Tim Wilson

Timothy Robert Wilson (born 12 March 1980) is an Australian politician who has represented Goldstein in the Australian House of Representatives since 2016 as a member of the Liberal Party. He was a policy director of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) for seven years, and subsequently the Australian Human Rights Commissioner from 2014 to 2016.

Wilson graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts (policy studies) and a Masters of Diplomacy and Trade (international trade), as well as a Graduate Certificate in Energy and Carbon Management from Murdoch University.

Wilson was employed by the Institute of Public Affairs for seven years, serving as Director of Climate Change Policy and the Intellectual Property and Free Trade. During this time, he argued against plain cigarette packaging, and to vote against the proposed local government referendum in Australia. He was a vocal critic of the Human Rights Commission and during his time at the IPA, the Institute called for the abolition of the Commission.

Wilson served as Australia's Human Rights Commissioner between February 2014 and February 2016. On appointment to the Human Rights Commission, Wilson resigned his membership of the Liberal Party. During the term of his appointment he argued for changes to Section 18C of the 1975 Racial Discrimination Act, calling the prosecution of broadcaster Andrew Bolt for vilification of indigenous Australians an infringement on Bolt's right to freedom of speech.

In 2008, Wilson, then a Liberal Party member, unsuccessfully ran for the position of deputy mayor of the City of Melbourne in a joint ticket with Peter McMullin, a former Labor mayor of Geelong.

On 19 March 2016, Wilson was preselected as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Goldstein defeating fellow Liberal Denis Dragovic by two votes. He was subsequently elected to the Australian House of Representatives at the 2016 election. Wilson currently serves on the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport, Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources and the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs

In February 2019 the ALP Opposition complained that Wilson, as chair of the House of Representative Economics Committee, had improperly interfered with the Committee's inquiry into dividend imputation, ie Labor's proposed policy to abolish cash 'franking credits', and had committed a contempt of parliament.The Speaker of the House investigated the complaint and found that while no contempt had been committed, Wilson had not honoured the conventions observed by committee chairs. Specifically, the speaker criticised Wilson for having a private website for the inquiry that was badged as official but which solicited submissions and attendees at public hearings from just one perspective; and for arranging inquiry meetings to co-incide with the meetings of an activist group that was opposing Labor's policy, with the possible intention of the group staging protests at the meetings. Wilson was also criticised for involving a relative, Geoff Wilson, in the process.

Wilson is openly gay, an advocate for same-sex marriage, and was an early supporter of the Safe Schools Coalition Australia. Wilson supports same-sex marriage in Australia and has married his partner since the laws have changed. Regarding Wilson's religious beliefs, he has said "I'm more of an agnostic, but I prefer to say that I haven't found God but I'm on a journey and I may one day find God." Wilson proposed to his partner in a speech during early debate on the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 on Monday 4 December in the Australian parliament, while his partner watched his speech from the public gallery. This proposal went viral on the internet and made news bulletins worldwide, the proposal was recorded in Hansard as was his partner's affirmative answer. On 11 March 2018, the two married.

Wilson has opted out of the My Health Record system.