Matt Thistlethwaite
The Honourable Matt Thistlethwaite | |
---|---|
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Assistant Minister for Defence | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 1 June 2022 | |
Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
Preceded by | Andrew Hastie |
Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 1 June 2022 | |
Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
Preceded by | Office established |
Assistant Minister for the Republic | |
In office 1 June 2022 – 28 July 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Member of the Australian Parliament for Kingsford Smith | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 7 September 2013 | |
Preceded by | Peter Garrett |
Senator for New South Wales | |
In office 1 July 2011 – 9 August 2013 | |
Succeeded by | Sam Dastyari |
General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) | |
In office 1 October 2008 – 17 July 2010 | |
Leader | Morris Iemma Nathan Rees Kristina Keneally |
Preceded by | Karl Bitar |
Succeeded by | Sam Dastyari |
Personal details | |
Born | Matthew James Thistlethwaite (1972-09-06) 6 September 1972 (age 51) Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia |
Political party | Labor Party |
Residence(s) | Matraville, New South Wales, Australia |
Education | Marist College Pagewood |
Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
Occupation | Legal advisor (Mallesons Stephen Jaques) Union organiser (Australian Workers' Union) |
Profession | Trade unionist solicitor politician |
Website | mattthistlethwaite |
Matthew James Thistlethwaite (born 6 September 1972) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2013, representing the south-eastern electorate of Kingsford Smith. He was formerly a member of the Australian Senate from 2011 to 2013. Since 1 June 2022, Thistlethwaite has served as Assistant Minister for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and the Republic in the ministry of Anthony Albanese.
He previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs in the Gillard government from March to July 2013, and as Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport in the Rudd government from July to September 2013.[1][2] Before joining Parliament, he was the general secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party.
Early life
Thistlethwaite was born in Sydney on 6 September 1972.[3] He grew up in the south-eastern suburb of Maroubra.[4] He graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Economics, and also holds diplomas in law and legal practice from the University of Technology Sydney.[3] He was the first member of his family to attend university.[4]
Career
In 1995, Thistlethwaite began working at the Australian Workers Union as an industrial officer. In 2001 he was elected as a state vice-president of the union. He joined the ALP at the age of 22 and was president of NSW Young Labor from 1997 to 1998.[3]
In 2004, Thistlethwaite was elected deputy assistant secretary of Unions NSW.[3] In this role he represented workers in public sector enterprise agreement negotiations and in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. He was a co-ordinator of the Your Rights at Work campaign in New South Wales against the Howard Government's WorkChoices laws. Thistlethwaite is a former director of the State Transit Authority of NSW and the NSW Manufacturing Council. He was a member of the Racing Industry Participants Advisory Council, and an executive member of the NSW Jockeys Association.[citation needed] He was elected general secretary of NSW Labor from 2008 to 2010.[5] During his time as NSW ALP secretary Thistlethwaite backed Frank Sartor's unsuccessful candidacy to replace premier Nathan Rees and Rees was instead replaced by Kristina Keneally.[6] Before entering Parliament, Thistlethwaite worked as a senior consultant with law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques.[3]
Political career
Thistlethwaite sought to become the endorsed Labor candidate for the House of Representatives seat of Kingsford Smith in Sydney's eastern suburbs, for the 2004 election. However, Peter Garrett was chosen by the then Labor leader Mark Latham.[7]
He was endorsed for a seat in the Senate, representing New South Wales, at the 2010 election. He was successful, and his term began on 1 July 2011.[3] On 18 July 2011 he gave his first speech in the Senate. Soon after his term began, Thistlethwaite was appointed to serve on five Parliamentary Committees. In August 2012, Thistlethwaite became Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Electricity Prices.[3]
Following the announcement by Peter Garrett that he would not recontest the seat of Kingsford Smith at the next federal election, Thistlethwaite announced on 2 July 2013 that he would again seek Labor preselection;[8] and gained endorsement on 20 July 2013, defeating Tony Bowen, the mayor of Randwick and son of former Kingsford Smith MP Lionel Bowen.[9]
Thistlethwaite was elected as the member for Kingsford Smith at the election held on 7 September 2013. He was one of three people to move from the Senate to the House of Representatives at that election (the others were his ALP colleague David Feeney in Batman and former Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce in New England).
In 2017 the Australian Labor Party announced a national vote on the republic during the first term of a future Labor government,[10] and appointed Matt Thistlethwaite as the first 'Shadow Assistant Minister for an Australian Head of State'.[11]
Thistlethwaite is a senior figure in the Labor Right faction[12] and stands as the current convenor of the NSW branch.[12] In 2020, he was elected to replace Joel Fitzgibbon as the convenor within the ALP. The Australian reported that "by becoming the NSW factional boss, Thistlethwaite de facto takes the title of national Right convener".[13]
In 2022 he was appointed Assistant Minister for Defence, Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Assistant Minister for the Republic in the Albanese ministry. A freedom of information request revealed that as of October 2023, only two documents had been produced and one meeting held in relation to Thistlethwaite's portfolio as Assistant Minister for the Republic. Thistlethwaite had not delivered any speeches, press releases, or ministerial statements.[14]
Personal life
Thistlethwaite served as the president of the Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club for four years.[4]
References
- ^ "Full list of changes to the Gillard ministry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Senator the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite". Senators and Members. Parliament of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ a b c "Matt Thistlethwaite". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP".
- ^ "ALP candidate rejects Obeid's endorsement". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "David Feeney wins Labor preselection for Melbourne seat of Batman". Australia: ABC News. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ "NSW Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite to run for preselection in Kingsford Smith". Australia: ABC News. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ Bashan, Yoni (20 July 2013). "NSW Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite to replace Peter Garrett in NSW seat of Kingsford Smith". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ^ "Bill Shorten vows to hold vote on republic during first term of a Labor government".
- ^ "Major step in push for Australian republic: Labor appoints a 'Shadow Assistant Minister for an Australian Head of State'".
- ^ a b "SMH". 14 February 2021.
- ^ Workman, Alice (30 November 2020). "Bit of a howler". The Australian. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ Flint, Nicolle (28 October 2023). "We now know Anthony Albanese's Assistant Minister for a Republic is doing next to no work - so why does the role still exist?". Sky News Australia. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Thistlethwaite, Matt (18 August 2011). "First Speech" (PDF). Australian Senate. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
Party political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) 2008–2010 | Succeeded by |
Parliament of Australia | ||
Preceded by | Member for Kingsford Smith 2013–present | Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs 2013 | Vacant Title next held by Steven Ciobo as Minister for International Development and the Pacific |
Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs 2013 | Vacant Title next held by Concetta Fierravanti-Wells as Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs |
Preceded by Catherine King | Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport 2013 | Succeeded byas Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development |
Preceded by | Assistant Minister for Defence 2022–present | Incumbent |
New title | Assistant Minister for Veterans' Affairs 2022–present | |
Assistant Minister for the Republic 2022–present |
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