Kim Carr

Senator The Honourable
Kim Carr
Senator for Victoria
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 April 1993
Minister for Human Services
In office
2 March 2012  22 March 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by Brendan O'Connor
Succeeded by Jan McLucas
Minister for Defence Materiel
In office
14 December 2011  2 March 2012
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by Jason Clare
Succeeded by Jason Clare
Minister for Manufacturing
In office
14 December 2011  2 March 2012
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by New office
Succeeded by Office abolished
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
In office
3 December 2007  12 December 2011
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Julia Gillard
Preceded by Ian Macfarlane
Succeeded by Greg Combet
In office
1 July 2013  18 September 2013
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Preceded by Greg Combet
Succeeded by Ian Macfarlane
Minister for Higher Education
In office
1 July 2013  18 September 2013
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Preceded by Craig Emerson (Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research)
Succeeded by Christopher Pyne as Minister for Education
Personal details
Born Kim John Carr
2 July 1955
Tumut, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Alma mater University of Melbourne
Occupation Politician
Profession Teacher

Kim John Carr (born 2 July 1955) is an Australian politician. Senator Carr was the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and Minister for Higher Education and served in the Second Rudd Cabinet, from July 2013 to September 2013.[1] He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since April 1993, representing the state of Victoria. Carr is a leading figure in Labor's left faction. He has previously held a range of ministerial responsibilities between 2007 and 2013, including serving in the First Rudd Cabinet and the first and second Gillard ministries.

Background and early career

Carr was born in Tumut, New South Wales and educated at the University of Melbourne where he obtained a Master of Arts degree and a Diploma of Education.[2] He joined the Labor Party in 1975. He was a secondary school teacher for nine years before becoming a political staffer for Victorian government ministers Joan Kirner and Andrew McCutcheon.

Parliamentary career

Carr was elected to the Senate at the March 1993 election, and was due to take his seat on 1 July. When retiring Senator John Button resigned before the expiry of his term, however, Carr was appointed to the resulting casual vacancy on 28 April.[3]

Carr became a Shadow Parliamentary Secretary in March 1996 in addition to being the Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate until his election to the Opposition Shadow Ministry in November 2001. He was Shadow Minister for Science and Research from then until October 2004. He was also Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation from July 2003 to October 2004. He has been Shadow Minister for Public Administration and Open Government, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation and Shadow Minister for the Arts October 2004 to June 2005, when he was appointed Shadow Minister for Housing, Urban Development, Local Government and Territories. He is one of five voting Victorian members of the party's National Executive.

Carr is a leading figure in Labor's left faction.[4][5][6][7]

After the Labor's victory in the 2007 federal election, the new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed Carr as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and he was sworn into office by Governor-General Michael Jeffery on 3 December.[8]

Carr was re-elected in the 2010 election and retained his portfolio of Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research in the Second Gillard Ministry, which was sworn in on 14 September 2010.[9] He was dropped from the cabinet on 12 December 2011, amid speculation that it was due to his links with former prime minister Kevin Rudd.[10] He remained in the outer Ministry however, as Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Defence Materiel.[11]

In the Ministerial reshuffle of 2 March 2012, Carr was appointed as Minister for Human Services.[12] Carr resigned his ministerial portfolio on 22 March 2013 after he supported an unsuccessful attempt to reinstall Kevin Rudd as Labor Leader.

Following a subsequent successful leadership spill where Gillard was defeated, Rudd appointed Carr as the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and Minister for Higher Education and member of Cabinet in the Second Rudd Ministry.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  2. Australian Government. "Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research". Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  3. Parliamentary Biography: Kim Carr; Retrieved 16 August 2013
  4. "ALP meeting leaves some unhappy" (TRANSCRIPT). PM (ABC Radio) (Australia). 7 October 2002.
  5. Factional wars at Victoria's ALP State Conference, PM, ABC, 23 May 2005
  6. Ernest Healy (1993), 'Ethnic ALP Branches – The Balkanisation of Labor,' in People and Place, Vol.1, No.4, Page 40
  7. Ernest Healy (1995), 'Ethnic ALP Branches – The Balkanisation of Labor Revisited,' People and Place, Vol.3, No.3, p.48-54
  8. "Rudd hands out portfolios". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  9. http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/parl/43/ministry/ministry.htm
  10. Reported on ABC Radio National news bulletins, 12 December 2011.
  11. Gillard, Julia (12 December 2001). "Changes to the Ministry" (Press release). Prime Minister of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  12. Gillard, Julia (2 March 2012). "Changes to the Ministry" (Press release). Prime Minister of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2012.

External links

Media related to Kim Carr at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by
Ian Macfarlane
(as Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources)
Minister for Innovation, Industry,
Science and Research

2007 – 2011
Succeeded by
Greg Combet
(as Minister for Innovation & Industry)
Preceded by
Julie Bishop
(as Minister for Science)
Succeeded by
Chris Evans
(as Minister for Science & Research)
Preceded by
new office
Minister for Manufacturing
2011–2012
Succeeded by
office abolished
Preceded by
Jason Clare
Minister for Defence Materiel
2011–2012
Succeeded by
Jason Clare
Preceded by
Brendan O'Connor
Minister for Human Services
2012–2013
Succeeded by
Jason Clare
Preceded by
Greg Combet
(as Minister for Innovation & Industry)
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
2013
Succeeded by
Ian Macfarlane
Preceded by
Craig Emerson
(as Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research)
Preceded by
Craig Emerson
(as Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research)
Minister for Higher Education
2013
Succeeded by
Position abolished