Malcolm Turnbull Facts & Worksheets

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is more known as “Malcolm Turnbull”. He was a former Australian businessman and politician. He was the 29th Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. Turnbull was also the leader of the Liberal Party in Australia. He was also well known for his career as a lawyer, which contributed to the start of his political career in Australia.

See the fact file below for more information about Malcolm Turnbull, or you can download our 30-page Malcolm Turnbull worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

• Malcolm Bligh Turnbull was born in Sydney, Australia, on October 24, 1954. Turnbull is the only child of Bruce Bligh Turnbull, a hotel broker, and Coral Magnolia Lansbury, a radio actor and writer. 
• Turnbull’s middle name, “Bligh”, had been passed down through the family for generations, and it was initially bestowed in honor of Governor William Bligh, a British officer in the Royal Navy.
• In December 1995, fourteen months following his birth, Turnbull’s parents finally tied the knot. However, their marriage was far from harmonious, primarily stemming from the fact that they wedded due to the birth of their son, Malcolm.
• When Turnbull reached the age of nine, his mother departed Australia to be with John Salmon, a man she had been involved with. This significant event marked the beginning of his parents’ marital separation. Bruce endeavored to shield Malcolm from the truth by asserting that Coral had embarked on a journey to pursue her Ph.D. 
• Turnbull spent three years at Vaucluse Public School before transitioning to Sydney Grammar School. Unfortunately, he faced taunting from peers when they discovered he experienced bed-wetting. He pursued his high school education at the Grammar High School Campus through a partial scholarship.
• In 1973, Turnbull embarked on his academic journey at the University of Sydney. By 1977, he had earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the institution. In the subsequent year, Turnbull’s accomplishments included obtaining a Bachelor of Laws degree and being awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 1978. This scholarship facilitated his studies at Brasenose College, Oxford. In the year 1980, he celebrated his union with Lucy through marriage.

CAREER BEFORE POLITICS

• While studying at Oxford, Turnbull worked for The Sunday Times and contributed to newspapers and publications. He returned to Australia after finishing his studies in Oxford. 
• Turnbull began working as a lawyer after graduation. 
• From 1983 to 1985, he served as a general attorney and secretary for the Australian Consolidated Press Holdings Group. One of his well-known cases was the “Goanna” charges. He defended Kerry Packer against the Costigan Commission’s “Goanna” charges. His methods of using the press to release defamatory statements earned him adversaries in the NSW Bar Association, prompting him to quit the association. 
• After a few years from the Goanna charges, he founded his law firm in collaboration with Bruce McWilliam. Turnbull stood in defense of Wright for the Spycatcher Trial. Wright wrote the book “Spycatcher, which contains details of his employment for the espionage agency during the Cold War.
• Turnbull and Wright won the case after submitting an appeal to the New South Wales Court of Appeal, where the attempts of the British government to prevent the publication of the book from being published in Australia were put to an end. 
• Turnbull later wrote The Spycatcher Trial, which was about his representation of Peter Wright’s defense in 1986.
• Turnbull had a successful career as a lawyer, investment banker, and entrepreneur before entering politics. In the 1990s, he co-founded OzEmail, an Australian internet service provider that grew to become one of Australia’s largest internet enterprises.

POLITICAL CAREER

• Before the 1981 Wentworth by-election, Turnbull ran for Liberal Party preselection in the Division of Wentworth. Peter Coleman defeated him and went on to win the seat. 
• In 1982, Former Prime Minister William McMahon nominated Turnbull as his preferred replacement upon his retirement from politics. However, the Liberals chose another candidate as McMahon’s replacement. The liberals lost the election to Labor Partylist.
• Turnbull then ran for preselection in Mosman, a safe state seat, but lost to Phillip Smiles. 
• After all of Turnbull’s losses, he was finally appointed the Liberal Party’s Federal Treasurer in 2000.
• Turnbull was appointed Chair of the Republic Advisory Committee by Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1993. He was tasked with examining the options to transition Australia to a republican system of governance by changing the head of the state. The head shall be an elected head of state instead of the Queen of Australia.
• From 2002 to 2003, Turnbull served on the executive committee of the federal and New South Wales. Turnbull entered national politics in 2004 when he was elected to the Liberal Party’s Wentworth seat. He soon progressed through the ranks and established himself as a prominent party member. 
• Turnbull was elected Leader of the Liberal Party and Opposition in 2008. However, his leadership lost support due to internal conflicts within the party. 
• Turnbull successfully challenged Tony Abbott for the leadership of the Liberal Party in September 2015, becoming Australia’s 29th Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, he prioritized economic and fiscal changes, as well as innovation and climate change policies.

