Martin Ferguson (politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|name = Martin Ferguson

|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AM}}

|image = Martin Ferguson - World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012 crop.jpg

|caption = Ferguson in 2012

|birth_name = Martin John Ferguson

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|12|12|df=y}}

|birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales

|death_date =

|death_place =

|office1 = Minister for Resources and Energy

|term_start1 = 3 December 2007

|term_end1 = 22 March 2013

|primeminister1 = Kevin Rudd
Julia Gillard

|predecessor1 = Ian Macfarlane

|successor1 = Gary Gray

|office2 = Minister for Tourism

|term_start2 = 3 December 2007

|term_end2 = 22 March 2013

|primeminister2 = Kevin Rudd
Julia Gillard

|predecessor2 = Fran Bailey

|successor2 = Gary Gray

|office3 = Member of the Australian Parliament
for Batman

|term_start3 = 2 March 1996

|term_end3 = 5 August 2013

|predecessor3 = Brian Howe

|successor3 = David Feeney

|office4 = President of the Australian Council
of Trade Unions

|term_start4 = 4 April 1990

|term_end4 = 2 March 1996

|predecessor4 = Simon Crean

|successor4 = Jennie George

|party = Labor

|spouse =

|religion =

|website = [http://www.martinferguson.com.au MartinFerguson.com.au]

|footnotes =

}}

Martin John Ferguson {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 12 December 1953) is an Australian former Labor Party politician who was the Member of the House of Representatives for Batman from 1996 to 2013. He served as Minister for Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism in the Rudd and Gillard governments from 2007 to 2013.

Before entering Parliament, Ferguson spent a long career as a trade unionist, being General Secretary of the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union from 1984 to 1990 and President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1990 to 1996. He is the son of Jack Ferguson who was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1984. His brother is Laurie Ferguson, also a long-serving Labor MP.

Trade unionist

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, 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.

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 government the Prices and Incomes Accord. After Crean's election to the House of Representatives at the 1990 election, Ferguson was elected his replacement as ACTU President, and became a member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization. For his services to industrial relations in Australia, Ferguson was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996.{{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}}

Political career

File:Martin Ferguson.jpg

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.{{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 |volume=3 |number=3 |pages=54–56 |doi=10.4225/03/590bfc088b547}}{{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 |volume=3 |number=3 |pages=48–54 |doi=10.4225/03/590bfa783e8db}}

After his election to the House of Representatives in March 1996, new 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 election, Ferguson was appointed Minister for Resources and Energy and 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.{{Cite Au Parliament |name=Hon Martin Ferguson AM, MP |mpid=LS4 |access-date=2021-11-04}}

=Uranium debate=

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."{{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}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://s7digital.com/signature/sig-stories.php?id=540 |date=January 2006 |title=No New Mines? |first=Marni |last=Cordell |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060310150116/http://s7digital.com/signature/sig-stories.php?id=540 |archive-date=10 March 2006}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1472382.htm |title=Hawke right on nuclear waste: ALP spokesman |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208135331/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1472382.htm |archive-date=8 February 2008}}

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."{{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}}

==Coal seam gas==

In the lead up to the 2015 NSW state election, Ferguson criticised NSW Labor leader Luke Foley over his proposal to ban coal seam gas extraction.{{cite web |url=https://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}}{{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}}

A range of Labor figures doubled down on efforts to oust Ferguson from the party.{{cite web |first=James |last=Massola |url=https://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 March 2015 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}{{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|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia |first=Jane |last=Norman |date=31 March 2015}}{{cite web |first=Jared |last=Owens |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/labor-party-members-white-hot-anger-against-martin-ferguson/news-story/57fb595ed3567c5606851c0b8b7a851b |title=Labor party members 'white hot anger' against Martin Ferguson |work=The Australian |date=30 March 2015}}

==Privatisation==

In 2015, Ferguson come out in support for the Liberal government 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".{{cite web |url=http://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 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=2015-03-12 |first1=Angela |last1=Macdonald-Smith |first2=Will |last2=Glasgow |name-list-style=amp}}

Career after politics

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,{{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}} the chairman of the advisory board of APPEA and has commercial interests in the sector as a non-executive director of Seven Group Holdings and BG Group.{{Cite web |first=Paddy |last=Manning |date=17 June 2014 |title = Martin Ferguson's revolving door puts energy industry in a spin |url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2014/06/17/martin-fergusons-revolving-door-puts-energy-industry-in-a-spin/ |website=Crickey.com.au |access-date = 2015-10-20}} Since June 2015, Ferguson has also been Chair of Tourism Accommodation Australia.{{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|access-date=18 April 2016}}

In March 2020, Ferguson was appointed as a part-time Expert Panel member on the Fair Work Commission for the following five years.{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=Christian |author-link1=Christian Porter |title=New appointments to the Fair Work Commission Expert Panel |url=https://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/media/media-releases/new-appointments-fair-work-commission-expert-panel-12-march-2020 |website=Attorney-General for Australia and Minister for Industrial Relations |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=14 November 2020}}

On 19 May 2014, the Australian Labor Party's WA Executive endorsed a motion to expel him from the party. However he has refused to resign and continues to be a member.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-20/labor-wa-calls-on-alp-to-expel-martin-ferguson/5465872 |title=Labor ex-minister Martin Ferguson labels WA party's call for his ALP expulsion a 'put-up job' |publisher=ABC News|location=Australia |date=20 May 2014}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060328175351/http://www.paydirtsuraniumconference.com/presenters/martinfergusonmp.htm Paydirt's Uranium Conference 2006]
{{OpenAustralia}}

{{succession box | title=Member of Parliament for Batman | before=Brian Howe | after=David Feeney | years=1996–2013}}

{{Succession box | title= Minister for Resources and Energy | before=Ian Macfarlane | after=Gary Gray | years=2007–2013}}

{{Succession box | title= Minister for Tourism | before=Fran Bailey | after=Gary Gray | years=2007–2013}}

{{Succession box| title=General Secretary of the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union | before=Ray Gietzelt | after=Jeff Lawrence | years=1984–1990}}

{{Succession box| title=President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions | before=Simon Crean | after=Jennie George | years=1990–1996}}

{{Portal bar|Australia|Biography|Organized labour|Politics|Socialism}}

Category:1953 births

Category:Living people

Category:Australian Council of Trade Unions people

Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia

Category:Australian trade unionists

Category:Labor Left politicians