Michael Egan (Australian politician)
Michael Egan AO | |
---|---|
Treasurer of New South Wales | |
In office 3 April 1995 – 21 January 2005 | |
Premier | Bob Carr |
Preceded by | Peter Collins |
Succeeded by | Andrew Refshauge |
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council Vice-President of the Executive Council | |
In office 3 April 1995 – 21 January 2005 | |
Premier | Bob Carr |
Preceded by | John Hannaford |
Succeeded by | John Della Bosca |
Chancellor of Macquarie University | |
In office February 2008 – February 2019 | |
Preceded by | Maurice Newman |
Succeeded by | Martin Parkinson |
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Cronulla | |
In office 7 October 1978 – 5 March 1984 | |
Preceded by | Ian Griffith |
Succeeded by | Malcolm Kerr |
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
In office 24 September 1986 – 8 February 2005 | |
Preceded by | Barrie Unsworth |
Succeeded by | Greg Donnelly |
Personal details | |
Born | Michael Rueben Egan 21 February 1948 Sydney, New South Wales |
Political party | Labor Party |
Alma mater | University of Sydney |
Michael Rueben Egan AO (born 21 February 1948), a former union official and former Australian politician, served as Treasurer of New South Wales between 1995 and 2005. Egan served as the Chancellor of Macquarie University from 2008 until 2019 and currently sits on a number of government and non-government advisory boards.
Early years and background[]
![]() | This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (June 2016) |
Born in Sydney, Egan was educated at St Patrick's Catholic College, Sutherland and obtained his Bachelor of Arts from The University of Sydney. He worked in the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union as a Federal Research Officer (1969 – 1973) and was an Advisor to the Honourable Les Johnson as Federal Minister for Housing and Construction and Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (1973 – 1975).
Egan served as an Officer of the NSW State Pollution Control Commission (1976 – 1978). Subsequently, he was employed as a Senior Policy Advisor to Barrie Unsworth, initially when the latter was Minister for Transport and Minister for Health, and then when Unsworth was Premier of NSW (1984 – 1986).[1]
Political career[]
![]() | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (June 2016) |
Egan was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 7 October 1978, representing the seat of Cronulla. Although re-elected on 19 August 1981, he was defeated in the election held on 5 March 1984. He successfully ran for election to the New South Wales Legislative Council on 24 September 1986. It was not until the Bob Carr-led Labor Party took power on 3 April 1995 that he became State Treasurer, Minister for Energy, and Minister for State Development. In a Ministerial reshuffle in November 1997, Bob Debus took over the Energy portfolio. Egan was also Minister for Gaming and Racing for one month during 2003 replacing Richard Face and succeeded by Grant McBride. Egan was eventually to become the longest serving Treasurer in New South Wales.[1]
In the few years before he became Treasurer when Labor was in Opposition, Egan had been the Shadow Finance Minister. Even though then Opposition Leader Bob Carr was Shadow Treasurer, Egan became the informal Opposition counterpart to Liberal Treasurer Peter Collins when Collins was appointed Treasurer in 1993. It was Egan, not Carr, who debated Collins on economic matters in media appearances. Egan in effect, if not in name, acted as the real Shadow Treasurer. It was because of Egan's solid performance against Treasurer Collins that Carr, upon becoming Premier in 1995 with the ALP's victory at the State election, broke with convention in not appointing the Shadow Treasurer just prior to the election (which was Carr himself) as Treasurer and appointed Egan instead.
Another break in convention with Egan's appointment as Treasurer is that he was a member of the Upper House, the New South Wales Legislative Council as previous Treasurers had been from the Lower House, the Legislative Assembly. However, since all money bills had to be introduced first in the Lower House, the Legislative Assembly, Egan delivered the State Budgets of 1995 to 2004 in the Legislative Assembly despite not being a member of that house of Parliament.
Announcing his resignation on 18 January 2005, Egan stated that, "after 35 years of political combat, I think it's time for me to move on."[2][3]
Career after politics[]
Appointed a member of the Council of Macquarie University in 2006, Egan was appointed as Chancellor in February 2008 and held this position until February 2019.[4] Other community roles include Chairman of the Australia Day Council of New South Wales since 2006, Chairman of the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology since 2005, a Governor of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research since 2005, and a Director of the Maritime Services Board of New South Wales between 1984 and 1986.[1]
In May 2008 Egan was appointed Chairman of Terria, and in 2009, he was appointed as the Chair of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority Commission.
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Hon. Michael Rueben Egan". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ Colvin, Mark; Barlow, Karen (18 January 2005). "Michael Egan quits as NSW Treasurer" (transcript). PM (ABC Radio). Australia. Retrieved 5 October 2005.
- ^ "NSW Treasurer Michael Egan to quit politics". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 18 January 2005. Retrieved 5 October 2005.
- ^ "Macquarie University's chancellor announces retirement" (Press release). Macquarie University. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- 1948 births
- Living people
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
- Treasurers of New South Wales
- Officers of the Order of Australia
- People from the Sutherland Shire
- Chancellors of Macquarie University
- Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales
- LGBT legislators in Australia
- Gay politicians
- 21st-century Australian politicians