Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans FRCS |
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![]() Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans and former federal Democrats leader Lyn Allison
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Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
In office 25 June 1998 – 2 April 2007 |
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Preceded by | Elisabeth Kirkby |
Personal details | |
Born |
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
16 June 1950
Nationality | Australian |
Political party |
Australian Democrats Australian Greens |
Profession | Medical doctor |
Arthur Chesterfield-Evans (born 16 June 1950) is an Australian medical practitioner, politician and peace activist who served as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales from 1998 to 2007.
Graduated MB BS Sydney, 1975; FRCS (Eng) London, 1980 and MAppSc (OHS) University of NSW, 1996. Formerly surgical registrar, Royal North Shore Hospital, 1980–81; general practitioner in Sydney 1982 -3; occupational physician, Sydney Water, 1983–1994; postgraduate student (Masters by thesis) 1994; medical officer, Department of Veteran Affairs, 1995; occupational physician, self-employed, at Pacific OHS, Burwood 1995-8. In 1994 he served as NSW President of the Doctors Reform Society of Australia, through which he argued for the continuation of Medicare and improvements to the public health system.
Chesterfield-Evans was president of the Non-Smokers Movement from 1984 to 1997 and a member of Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions (BUGA UP), which vandalised tobacco-advertising billboards with satirical graffiti. He was arrested and convicted over these activities but had his sentence remitted on appeal. He hosted an anti-tobacco radio program, Puff Off, from 1980 to 1994 and in 1988 the Drug and Alcohol Unit of TAFE produced an award-winning film of his activities, Confessions of a Simple Surgeon. He has also served on the Board of NADA (Network of Alcohol and Drug Agencies).
Chesterfield-Evans has been a leading Australian advocate for the establishment of a ministry or department of peace in Australia. The argument for the establishment of a ministry or department of peace from Chesterfield-Evans was that such a ministry or department would advocate for the implementation of peace-active policies, both at domestic and international level, and act as a counter to the institutionalised power of violence. Just as we now recognise ministries or departments of environment in the formulation of public policy, so too we need ministries or departments of peace. Chesterfield-Evans spoke as an Australian delegate at the World Peace Forum in Canada in 2006 and also at Social Issues Forums with the Centre for Peace and Social Justice of Southern Cross University in the same year.