33. On 6 December 2011 My ATM appointed a voluntary administrator to take control of the company's assets, including those of its wholly owned subsidiaries Aussie ATM's Pty Limited and MYATM Pty Limited.
34. "Former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally reveals her long-held TV dream, as she gets her own show". News Corp Australia. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
35. Knox, David. "Sky News resting Keneally and Cameron". TV Tonight. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
36. Knox, David (21 November 2016). "Airdate: Outsiders". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
37. Robin, Myriam (2016-10-11). "Ross Cameron says our fertility rate is falling because men can't objectify women anymore". Crikey. Retrieved 2016-10-11.

External links

• 2004 Good Weekend article on Cameron