Ernest Wong

The Honourable
Ernest Wong
MLC
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Assumed office
24 May 2013 (2013-05-24)
Preceded by Eric Roozendaal
Personal details
Born circa 1960
Hong Kong
Political party Labor Party (2005–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Unity Party (2003–2005)
Spouse(s) Rita Lee
Children 2
Alma mater Macquarie University

Ernest Kwok Chung Wong is an Australian politician and Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Wong has been a member of the Council since 24 May 2013.

Personal and early life

Ernest Wong was born in Hong Kong and studied at Wah Yan College, Kowloon, a prestigious Roman Catholic secondary school for boys. Run by the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, it was the first English-speaking college in Kowloon.[1]

Wong migrated to Australia in 1979 to continue his studies, finishing year 12 at Sydney Boys High School and he graduated with a degree in commerce and law from Macquarie University.[2] Wong is married with two children and is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.[3]

Prior to his appointment to the Legislative Council of New South Wales, Wong was an active member of the community including the Lions Club, the Westmead Medical Research Foundation, sporting clubs and aged care advocacy groups.

Political career

Before Wong was elected to the NSW Legislative Council,[4] he worked on several political and community platforms. He served on the Burwood Council,[5] including terms as Mayor[6] and Deputy Mayor,[7] elected on Unity Party tickets from 2000. Unity Party was a small multicultural political party founded in 1997 with the aim of opposing the rise of controversial anti-immigration politician Pauline Hanson.[6] At the 2003 NSW state election, Wong headed a multicultural upper house ticket for the Unity Party.[8]

Subsequently in 2005, Wong joined the Labor Party. He was an upper house candidate for Labor in the 2011 NSW state election, placed eighth on the party ticket; and has served as the citizenship advisor to the Premier of New South Wales and as a community relations advisor to Labor.[9]

At a special joint sitting of the New South Wales Legislative Council and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly held on 23 May 2013, Wong was appointed to fill a casual vacancy in the Council, following the resignation of former Labor treasurer Eric Roozendaal who was suspended from the Labor Party in November 2012.[10]

In his first year as an elected councillor in Burwood, Wong established the very first Multicultural Committee and subsequently chaired several council committees such as the Sandakan Committee, Access Committee, Business Centre Steering Committee and the Safety Committee.[11]

Wong has a long history of engagement with the community, in particular, vulnerable groups. He established the Special Children Service Centre in 2008 to assist children of diverse cultural backgrounds with intellectual impairment and has been appointed Life Honorary President of the charitable organisation.[12] He continues to be an advisor to several aged care/nursing homes and had acted as a Director on the board of the Westmead Hospital Medical Research Foundation for seven years before he was elected to the NSW Parliament.[13]

A strong advocate for social justice and equality in a culturally diverse Australia, Wong's areas of policy interest include community development, equal opportunity and social harmony. Multiculturalism and anti-discrimination are two particular areas of political discourse in his narrative.[14]

He serves on various parliament committees, including the Select Committees on The Impact of Gambling and Human Trafficking in New South Wales.[15] His speeches include "Poverty in Australia", "Depression" and "Social Enterprise Initiative".[16] Currently, he is pursuing an inquiry in the NSW Upper House to end homelessness in NSW.

In addition, Wong has been very vocal on the Japanese imperial invasion during the Second World War, delivering numerous speeches related to the war and comfort women.[16]

In May 2017, Wong was one of three Labor MPs to vote with the Liberal Party and National Party to block a bill to decriminalise abortion in the state.[17] He also voted down other bills such as NSW Parliament bill to legalise same-sex marriage in 2014[18] and the assisted dying bill in parliament in November 2017.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Labor fills vacant Eric Roozendaal seat with Burwood Deputy Mayor Ernest Wong". The Telegraph. Australia. 26 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Annual Report". Xiaoxiao Education Limited. 31 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Labor Official Website".
  4. ↑ "Chinese mayor picked for NSW MP vacancy". Nine News, Australia. 26 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Burwood Council Website".
  6. 1 2 "Unity Party Website".
  7. ↑ "Burwood Council Website".
  8. ↑ "NSW Election May See Emergence of The 'Muslim Vote'". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "Xiao Xiao" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Ernest Wong elected to replace Roozendaal in NSW Parliament". ABC News, Australia. ABC News, Australia. 26 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "NSW Parliament".
  12. ↑ "Special Children Organisation".
  13. ↑ Westmead Medical Research Foundation Annual Report 2007. Westmead Medical Research Foundation. 16 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "NSW Parliament".
  15. ↑ "NSW Parliament".
  16. 1 2 "NSW Parliament".
  17. ↑ "NSW Parliament votes to keep abortion in Crimes Act". Lawyers Weekly. 2 May 2017.
  18. ↑ "Same-sex marriage bill defeated in NSW upper house". Sydney Morning Herald. 14 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "Voluntary assisted dying bill defeated in NSW upper house". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 November 2017.
  • "Cr. Ernest Wong, Deputy Mayor of Burwood City Council Frequently visits the Hostel and bring joy to the elderly" (photo gallery). The Indo-Chinese Elderly Hostel. Love the Elderly and Children Foundation. 2013.
Civic offices
Preceded by
 Mayor of Burwood
???? – ????		 Succeeded by
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