Laurie Ferguson Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Laurie Ferguson
Constituency Mp:Reid
Parliament:Australian
Predecessor:Tom Uren
Successor:John Murphy
Term Start:24 March 1990
Term End:21 August 2010
Constituency Mp2:Werriwa
Parliament2:Australian
Predecessor2:Chris Hayes
Successor2:Anne Stanley
Term Start2:21 August 2010
Term End2:9 May 2016
Birth Name:Laurence Donald Thomas Ferguson
Birth Date:1952 7, df=yes
Birth Place:Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality:Australian
Party:Australian Labor Party
Spouse:Maureen Walsh
Relations:Martin Ferguson (brother)
Lynda Voltz (stepdaughter)
Paul Lynch (brother in-law)
Alma Mater:University of Sydney
Occupation:Research officer

Laurie Donald Thomas Ferguson (born 7 July 1952) is a former Australian politician who was an Australian Labor Party member of the House of Representatives from March 1990, representing Reid until 2010 and Werriwa until May 2016, both in New South Wales.

Early life and education

Laurie Ferguson grew up in Guildford, the eldest son of Mary Ellen and Jack Ferguson, who was deputy premier of New South Wales 1976–84. His brother Martin was also a federal MP. Both attended at St Patrick's College, Strathfield. His younger brother, Andrew, was the former NSW Secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (Construction and General Division).

Ferguson was educated at the University of Sydney and was a research officer with the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union before entering politics.[1]

Career

He was the member for Granville in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1984–90.[2]

In the federal Parliament, Ferguson was elected to the opposition shadow ministry in March 1996 and was Shadow Minister for Immigration in 2004–05. His handling of the debate around Petro Georgiou's private member's bill on asylum seekers was severely criticised and he was shifted to Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs, Population Health and Health Regulation in June 2005. On the election of the Rudd Labor Government in 2007, Ferguson became Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services.[1]

He was preselected to contest the south-western Sydney seat of Werriwa at the 2010 federal election after his existing seat of Reid was merged with neighbouring Lowe. Lowe MP John Murphy contested the redistributed Reid.[3] He was not re-appointed to the Gillard Ministry after the election.[1] Ferguson is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Panel Foundation-Australasia.[4]

Personal life

Ferguson is married to Maureen Walsh, a former councillor at Parramatta City Council in the Woodville Ward.[5]

External links

 

Notes and References

  1. 8T4 . Mr Laurie Ferguson MP . 2021-11-07.
  2. Mr Laurie Donald Thomas Ferguson (1952-) . 2073 . Yes . 19 October 2019.
  3. Web site: Reid – Election 2010 . 29 July 2010.
  4. Web site: Board of advisors: Global Panel Australasia. 2021-11-09. Global Panel Foundation. en-US.
  5. Web site: Woodville Ward . Councillors and wards . . 13 September 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070912131217/http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/council/Councilors__and__Wards/woodville. 12 September 2007.