Paul Pearce

Paul Ronald Pearce (born 7 February 1956) is an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Coogee between 2003 and 2011 for the Australian Labor Party.^[1]

Pearce was educated at Granville Public School, Bronte Public School and Sydney Boys High School. He has received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London External Programme. He was self-employed in the textile industry between 1977-1997 and was a councillor of Waverley Municipal Council between 1983 and 2004, serving as Mayor of Waverley between 1997 and 2004. From 1996 to 2001, he was the director of the Southern Sydney Waste Management Board. ^[2] He stood unsuccessfully for the federal seat of Wentworth in 1993, 1996 and 1998.^[3]

While Mayor of Waverley Council, Pearce was noted for his pony tail, but this was ruled out by Labor party organisers at the 2003 election.^[4]

At the 2011 state election, Pearce lost the seat of Coogee to Liberal Party of Australia candidate and former City of Randwick Mayor Bruce Notley-Smith. ld Coogee^[5] Pearce was one of several Labor MPs from comfortably safe Labor seats who were swept out in the massive Coalition landslide that year. He'd previously held Coogee with a majority of seven percent, but was toppled on a 15 percent swing.

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