Matt Thistlethwaite

The Honourable
Matt Thistlethwaite
MP
Shadow Assistant Minister for an Australian Head of State
Assumed office
24 October 2017
Preceded by Position Established
Member of the Australian Parliament for Kingsford Smith
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 Labor Party
in New South Wales
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
Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Political party Labor Party
Spouse(s) Rachel Casamento
Children 4
Residence Matraville, New South Wales, Australia
Education Marist College Pagewood.NSW.
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.com.au

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 electorate of Kingsford Smith. He was formerly a member of the Australian Senate from 2011 to 2013. Thistlethwaite 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 entering electoral politics, he was the general secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party.

Early life and background

Thistlethwaite graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Economics.[3]

In 1995 he began working at the Australian Workers Union as an organiser. Whilst in this role he studied law part-time and completed a Diploma of Law[3] in 2000. In 2001 he was elected Vice President of the Australian Workers Union NSW Branch. At the age of 22, Thistlethwaite joined NSW Labor Party and was president of the 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. He was elected general secretary of NSW Labor from 2008–2010.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

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 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;[7] and gained endorsement on 20 July 2013, defeating Tony Bowen, the mayor of Randwick.[8]

Thistlethwaite was elected as the member for Kingsford-Smith at the election held on 7 September 2013. Thistlethwaite was one of three people to have moved from the Senate to the House of Representatives at this 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,[9] and appointed Matt Thistlethwaite as the first 'Shadow Assistant Minister for an Australian Head of State'. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Full list of changes to the Gillard ministry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Senator the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite". Senators and Members. Parliament of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  4. ↑ http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=182468
  5. ↑ "ALP candidate rejects Obeid's endorsement". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ↑ "David Feeney wins Labor preselection for Melbourne seat of Batman". ABC News. Australia. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "NSW Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite to run for preselection in Kingsford Smith". ABC News. Australia. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Bashan, Yoni (20 July 2013). "NSW Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite to replace Peter Garrett in NSW seat of Kingsford Smith". Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Bill Shorten vows to hold vote on republic during first term of a Labor government".
  10. ↑ "Major step in push for Australian republic: Labor appoints a 'Shadow Assistant Minister for an Australian Head of State'".
  • Thistlethwaite, Matt (18 August 2011). "First Speech" (PDF). Australian Senate. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Karl Bitar		 General Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch)
2008–2010		 Succeeded by
Sam Dastyari
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Peter Garrett		 Member for Kingsford Smith
2013–present		 Incumbent
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