Martin Ferguson (politician): Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=JulyOctober 20132022}}

|honorific-suffix = [[Member of the Order of Australia{{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AM]]}}

|caption = Ferguson in 2012

|predecessor4 = [[Simon Crean]]

'''Martin John Ferguson''' [[Member of the Order of Australia{{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM]]}} (born 12 December 1953) is an Australian former [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]] politician who was the [[Australian House of Representatives|Member of the House of Representatives]] for [[Division of Batman|Batman]] from [[1996 Australian federal election|1996]] to [[2013 Australian federal election|2013]]. He served as [[Minister for Resources and Energy (Australia)|Minister for Resources and Energy]] and [[Minister for Tourism (Australia)|Minister for Tourism]] in the [[Rudd Governmentgovernment (2007–10)|Rudd]] and [[Gillard Government|Gillard Governmentgovernment]]s from 2007 to 2013.

Born in [[Sydney]] to [[Jack Ferguson]] and Mary Ellen, Ferguson was educated at [[St Patrick's College, Strathfield]], and the [[University of Sydney]]. After leaving university, he became a research officer at the [[Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union of Australia|Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union]], eventually rising to become Assistant General Secretary, and later General Secretary in 1984, during which time he was also appointed as a member of the [[Australian Council of Trade Unions]] (ACTU) executive board.<ref name="Ferguson aph"/>

As FMWU General Secretary, and from 1985 to 1990 as Vice President of the ACTU, Ferguson worked closely alongside the likes of [[Bill Kelty]] and [[Simon Crean]] to negotiate with the [[Hawke-Keating Governmentgovernment]] the [[Prices and Incomes Accord]]. After Crean's election to the House of Representatives at the [[1990 Australian federal election|1990 election]], Ferguson was elected his replacement as ACTU President, and became a member of the Governing Body of the [[International Labour Organization]].<ref name="Ferguson aph"/> For his services to industrial relations in Australia, Ferguson was admittedmade to thea [[Member of the Order of Australia]] in 1996.<ref>{{Cite It's an Honour |ausawardid=881927 |date=1996-06-11 |recipient=Mr Martin John Ferguson |award=Member of the Order of Australia |postnominal=AM |citation=In recognition of service to industrial relations and the trade union movement, in particular as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions |access-date=2021-11-04}}</ref>

Ferguson won [[preselection]] for the safe Labor seat of Batman in 1995, after a deal was negotiated between the right-wing Labor Unity faction in Victoria and the ALP National Executive. At the local level, the majority Greek party membership, largely resulting from heavy [[branch stacking]], was likely to support a candidate other than Ferguson, however no local candidate was likely to receive support from the 50 per cent vote in the preselection panel which had been elected by the Victorian ALP State Conference. The other candidates, [[Jenny Mikakos]] and [[Theo Theophanous]], then members of competing Left factions, were forced to withdraw from a local preselection plebiscite in favour of Ferguson, as a result of these negotiations.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Lyle |last=Allan (|year=1995), |title='"Sam Benson for Batman and Australia"'-Labor Preselection Problems, The Ethnic Vote and the Ghost of Benson,' ''|journal=People and Place'', Vol.|volume=3, No.|number=3, pp|pages=54–56 |doi=10.54–564225/03/590bfc088b547}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Ernest |last=Healy (|year=1995), '|title=Ethnic ALP Branches – The Balkanisation of Labor Revisited,' ''|url=https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Ethnic_ALP_branches_the_Balkanisation_of_labor_revisited/4975889 |journal=People and Place'', Vol.|volume=3, No.|number=3, p|pages=48–54 |doi=10.48-544225/03/590bfa783e8db}}</ref>

After his election to the House of Representatives in March 1996, new [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Opposition Leader]] [[Kim Beazley]] appointed Ferguson as Shadow Minister for Regional and Urban Development and Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. He remained in the Shadow Cabinet under the leaderships of Simon Crean, [[Mark Latham]] and [[Kevin Rudd]]. After the latter won the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 election]], Ferguson was appointed [[Minister for Resources and Energy (Australia)|Minister for Resources and Energy]] and [[Minister for Tourism (Australia)|Minister for Tourism]]. He continued in both roles after [[Julia Gillard]] succeeded Rudd as Prime Minister in June 2010, and resigned from both in March 2013, ahead of his retirement from Parliament that August.<ref name="Ferguson aph">{{Cite Au Parliament |name=Hon Martin Ferguson AM, MP |mpid=LS4 |access-date=2021-11-04}}</ref>

Ferguson is a supporter of [[uranium mining in Australia]] and in 2005, Ferguson addressed an Australian Uranium Conference and said "We as a community have to be part of the ever-complex question of how we clean up the world's climate. And part of that debate is going to be nuclear power."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newmatilda.com/2006/01/17/fission-change/ |title=Fission for a Change |date=17 January 2006 |website=NewMatilda.com |access-date=2021-11-04}}</ref>

The [[anti-nuclear movement in Australia]] is stronger than in other developed countries. [[Friends of the Earth]] have strongly opposed Ferguson's advocacy for expanding the export of uranium beyond the existing [[three-mine policy]] which Ferguson sought to overturn at the ALP's national conference in April 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://s7digital.com/signature/sig-stories.php?id=540 |date=January 2006 |title=ArchivedNo copyNew Mines? |accessdatefirst=2006-03-17Marni |last=Cordell |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060310150116/http://s7digital.com/signature/sig-stories.php?id=540 |archivedatearchive-date=10 March 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The lobby group ''Northern Anti Nuclear Alliance'' has distributed 60,000 leaflets critical of his policy in his electorate of Batman. He also supported – in scientific terms – the proposal of former Prime Minister [[Bob Hawke]] for Australia to become the world's storage facility for [[nuclear waste]] although he said that it was politically not possible.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1472382.htm |title=ArchivedHawke copyright on nuclear waste: ALP spokesman |accessdatepublisher=2006-03-17[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|location=Australia |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208135331/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1472382.htm |archivedatearchive-date=8 February 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

