AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY NSW BRANCH NSW Centre Unity 2014 Candidates 2014 NSW LABOR ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY NSW BRANCH 2014 CANDIDATES Setting the Standard NSW Centre Unity can be proud of the strong candidates we are putting forward at the 2014 NSW Labor Annual State Conference. The 2014 NSW Centre Unity team is a diverse group. Its members come from all corners of NSW, with a strong mix of different professional and cultural backgrounds, forming a team that sets a standard for experience and fresh ideas to keep our Party growing for the future. Look no further than our candidates for the Senate and Legislative Council to see the strength of our team in providing representation and strong voices for all of NSW in the Parliament. We are proud that NSW Centre Unity is not just meeting, but exceeding, our Affirmative Action targets. We’ve increased Country representation on the Country Labor Committee to ensure rural and regional NSW continues to have an effective voice within NSW Labor. Please support our 2014 NSW Centre Unity team at this conference to continue to set the standard for NSW Labor. JamieJamie Clements NSW LaborLa General Secretary 2014 CANDIDATES CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT Mark Lennon At the age of 14 Mark Lennon first handed out for the Labor Party at the 1972 ‘It’s Time’ election. The Labor movement and serving the interests of working people have been his life’s work. Mark was an official with the Liquor Trades Union before joining the Labor Council in 1988. Mark continues to campaign to improve conditions for more than 600,000 trade union members, in his role as the Secretary of Unions NSW. Mark believes the values of working people should continue to be at the forefront of modern Labor’s agenda – which is why he is running for President of the Party. He has degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of NSW and is married with three children. CANDIDATE FOR GENERAL SECRETARY Jamie Clements Jamie joined the Labor Party on the Thursday before the 1998 Federal Election. Two days later he spent his first Saturday handing out for Labor in the marginal seat of Robertson. Jamie joined the Wamberal Day branch of the Labor Party soon after, and he is still a proud member of that branch. Jamie has been an active member of the party in Robertson and Gosford for 16 years. Jamie opened the Western Sydney campaign office and introduced a new campaign model that focused on volunteer mobilisation, grass roots activism and one-on-one voter contact – a model that saved many of our Federal Members in 2013. As General Secretary he has ensured NSW Labor is setting the standard nationally for reform. Under his leadership NSW Labor established the new Organising Centre to train and activate members from around the state, providing the tools for grassroots community organising. Jamie oversaw three successful community preselections with over 5600 people participating in Balmain alone. The Party has grown substantially and at this conference Jamie will propose that NSW Labor directly elect its parliamentary leader, enshrine community preselections in its rules, and reintroduce policy committees to put the focus back on policy development. 2014 CANDIDATES CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Tara Moriarty Tara Moriarty joined the NSW Labor Party following the 1996 election. She was inspired by what Labor could achieve in government and wanted to contribute to the return of a Federal Labor Government. Tara joined the Queanbeyan Branch and played an active role in Labor’s campaigns to win the bell-weather seat of Eden-Monaro. She studied at the Australian National University in Canberra. Tara was elected as the first female Secretary of the Liquor & Hospitality Division of United Voice, She is currently the Senior Vice-President of the NSW Labor Party. CANDIDATE FOR JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT Deborah O’Neill Inspired by Paul Keating’s remarkable “Redfern Address” and his words of reconciliation, Deborah O’Neill was driven to join the Labor Party. Born of Irish decent, Deborah was raised in the multicultural melting pot of Western Sydney which instilled in her a great love of culture and a sincere belief in the “Fair Go”. Senator Deborah O’Neill was first elected to the Federal Parliament in August 2010 as the Member for Robertson, but subsequently lost her seat at the 2013 election. Shortly after this, Deborah was appointed to the Senate to fill the vacancy left by Bob Carr. For the best part of three decades Deborah was a teacher on the New South Wales Central Coast. Later, Deborah took up a posting as a lecturer at the University of Newcastle’s School of Education, both at the Callaghan and Central Coast Campus’. Deb’s connection to the Central Coast community through education helped guide her