Harry Quick
{{Short description|Australian politician (1941–2024)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox prime minister
| image = |
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Harry Quick
| imagesize =
| constituency_MP = Franklin
| parliament = Australian
| term_start = 13 March 1993
| term_end = 17 October 2007
| predecessor = Bruce Goodluck
| successor = Julie Collins
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|6|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Melbourne, Australia
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2024|10|19|1941|6|28}}
| death_place = Adelaide, Australia
| occupation = Teacher, electoral officer
| party = Independent (from 2007)
Labor (until 2007)
}}
Harry Vernon Quick (28 June 1941 – 19 October 2024) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1993 until 2007, representing the electorate of Franklin in Tasmania. He sat as a member of the Labor Party from 1993 to 2007, when he was expelled from the party for failing to pay his membership dues. An outspoken maverick MP, he did not contest the 2007 federal election.
Early life
He was a teacher, education officer and electorate officer before entering politics. He worked for Senator Michael Tate prior to being elected to the House.
Politics
He first entered politics in 1993 after winning the southern Tasmanian seat of Franklin in the House of Representatives. On the night of the 1993 federal election, Quick was the first member to become elected (mainly due to the daylight saving time difference), reclaiming Franklin for Labor, for the first time in 17 years. During the time he was member for Franklin the one-time Liberal stronghold became a reasonably safe Labor seat. Even in the 2004 federal election where all Tasmanian Labor members lost support, Quick's decline was the smallest.
He also protested against the 2003 Iraq war in which Australian troops took part. He once took some Tasmanian apples into the Federal parliament in protest against legalising the import of New Zealand apples which have been banned in Australia for 80 years because of bio-security risk reasons, notably the Fireblight disease. The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament was present on an official visit, and Speaker Neil Andrew named Quick for refusing to discard the apples as requested. He opposed the 2005 Walker Corporation planned development at Ralphs Bay, Lauderdale near Hobart that the State Labor Government had hoped for. He has always believed that politicians should take a "hands on" role in the community.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Quick was an Opposition Whip 2001–04.
On 12 August 2005, Quick announced that he would not contest his seat at the next federal election, blaming what he called the party's left-right factional disputes and lack of a strong leader as the reasons for his retirement. Quick caused controversy during the 2006 state election by endorsing not only fellow Labor candidates in the state equivalent of his seat, but also a Tasmanian Greens member, Nick McKim.[http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18353464%255E3462,00.html "Federal Labor Backs Green"], Mercury, 5 March 2006
Quick was expelled from the ALP on 20 August 2007 for failing to pay his membership fees, and appearing with Liberal party representatives Vanessa Goodwin the candidate for Franklin and minister Joe Hockey when the preselected ALP candidate for Franklin was Tasmanian union official Kevin Harkins who Quick opposed.{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/quick-will-retire-with-head-held-high-20070913-gdr3ms.html |title=Quick will retire with head held high |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2 June 2024 |date=13 September 2007 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/rebel-mp-harry-quick-thrown-out-of-alp-20070820-ubj.html |title=Rebel MP Harry Quick thrown out of ALP |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2 June 2024 |date=20 August 2007 }} Harkins subsequently resigned as candidate after more controversy and Julie Collins was preselected as the candidate instead.{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/tasmanian-labor-candidate-harkins-quits-20070809-gdqtgh.html |title=Tasmanian Labor candidate Harkins quits |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2 June 2024 |date=9 August 2007 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-08-10/labor-picks-state-secretary-as-new-franklin/636228 |title=Labor picks State Secretary as new Franklin candidate |work=ABC News |access-date=2 June 2024 |date=10 August 2007 }} He sat as an Independent member until his retirement.[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/20/1187462156542.html Rebel MP Harry Quick thrown out of ALP], The Age, 20 August 2007
In February 2009, Quick was reported to be seeking preselection for the Tasmanian Legislative Council division of Derwent as a representative of the Tasmanian Greens.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090216132149/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/13/2490765.htm Quick return to politics], ABC News, 13 February 2009 He had joined the Greens in July 2008.Sue Neales, [http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/02/13/55111_most-popular-stories.html Harry plans Quick comeback], Mercury, 13 February 2009 Five days after announcing his intention to contest the seat held by Treasurer Michael Aird, Quick abruptly changed his mind, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.[http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/02/18/56201_tasmania-news.html Harry's Quick Green backflip], The Mercury, 18 February 2009
Quick was elected in the 2014 general Tasmanian council elections to Glenorchy City Council as alderman and was elected deputy mayor of Glenorchy, but defeated for both positions in 2018.{{cite web|title=Local Government election reports|url=https://www.tec.tas.gov.au/local-government/reports.html|work=TEC|publisher=Tasmanian Electoral Commission|accessdate=3 June 2024}} Quick was elected in the 2022 general Tasmanian council elections to Glenorchy City Council as alderman.
Death
Quick died in Adelaide from cancer on 19 October 2024, at the age of 83.{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/biography.asp?id=AV5 |title=Parliament of Australia Biography |accessdate=29 March 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830084151/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/biography.asp?id=AV5 |archivedate=30 August 2007}}{{Cite news |last=Bailey |first=Sue |date=21 October 2024 |title='Died serving his community': Harry Quick remembered|work=The Mercury (Hobart) |publisher=News Corp Australia |url=https://www.themercury.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themercury.com.au%2Fnews%2Ftasmania%2Fglenorchy-councillor-and-former-labor-mp-remembered-as-man-for-the-people%2Fnews-story%2Fc0f07a16a13447ae18344fc8507c1500&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium |access-date=21 October 2024}}{{cite web|title=QUICK, Harry|url=https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/death-notices/quick-harry/6251836/|work=The Mercury|publisher=Mytributes|date=22 October 2024|accessdate=30 October 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2007}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20040505181710/http://www.harryquick.com/ Personal website]
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{{Succession box| title=Member for Franklin | before=Bruce Goodluck | after=Julie Collins | years=1993–2007}}
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Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Independent members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Franklin
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives
Category:Tasmanian local councillors
Category:Australian MPs 1993–1996
Category:Australian MPs 1996–1998
Category:Australian MPs 1998–2001