Mark Vaile

Mark Anthony James Vaile, born April 18, 1956, is an Australian former politician who served as the 12th deputy prime minister of Australia and led the National Party from 2005 to 2007 during the final years of the Howard government. He served as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from October 21, 1998, to July 19, 1999, before going on to hold the trade portfolio from 1999 to 2006, during which he was closely involved in negotiating the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement, a deal that drew controversy over its intellectual property and pharmaceutical patent provisions. He also served as Minister for Transport and Regional Development and Regional Services across two periods before leaving parliament, and he now holds non-executive director positions at several public companies.