in to politics and her passion for social justice continues to drive her to bring people together to create a more inclusive society. She married Paul in 1985 and they have three children, Caitlin, Brianna and Noah whom they have raised on the Central Coast. CANDIDATE FOR STATE ORGANISER David Latham Compelled by the election loss of 2004, David joined the Labor Party on campus at his first day of university in 2005. As a young person, David was frustrated by the Howard Government’s policies and was motivated to get active and contribute to electing a Labor government. David joined the Ashfield branch before becoming active in NSW Young Labor. He was elected President of NSW Young Labor in late 2010. He is an electrical engineer by trade. David has campaigned for Labor in Western Sydney, the Macarthur region and Southern Sydney. As a grassroots activist, David understands that the Labor Party needs to grow its base and equip its volunteers with the skills to prosecute Labor’s narrative within the community. As State Organiser, David managed Barry Collier’s successful campaign to win back the seat of Miranda. By activating a large volunteer base and focusing on service cuts as well as Liberal failures in the Shire, Labor achieved a record by-election swing of 26.1%. 2014 CANDIDATES CANDIDATES FOR THE SENATE Sam Dastyari Sam Dastyari sought public office to pursue his passion for policy making. The experience of serving as a NSW Senator has confirmed his conviction that the Australian Parliament is the best forum to fight for Labor values. Sam has authored several opinion pieces and he has wholeheartedly embraced parliamentary processes within the chamber and in Senate Committees to expose the Tory agenda and fight their cuts to services. As a proud Persian Australian, Sam’s deep commitment to multicultural Australia has been evidenced by his engagement with ethnic communities across NSW. This has included a regular presence in the Chinese Australian media and strong relationships with the sub-continental community. Through these activities he has highlighted Labor’s advocacy for diversity and equity, which in turn has provided a stark contrast to Tony Abbott’s vision for Australia. Sam believes that, now more than ever, it is crucial that Labor voices are heard in the parliament and the community, loud and proud. That’s why Sam would like your support to continue to serve the Party as a NSW Senator. Vivien Thomson AFSM Vivien is a farmer from Muttama on the South West Slopes of NSW. As well as being a farmer, Vivien is a mother of three, a firefighter and an established author. Vivien has been advocating for rural affairs for many years especially through her roles on several national boards representing women from rural areas. She is also a recipient of an Australian Fire Service Medal, the highest possible honour within the Australian Fire Service Association. Vivien decided to join the Labor Party several years ago when she saw communities in rural and regional areas being taken for granted by conservative governments and wanted to make a difference. Vivien is the Secretary of the Tumut/ Gundagai/Jugiong branch; Vice-President of the Cootamundra SEC and an Independent Director on the Administrative Committee. Vivien is committed to ensuring that Labor provides a strong voice for people living in rural and regional Australia. 2014 CANDIDATES CANDIDATES FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Sophie Cotsis Sophie Cotsis is the daughter of Greek migrants. She joined the Party in 1993 and was an active trade unionist as an organiser. As Shadow Minister for Local Government, Housing and the Status of Women, Sophie has fought against budget cuts by the Liberals and Nationals, which have impacted local councils and people living in social housing. Sophie is a strong advocate for women and people from culturally diverse communities and works tirelessly to advance Labor’s cause. Walt Secord Walt, the son of a Mohawk-Ojibway father and an Anglo mother, grew up on an Indian reserve in Canada and migrated to Australia in 1988. Walt joined the Labor Party in 1992 and served a number of Premiers, Ministers and an Opposition Leader at the State and Federal levels. Walt was appointed to the NSW Legislative Council in May 2011 and has been at the forefront of holding the O’Farrell and Baird Governments to account. As Shadow Roads Minister, he is one of the Opposition’s most diligent and fiercest critics of the State Government. Shaoquett Moselmane Shaoquett joined the Labor Party in 1982 at the age of 16, passionate about the Labor Party’s ethos of a fair go, justice and equality. This passion has led him to work tirelessly for his community in St George, with a particular focus on justice and multicultural issues. In Parliament Shaoquett has been instrumental in forging stronger links with ethnic communities and multicultural media.