Laurie Ferguson
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Laurie Donald Thomas Ferguson (born 7 July 1952) is a former Australian politician who was an Australian Labor Party member of the House of Representatives from March 1990, representing Reid until 2010 and Werriwa until May 2016, both in New South Wales.
Early life and education
Laurie Ferguson grew up in Guildford, the eldest son of Mary Ellen and Jack Ferguson, who was deputy premier of New South Wales 1976–84.<ref name="Laurie Ferguson NSW parl"/> His brother Martin was also a federal MP. Both attended at St Patrick's College, Strathfield.<ref name="Laurie Ferguson NSW parl"/> His younger brother, Andrew, was the former NSW Secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (Construction and General Division).Template:Citation needed
Ferguson was educated at the University of Sydney and was a research officer with the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union before entering politics.<ref name="Laurie Ferguson aph">Template:Cite Au Parliament</ref>
Career
He was the member for Granville in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 1984–90.<ref name="Laurie Ferguson NSW parl">Template:Cite NSW Parliament</ref>
In the federal Parliament, Ferguson was elected to the opposition shadow ministry in March 1996 and was Shadow Minister for Immigration in 2004–05. His handling of the debate around Petro Georgiou's private member's bill on asylum seekers was severely criticised Template:Clarify and he was shifted to Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs, Population Health and Health Regulation in June 2005. On the election of the Rudd Labor Government in 2007, Ferguson became Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services.<ref name="Laurie Ferguson aph"/>
He was preselected to contest the south-western Sydney seat of Werriwa at the 2010 federal election after his existing seat of Reid was merged with neighbouring Lowe. Lowe MP John Murphy contested the redistributed Reid.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was not re-appointed to the Gillard Ministry after the election.<ref name="Laurie Ferguson aph"/> Ferguson is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Panel Foundation-Australasia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Ferguson is married to Maureen Walsh, a former councillor at Parramatta City Council in the Woodville Ward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
External links
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- 1952 births
- Living people
- Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Reid
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Werriwa
- Australian people of Scottish descent
- Politicians from Sydney
- People educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield
- University of Sydney alumni
- Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales
- Labor Left politicians
- Australian MPs 1990–1993
- Australian MPs 1993–1996
- Australian MPs 1996–1998
- Australian MPs 1998–2001
- Australian MPs 2001–2004
- Australian MPs 2004–2007
- Australian MPs 2007–2010
- Australian MPs 2010–2013
- Australian MPs 2013–2016