Mark Coulton

Biography

Mark Maclean Coulton is an Australian politician who was born in Sydney on February 3, 1958. He is a member of the National Party and has been serving in the House of Representatives since the 2007 federal election, representing the Division of Parkes in New South Wales. Coulton has held various ministerial positions, including Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government (2020–2021), Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government (2019–2020), Assistant Minister for Trade and Investment (2019–2020), Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment (2018–2019), and Deputy Speaker of the House (2016–2018).

Before entering politics, Coulton was involved in several community organizations, such as the Warialda Pony Club, the Warialda Rotary Club, and the local Bush Fire Brigade. He also served as president of the Warialda Pastoral and Agricultural Association. In September 2004, Coulton was elected as the inaugural mayor of Gwydir Shire, a newly created local government area.

Coulton announced in November 2006 that he would seek National Party preselection for the Division of Parkes. He had previously been the chairman of the party’s electoral council for the Division of Gwydir, which was abolished and merged into Parkes. Coulton was elected to parliament at the 2007 federal election and served as a shadow parliamentary secretary from 2007 to 2010, then as the Nationals’ Chief Whip in the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016. After the 2016 election, he was elected Deputy Speaker.

In March 2018, Coulton resigned as Deputy Speaker to take up the position of Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in the Turnbull government. He retained the position when Scott Morrison became prime minister in August 2018. Following the Morrison government’s re-election at the 2019 election, his title was changed to Assistant Minister for Trade and Investment, and he was also given a full ministerial portfolio as Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government. Following a reshuffle in February 2020, he was appointed Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government.

In November 2020, Coulton made a parliamentary speech in which he stated that Israel was engaged in “a level of apartheid” with regard to Palestinians. Coulton is married to schoolteacher Robyn Redford, and they have three children together.