Tony Burke

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The Honourable
 Tony Burke MP
Tony Burke

Member of the Australian Parliament
for Watson
Incumbent
Assumed office 
2004
Preceded by Leo McLeay

Incumbent
Assumed office 
3 December 2007
Preceded by Peter McGauran

Born 4 November 1969 (1969-11-04) (age 38)
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Nationality Flag of Australia Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Alma mater University of Sydney
Website TonyBurke.com.au

Anthony Stephen (Tony) Burke (born 4 November 1969) is an Australian politician representing the Labor Party. He was elected as a member of the Parliament of New South Wales in 2003 and in October 2004 was elected to the federal House of Representatives as the Member for Watson, New South Wales.

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[edit] Background

Tony Burke was educated at Regina Coeli, St Patrick's College, Strathfield (where he was Vice-Captain) and the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law. An accomplished debater, in 1995 he was awarded the Martin Sorensen award for best speaker at the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships.

He was a founding director of Aticus Pty Ltd, an advocacy training business across Australia and Asia.

From 1997 until 2003, Burke worked as an organiser for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association.

On 22 March 2003, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council. He chaired the NSW State Development Committee, conducting inquiries into Ports Infrastructure and into Science and its Commercialisation. He resigned from the NSW state parliament on 24 June 2004 to campaign for the federal parliament, and was successful at the 2004 federal election, held on 9 October.

[edit] Federal Parliament

Burke was appointed as Shadow Minister for Small Business immediately after his election, and in June 2005 was promoted to Shadow Minister for Immigration. In December 2006 Kevin Rudd was elected leader and conducted a further reshuffle, expanding the portfolio to Immigration, Integration and Citizenship. On 29 November 2007, Burke was selected by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as the next Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and was sworn in on 3 December 2007.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Leo McLeay
Member for Watson
2004 – present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Peter McGauran
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
2007 – present
Incumbent