Walt Secord

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The Honourable
Walt Secord
MLC
Shadow Treasurer of New South Wales
In office
2 July 2019 – 25 May 2021
LeaderJodi McKay
ShadowingDominic Perrottet
Preceded byRyan Park
Succeeded byDaniel Mookhey
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Assumed office
24 May 2011
Personal details
Born (1964-12-25) 25 December 1964 (age 57)
Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian–Australian
Political partyLabor Party
Alma materYork University
OccupationJournalist

Walter Secord (born 25 December 1964) is a Canadian-born Australian politician. He has been a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since May 2011, when he was elected to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Eddie Obeid.[1] Secord was previously chief of staff to former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.

Secord was born in Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, Ontario, Canada, and is a Mohawk-Ojibwe man whose father is a status Indian .[2][3][4] He studied arts at York University in Toronto, and worked as a journalist for the Toronto Star before emigrating to Australia in September 1988.[5] He became an Australian citizen in June 1992.[6]

Secord is the deputy chair of NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel. In 2020 he announced that he was converting to Judaism. He has visited Israel multiple times and previously worked for the Australian Jewish News. He described his conversion as "the logical step of a lifelong journey that was inevitable".[7]

Secord was appointed as shadow treasurer, shadow minister for the arts, and shadow special minister of state in the shadow cabinet of Jodi McKay in July 2019.[8] Following Labor's defeat at the Upper Hunter by-election in May 2021, there was speculation that McKay would resign as party leader. After McKay announced she was not stepping down as party leader, Secord resigned from the shadow cabinet on 25 May 2021. He said it was "well-known that Jodi McKay and [he] have disagreed on key policy, parliamentary and strategic decisions and directions", and that he could no longer serve under her.[9] Secord is a supporter of McKay's rival Chris Minns, who also resigned from the shadow cabinet the following day.[10]

Secord is currently the Shadow Minister for the Arts and Heritage, Shadow Minister for Police, Shadow Minister for Counter Terrorism and Shadow Minister for the North Coast in the NSW Shadow Cabinet.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Hon. Walter SECORD, MLC". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  2. ^ First Nations Citizen Serves in Australian Parliament, Indian Country Today Media Network, 21 June 2011.
  3. ^ "First Nations Canadian lands prime post in Australian state parliament". nationalpost. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. ^ Secord, Walt (2011). "Inaugural speech to NSW Parliament" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Aston, Heath: Warrior who served many chiefs, The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 June 2011.
  6. ^ Walt Secord new Labor Duty MLC, Tamworth City News.
  7. ^ Walt Secord converting to Judaism, Australian Jewish News
  8. ^ "McKay unveils new Shadow Ministry". NSW Labor. July 2019.
  9. ^ "Shadow NSW Treasurer Walt Secord resigns as Jodi McKay refuses to step down as leader". ABC News. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  10. ^ "NSW Labor in turmoil as Jodi McKay's leadership rival Chris Minns quits frontbench over dossier". The Guardian. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  11. ^ "NSW Shadow Ministry". Parliament of NSW. Retrieved 10 October 2021.


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