Warren Edward Snowdon (born 20 March 1950) is an Australian former politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from July 1987 to March 1996, and again from October 1998 until May 2022. He initially represented the Division of Northern Territory, and later the Division of Lingiari. His electorate encompassed all the residents of the Northern Territory located outside Darwin, as well as Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. He was the last sitting MP who was first elected in the 1980s, and the last who served in Old Parliament House.
Snowdon was the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister for Indigenous Health, and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Centenary of Anzac in the Second Rudd ministry. Snowdon was a member of the left faction of the Labor Party.
Snowdon did not contest the 2022 federal election and retired from politics.
Early life and career
Snowdon was born in Canberra and educated at St Edmund's College, followed by tertiary studies at the Australian National University and the University of Western Australia.
Before entering federal politics, he was a teacher in the Commonwealth and Northern Territory teaching services (1976–78, and again 1981–83). He also spent time as a researcher at ANU from 1978 to 1981. Following a reshuffle of the Ministry on 9 June 2009 as a result of the resignation of the Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, Snowdon was promoted to Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery. On 14 September 2010, he gained the portfolio of Veterans' Affairs and regained Defence Science and Personnel, while losing responsibility for Rural and Regional Health and Regional Service Delivery, but retaining Indigenous Health. On 12 September 2011 he was given the added responsibility of Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Centenary of ANZAC.
Snowdon narrowly retained his seat at the 2013 federal election, largely due to his winning all but five booths. However, Snowdon was not appointed to the shadow ministry.
Snowdon was re-elected in the 2016 federal election with a seven-point swing towards him, becoming the longest-serving MP in the House, and the only member who was first elected in the 1980s. Snowdon was however not the Father of the House due to his continuous service only beginning from 1998. Kevin Andrews, whose continuous service began from 1991, became Father of the House instead. Snowdon again retained his seat at the 2019 federal election.
He sat on the "Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia" from June 2020.
In reference to his service from Old Parliament House, Snowdon said:
"I'm a bit of a relic. I'm the only one left in this parliament - Senate or House of Reps - from the Old Parliament House."