He told ABC Radio that it was wrong to ban uranium exports to the People's Republic of China: "The Labor Party adopts the view that we're open for investment. It's about economic growth and jobs in Australia. Is China to be treated any different to South Korea, Japan, France, United States? I don't think so. We don't have one rule for China in terms of overseas investment and economic growth and jobs and another rule for Japan."<ref>{{Cite news |interviewer-given=Louise |interviewer-surname=Yaxley |title=Uranium sales receive bipartisan support |url=https://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1484050.htm |access-date=2021-11-03 |work=The World Today. [[ABC Local Radio]] |date=17 October 2005}}</ref>

====Coal Seamseam Gasgas====

In the lead up to the [[2015 New South Wales state election|2015 NSW Electionstate election]], Ferguson criticised NSW Labor leader [[Luke Foley]] over his proposal to ban [[coal seam gas]] extraction.<ref>{{cite web |url=httphttps://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-state-election-2015/nsw-state-election-2015-martin-ferguson-steps-up-attack-on-luke-foley-over-csg-20150324-1m6fc1.html |title=NSW State Election 2015: Martin Ferguson steps up attack on Luke Foley over CSG |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |first=Peter |last=Hannam |date=24 March 2015 |access-date=2021-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/nsw-election-2015-martin-ferguson-slams-foley-over-jobs-energy/story-fnsgbndb-1227275437153 |work=[[The Australian]] |date=24 March 2015 |first=Sid |last=Maher |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170101084327/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/nsw-election-2015-martin-ferguson-slams-foley-over-jobs-energy/story-fnsgbndb-1227275437153 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2017-01-01 |title = NSW election 2015: Martin Ferguson slams Foley over jobs, energy}}</ref>

A range of Labor figures have doubled down on efforts to oust Ferguson from the party.<ref>{{cite web |first=James |last=Massola |url=httphttps://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/nsw-election-laurie-ferguson-rounds-on-brother-martin-fergusons-privatisation-stance-20150330-1marav.html |title=NSW election: Laurie Ferguson rounds on brother Martin Ferguson's privatisation stance |date=30 MarMarch 2015 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-31/bill-shorten-says-martin-ferguson-should-be-expelled-from-party/6362174 |title=Martin Ferguson allegations 'very serious', could face expulsion if found to have cooperated with NSW Coalition, Bill Shorten says|datepublisher=31[[ABC MarNews 2015(Australia)|work=ABC News]]|location=Australia |first=Jane |last=Norman |date=31 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jared |last=Owens |url=httphttps://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politicsnews/labor-party-members-white-hot-anger-against-martin-ferguson/storynews-fnsgbndb-1227284230623story/57fb595ed3567c5606851c0b8b7a851b |title=Labor party members 'white hot anger' against Martin Ferguson |work=[[The Australian]] |date=30 MarMarch 2015}}</ref>

In 2015, Ferguson come out in support for the Liberal gGvernmentgovernment plan to sell 49% of the government's electricity distributors. Ferguson even went further, saying he was "ashamed of the Party" and accusing Foley and the unions of "deliberately misleading the public, creating unnecessary fear and trying to scare people.".<ref>{{cite web |authorurl=Businesshttp://www.smh.com.au/business/martin-ferguson-slams-nsw-union-misinformation-campaign-on-poles-and-wires-20150311-140fme.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315004204/http://www.smh.com.au/business/martin-ferguson-slams-nsw-union-misinformation-campaign-on-poles-and-wires-20150311-140fme.html |archive-date=2015-03-15 |url-status=dead |title=Martin Ferguson slams NSW union 'misinformation' campaign on poles and wires |publisherwork=Smh.com.au[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=2015-03-12 |accessdatefirst1=2016Angela |last1=Macdonald-11Smith |first2=Will |last2=Glasgow |name-13list-style=amp}}</ref>

Since leaving parliament in 2013, Ferguson has continued to advocate for Australia's tourism, energy and resources sector. As of 2019, Ferguson was the chairman of the Clare Valley Wine & Grape Association,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbmonline.com.au/martin-ferguson-new-chairman-of-clare-valley-wine-grape-association/|title=Martin Ferguson new chairman of Clare Valley Wine & Grape Association|date=2019-09-10|website=WBM Online|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref>, the chairman of the Advisoryadvisory Boardboard of [[Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association|APPEA]] and has commercial interests in the sector as a non-executive director of Seven Group Holdings and BG Group.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Paddy |last=Manning |date=17 June 2014 |title = Martin Ferguson's revolving door puts energy industry in a spin –|date = 17 June 2014|url = httphttps://www.crikey.com.au/2014/06/17/martin-fergusons-revolving-door-puts-energy-industry-in-a-spin/|accessdate = 2015-10-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title website= Facebook|url = https://www.facebookCrickey.com/UCLAustralia/photos/np.1445300911219809.647321178/1049600598397787/?type=3&notif_t=notify_me_page|websiteau =Facebook.com|accessdateaccess-date = 2015-10-20}}</ref> Since June 2015, Ferguson has also been Chair of Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ahawa.asn.au/news___information/mediaitem.phtml?MediaID=238|title=Martin Ferguson AM appointed Chair of TAA|publisher=Australian Hotels Association|accessdateaccess-date=18 April 2016}}</ref>

[[Category:FormerMembers governmentof ministersthe ofFair Work AustraliaCommission]]

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