POLITICAL ISSUES

• The Godwin Grech controversy featured Malcolm Turnbull, then-leader of the Liberal Party, who accused the Labor Party of misconduct. Turnbull based his decision on an email from Treasury employee Godwin Grech containing contents about the misconduct, but the email was later found to have been forged.
• Turnbull’s credibility was harmed due to this controversy, which led to criticism of his judgment and leadership. The scandal produced a political upheaval, a public outcry, and internal Liberal Party tensions. 
• The issue ultimately contributed to Turnbull’s demise and a leadership spill, with Tony Abbott taking over as Prime Minister.
• Another controversy of Turnbull is the rocky relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump. The conflict resulted from a refugee resettlement arrangement between the two countries. Trump slammed the pact, calling it a “dumb deal”.
• The heated phone chat between the two leaders was widely documented and leaked to the public. Despite their disagreements, Turnbull and Trump maintained diplomatic connections, but their meetings revealed their opposing views on immigration and international accords.

POLICIES

• Asylum Seeker Policy. Malcolm Turnbull’s asylum seeker policy, Operation Sovereign Borders, focused on deterring boat arrivals to Australia. It included regional processing, where asylum seekers intercepted at sea were sent to detention centers in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. 
• Turnbull emphasized that boat arrivals would not be settled in Australia and sought regional cooperation to address the issue. Mandatory detention was enforced on those who were caught.
• The Asylum Seeker Policy faced criticism for its humanitarian impact and treatment of asylum seekers in offshore centers.
• Malcolm Turnbull’s energy policy centered around a “technology-neutral” approach, balancing environmental concerns with energy security and affordability. He supported the transition to renewable energy but also emphasized the role of traditional sources like coal and gas. 
• Turnbull championed the National Energy Guarantee (NEG), which aimed to reduce emissions while ensuring a reliable electricity supply. However, the policy faced opposition and was eventually abandoned. Turnbull’s energy policy focused on innovation, market mechanisms, and various energy sources to meet Australia’s energy needs.
• During Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership, he played a significant role in legalizing same-sex marriage in Australia. He held a national postal survey in 2017 to gauge public opinion on the issue, which resulted in most Australians supporting marriage equality. 
• Turnbull subsequently introduced legislation to amend the Marriage Act, allowing same-sex couples to marry. The law passed in December 2017, granting marriage equality and recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry under Australian law.

Malcolm Turnbull Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Malcolm Turnbull across 30 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Malcolm Turnbull. Malcolm Turnbull was a former Australian businessman and politician. He was the 29th Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Malcolm Turnbull Facts 
2. My Careers
3. Maze of Information
4. Yes or No?
5. Life Progress
6. Make a Stand
7. The People in My Life
8. List of Policies
9. His Story!
10. What’s the Scoop?
11. Defending the Clients 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Malcolm Turnbull?

Malcolm Turnbull is an Australian politician who served as the 29th Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the Member of Parliament for Wentworth.

What are some key achievements of Malcolm Turnbull’s political career?

Some of Malcolm Turnbull’s key achievements include his advocacy for action on climate change, support for marriage equality, and his role in the successful 1999 Australian Republic Referendum campaign. He also played a significant role in the development of Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) during his tenure as Communications Minister.

What was the reason for Malcolm Turnbull’s resignation as Prime Minister?

Malcolm Turnbull resigned as Prime Minister in August 2018 following a leadership challenge within his own party, the Liberal Party. The leadership dispute was primarily over his energy policy, the National Energy Guarantee, which was contentious within the party.

How did Malcolm Turnbull’s political career begin?

Malcolm Turnbull’s political career began when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Wentworth in 2004. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Liberal Party, holding various ministerial positions, including Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Minister for Communications.

What is Malcolm Turnbull’s background outside of politics?

Before entering politics, Malcolm Turnbull had a successful career in law and business. He was a lawyer and later became a successful businessman, co-founding OzEmail, one of Australia’s first Internet service providers. He also had a notable career in investment banking and venture capital.

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