Gutwein was born in England in 1964, the oldest of six children born to a British mother and a father who had arrived in Britain from "post-war central Europe" in the mid-1950s. The family migrated to Australia in early 1969 as "Ten Pound Poms", travelling to Launceston, via Melbourne and Hobart. The three youngest children were born in Australia. His father worked as a baker, also stacking animal skins and selling firewood to earn extra money. Gutwein grew up in the village of Nunamara. He became an Australian citizen at the age of 16. He was educated at Myrtle Park Primary School and Queechy High School in Launceston, and Deakin University in Melbourne. A financial adviser he was a senior manager in the insurance and financial planning sector working throughout Australia and in Europe.
Political career
Gutwein began his career in politics in 1995, when he was introduced to the former federal MP for Bass, Warwick Smith, who convinced him to join the Liberal Party and manage Smith's successful re-election campaign at the 1996 federal election. Following the election of the Howard Government, Gutwein worked for two years as a ministerial adviser to Senator Jocelyn Newman during her time as Minister for Social Security. In July 2002, Gutwein was elected as a member for Bass at the state election. In August 2002, he joined opposition leader Rene Hidding's shadow cabinet, holding the portfolios of shadow treasurer, employment, and economic development. In December 2003, Gutwein became the first Tasmanian MP in five years to cross the floor when he voted for a bill proposed by the Tasmanian Greens to establish a commission of inquiry into child abuse, which saw Hidding strip him of his shadow portfolios. In April 2004 he became shadow minister for education, and police and public safety. When Will Hodgman led the Liberals to government at the 2014 state election, Gutwein was appointed as Treasurer of Tasmania, as well as minister for planning and local government. Until 2019, he held various other ministries including environment, parks and heritage; forestry; and state growth. In April 2017, Gutwein was referred to the Legislative Council for contempt of parliament, following his refusal to provide an unredacted version of a report, The Sale of the Tamar Valley Power Station, to the Public Accounts Committee. According to the Tasmanian Parliamentary Library, as of 2017 Gutwein had been suspended from parliament more than any other member, with 16 suspensions.
Premier of Tasmania
On 14 January 2020, Hodgman announced his intention to resign as Liberal leader and premier. Along with Michael Ferguson, Gutwein was considered a front-runner for the leadership contest, but was elected unopposed on 20 January, when Ferguson withdrew from the ballot. Gutwein was sworn in as the 46th Premier of Tasmania later that afternoon. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Gutwein announced on 19 March that all "non-essential" travellers to the state, including returning residents, would be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. On 6 May, Gutwein informed the public that Singapore had experienced 2,500 deaths related to COVID-19. Data from the Singapore Ministry of Health indicated the actual number of deaths related to COVID-19 up to the 6 May was actually 20.
Personal life
Gutwein lives in the Tamar Valley with his wife and two children. He is a qualified black belt instructor in the martial art of taekwondo. He has a pair of pet goats, named Alan and Teddy.
