John Reginald Williams (born 16 January 1955) is an Australian politician. He has been a National Party member of the Australian Senate since July 2008, representing the state of New South Wales.
Williams was first elected to the Senate at the 2007 federal election. This followed his victory over incumbent Senator Sandy Macdonald in preselection for the National Party's one winnable spot on the Coalition Senate ticket in New South Wales.
Williams was born in Jamestown, South Australia. Prior to entering politics, he was a truck driver, a farmer, a sheep shearer and a small business owner.
Williams vote was the third out of five votes required to give maverick Barnaby Joyce the Senate leadership in September 2008.
Famous quotes containing the words john, williams, south, wales and/or federal:
“Look Johnny, Spig just joined the Navy. I’m married to it. I run the mess hall. I swab the deck. I chip the rust. You’re afraid that they’ll kick Spig out of the Navy. I’m afraid that they won’t.”
—Frank Fenton, William Wister Haines, co-scenarist, and John Ford. Minne Wead (Maureen O’Hara)
“The source of poetry that
seeing the clock stopped, says,
The clock has stopped
that ticked yesterday so well?”
—William Carlos Williams (1883–1963)
“Up from the South at break of day,
Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay,
The affrighted air with a shudder bore,
Like a herald in haste, to the chieftain’s door,
The terrible grumble, and rumble, and roar,
Telling the battle was on once more,
And Sheridan twenty miles away.”
—Thomas Buchanan Read (1822–1872)
“I just come and talk to the plants, really—very important to talk to them, they respond I find.”
—Charles, Prince Of Wales (b. 1948)
“I am willing to pledge myself that if the time should ever come that the voluntary agencies of the country together with the local and state governments are unable to find resources with which to prevent hunger and suffering ... I will ask the aid of every resource of the Federal Government.... I have the faith in the American people that such a day will not come.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)