Mark Higgie Explained

Mark Higgie
Office1:Australian Ambassador to the European Union and NATO
Australian Ambassador to Belgium
Australian Ambassador to Luxembourg
Term Start2:2014
Term End2:2017
Predecessor2:Duncan Lewis
Successor2:Justin Brown
Office3:International Advisor to the Hon. Tony Abbott MP
Term Start3:2010
Term End3:2014
Successor3:Craig MacLachlan
Birth Date:26 July 1957
Birth Place:Canberra, Australia
Spouse:Zoë Colvin, daughter of MI6 agent, ambassador and writer John Horace Ragnar Colvin and Anne Manifold, later Lady Synnot, widow of the late Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot, Australia’s Chief of the Defence Force 1979-82
Children:Anna,[1] Lucinda
Parents:William[2] and Jean Higgie
Alma Mater:Australian National University

Mark William Christopher Higgie (born 26 July 1957) is a former Australian diplomat, political advisor, and intelligence analyst. Higgie is now a regular columnist on European affairs, mainly in the Australian edition of The Spectator. He was the Australian Ambassador to the European Union and NATO, Belgium, and Luxembourg between 2014 and 2017.[3] He previously served as international advisor to the Hon Tony Abbott MP, both when Abbott was Leader of the Opposition (2010–2013) and when he was Prime Minister (2013–2014).[4]

Background and career

Higgie graduated from the Australian National University in 1981 with a BA (Hons) in Russian and Political Science; and in 1987 was awarded a PhD from the same institution for a thesis on Soviet and East European politics.[5] While doing research for his PhD in 1982, he undertook an internship at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty at its then Munich headquarters.

Higgie joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and initially served in Belgrade (1985-87) and Vienna (1992-95). In 1988–89 he also served as policy advisor to shadow foreign minister, John Spender .

He served as Australia’s ambassador in Budapest 1998–2001.[6] At the conclusion of his posting then Hungarian president Ferenc Mádl awarded him the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, the country's second-highest honour, for services to Hungary-Australia relations.[7]

Higgie served 2006-09 as the representative in London of the Office of National Assessments, the Australian Government’s intelligence assessment agency on international affairs. In this role, he was the Australian representative on the UK Joint Intelligence Committee.[8]

Higgie was international advisor to the Hon Tony Abbott MP, both when Abbott was Leader of the Opposition (2010–2013) and when he was Prime Minister (2013–2014). Together with the relevant shadow ministers and their staff, he coordinated the Liberal-National coalition's international, defence and immigration policies (including foreign affairs, trade, veterans' affairs and ethnic affairs) at its campaign headquarters in Melbourne at both the 2010 and 2013 federal elections.

In the 2013 national power survey of the Financial Review, Higgie was listed fourth on its Defence Strategies sectoral list.[9] Greg Sheridan, foreign editor at The Australian, to whom Higgie has been seen as close, described Higgie as a 'highly regarded professional' with good connections among Coalition politicians.[10] [11]

He was Australia’s ambassador in Brussels (to the EU, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg) between 2014 and 2017. Since concluding his posting in Brussels, he has been a regular columnist on international affairs issues for the Australian edition of The Spectator, which designated him as its Europe Correspondent in 2019. He has also contributed articles to the British edition of The Spectator, The Australian, The Telegraph, Hungarian Review, the Royal United Services Institute (London) newsletter and XpatLoop Budapest. In 2019 Higgie wrote an article published in The Australian revealing his discovery that he was partly of aboriginal ancestry on his father’s side [12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Anna Higgie – Illustrators – Central Illustration Agency. 29 November 2016.
  2. News: Bill Higgie: a passionate advocate of refugee migration. 15 October 2015. Mark. Higgie. https://web.archive.org/web/20161130083723/http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/bill-higgie-a-passionate-advocate-of-refugee-migration-20151015-gka8l2.html. 30 November 2016.
  3. Web site: Appointment of new Director-General of Security and nomination of new Australian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO . Australian Government . 29 November 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150317092902/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2014/jb_mr_140515a.aspx . 17 March 2015 .
  4. News: PM adviser named new EU ambassador. 15 May 2014. The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. Fairfax Media. https://web.archive.org/web/20161203132921/http://www.smh.com.au//breaking-news-national/pm-adviser-named-new-eu-ambassador-20140515-38ben.html. 3 December 2016.
  5. Communist nationalism in the USSR, the GDR, and Yugoslavia : three case-studies of nationalism and internationalism in Marxist-Leninist states incongruent with the nation. Mark. Higgie. 25 April 1985. Australian National University. openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au. 10.25911/5d77880f3a458.
  6. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary . https://web.archive.org/web/20140212030739/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1997/fa154_97.html . 12 February 2014 . 16 December 1997 . Alexander . Downer . Alexander Downer . live . Australian Government . 29 November 2016.
  7. Web site: Who's who in Australia. Crown Content Pty. Ltd. 25 April 2003. Melbourne, Vic. : Crown Content. Trove.
  8. News: Tips and rumours: Abbott's spooky new staffer. 8 March 2010. Crikey. https://web.archive.org/web/20150427121852/http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/03/08/tips-and-rumours-188/. 27 April 2015. 29 November 2016.
  9. Web site: Women's Agenda - News for professional women . 3 December 2016 . 8 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180708192229/http://womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/opinions/item/3398-women-in-power-the-numbers-are-dismal . dead .
  10. Web site: Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps. www.theaustralian.com.au.
  11. Web site: VEXNEWS © 2013 | ABBOtt's ARMY ON THE MARCH: Opposition leader's office spies one day, schmoozes the next . 29 November 2016 . 30 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161130184803/http://www.vexnews.com/abbotts-army-on-the-march-opposition-leaders-office-spies-one-day-schmoozes-the-next/ . dead .
  12. Web site: Revealed: Labor Founder's Aboriginal Roots=. 2 January 2019.