Simon Crean
Simon Findlay Crean ( born February 26, 1949 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian politician and was in the years 2001 to 2003 Chairman of the Australian Labor Party. Since 2007 he has been Minister of Trade in the government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Early life
Simon Crean was born in 1949 in Melbourne. His father Frank Crean was deputy at the federal level for the Australian Labor Party in the years 1951 to 1977, inter alia, Treasurer, Trade Minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Gough Whitlam. His brother, Dr David Crean, is a former Labor MP for the Parliament of Tasmania. Crean visited the Middle Park Central School, Melbourne High School and finally the Monash University, where he received his his Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws. Then Crean worked in some unions before 1979 he became Secretary General of the Storemen and Packers Union.
After his father was the deputy seat for the electoral district of Melbourne Ports was released in 1977 retired from federal politics. For this, Simon Crean competed, but lost in the intra-party code in the ALP against Clyde Holding. In 1981, Crean was Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions ( ACTU ), the largest advocacy for Australian workers, and in 1985 its president. He played an important role in the negotiations with the Labor government led by Bob Hawke, as higher wages and other industrial problems were discussed. In 1990 Crean left the ACTU to full-time to change to the policy.
In the federal elections in 1990, he was elected for the constituency Hotham in the Australian Repräsentantehhaus and determined immediately by Bob Hawke as Minister of Education and Technology. A year later, Crean Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, as well as labor and minister of culture in 1993.
Political career
As party chairman
After the defeat of the Labor Party at the federal elections of 1996 Simon Crean went up against Gareth Evans, but lost by 42 votes to 37. Up for re- election defeat in 1998 Crean was represented in the opposition. This year, he was finally elected vice party chairman and took over the office of opposition treasurer of Evans. In November 2001, Crean followed unopposed to the resigned as party leader Kim Beazley. Earlier, the Labor Party had suffered their third defeat in a row.
On 4 February 2003 Crean sentenced to involve the Australian troops in the Iraq war with his party, the decision of the incumbent Prime Minister John Howard. Due to poor poll numbers against the current Premier Howard in terms of the next election, demanded several leaders of the party, Crean on 27 November 2003 to resign. The next day, Crean followed this call and resigned. Thus he was the first leader of the Australian Labor Party, who never led the party in an election.
Following the resignation of party leader
After Creans resignation Mark Latham was elected the new party leader just before Kim Beazley. This Crean immediately appointed to the opposition treasurer. The subsequent defeat in the federal elections of 2004 was partly blamed Crean, so he resigned from his post. However, Latham appointed him to the then opposition trade minister.
In June 2005, Crean of Beazley, who again was now ALP Chairman was intended for opposition Minister for Regional Development, a significant reduction meant. Also, due to a decision by Beazley had Crean against Martin Pakula, one of its former union employees compete for his seat in parliament in a primary. In this he was supported, among others, Julia Gillard, after Beazley no candidate advocated publicly. Since MPs in this region have the right to vote, he finally won with 70 % of votes in the first round, whereupon his opponent withdrew from the election.
In December 2006, Kevin Rudd was followed as a laboratory - Chairman at the federal level. Then Crean was re-appointed opposition trade minister and opposition Minister for Regional Development. After Rudd's election victory in 2007 this Crean appointed Minister of Commerce. In his 18 years as a deputy Crean always sat in the front row of the House of Representatives.
External links and sources
- Off. Homepage of Simon Crean
- Profile Simon Crean at atua.org.au
- McMullin, Ross, The Light on the Hill The Australian Labor Party 1891-1991