Col Markham
Encyclopedia
Colin William Markham (born 4 June 1940) is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1988 to 2003, representing the electorates of Keira
(1988–1999) and Wollongong
(1999–2003). He was a parliamentary secretary in the first two terms of the Carr
Labor government.
). He dropped out of school at fifteen, and took up an apprenticeship as an electrical fitter with the Electricity Commission of New South Wales
. He worked in the Kemira mines for two years after the completion of his apprenticeship, before shifting to the Coalcliff mines, where he spent a further 24 years. He joined the Labor Party in response to the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975
, and was active in his local branches for many years thereafter.
in 1988, following the abolition of the previously safe Labor seat of Corrimal
held by the long-serving Member for Corrimal, Laurie Kelly
. Kelly challenged sitting Independent
MP Frank Arkell for his seat of Wollongong
, but was defeated.
Markham won a narrow victory and was subsequently reelected at the 1991
and 1995
State elections, increasing his majority at each election. Markham developed a reputation as an occasionally outspoken local MP, publicly clashing with his party over their policies on the coal industry not long after his election. He was promoted into the shadow ministry in 1989, taking the position of Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, but was cut upon the election of the Carr
government in 1995 after struggling to gain a profile in the role.
Markham was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs
after his demotion from Cabinet, and was a persistent advocate for Aboriginal issues throughout the remainder of his parliamentary career. He was the architect of early land rights legislation transferring a number of government-owned sites into the control of their traditional owners, and continually campaigned for action from the state government on Aboriginal reconciliation, ultimately resulting in the Carr government's Statement of Commitment on Aboriginal reconciliation in 1997. He was also a frequent advocate for local workers as the job cuts of the 1990s hit the Wollongong economy hard.
Markham had long faced rumors of a preselection challenge from the right-faction, which had been gaining increasing dominance in his region through the late 1990s. As a popular local member, however, he was tipped to be difficult to shift, and planned challenges for the 1991 and 1995 elections never eventuated. He faced a much more difficult situation ahead of the 1999 election, however, when an electoral redistribution saw the right-wing faction gain firm control of the electorate's Labor branches. A deal was struck by which Markham would instead contest preselection for the neighbouring seat of Wollongong
, held by fellow left-winger Gerry Sullivan. Markham won preselection for Wollongong, but his treatment by the party caused a local backlash, with Wollongong councillor Dave Martin running for and nearly winning Markham's old seat of Keira as an independent. Sullivan took the preselection to the Supreme Court
but lost, and publicly considered running as an independent before deciding against it.
He was reappointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs after the election, and acted as a strong proponent of Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week
. He faced speculation about another challenge for his seat in 2002, when it was leaked to the press that his name was on an internal party "hit-list" for the next election. Long a target of the right wing, the faction had been especially angered by his refusal to cross a union picket line at Parliament House in opposition to Carr government workers compensation changes that were deeply unpopular in Markham's blue-collar electorate. The speculation received a sharp response from the trade union movement, with the local divisions of six major unions threatening protests and support for independent candidacies if Markham was toppled by head office. Markham's impending axing took on federal consequences when angry local unions and left-wing groups directed their resources against the right faction candidate Labor had endorsed for a by-election in the federal seat of Cunningham
; in a shock result, Green candidate Michael Organ
won the seat after a disastrous Labor campaign.
Markham received a late endorsement from Premier Bob Carr
ahead of the 2002 preselection vote, but this was not enough to sway the right-dominated preselectors, who voted for Noreen Hay
, a local left faction figure who defected to the right soon after. He retired at the election rather than run as an independent, and Hay held the seat, albeit with a 13% swing against her. Tickets to his farewell dinner at the WIN Entertainment Centre sold out five days before it was held.
Board and Gold Foundation Member of the Illawarra Steelers as well as previously serving as Chairman of the Illawarra Steeler's Injured Player Fund.
In 2003, he was awarded as an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wollongong
.
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1988 to 2003, representing the electorates of Keira
Electoral district of Keira
Keira is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Ryan Park of the Australian Labor Party.-Members for Keira:-Election results:...
(1988–1999) and Wollongong
Electoral district of Wollongong
Wollongong is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Noreen Hay of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
(1999–2003). He was a parliamentary secretary in the first two terms of the Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
Labor government.
Early years
Markham was born in Wollongong, the son of Vincent Markham and his wife Iris, and studied at West Wollongong Public School and Wollongong Junior Technical College (now Keira High SchoolKeira High School
Keira High School in Wollongong, New South Wales has existed as an institution under several names since 1917. Originally a collection of boys' technical schools on several sites throughout Wollongong, the school was amalgamated in 1954 at its current site in Lysaght Street North Wollongong.The...
). He dropped out of school at fifteen, and took up an apprenticeship as an electrical fitter with the Electricity Commission of New South Wales
Electricity Commission of New South Wales
The Electricity Commission of New South Wales, sometimes called Elcom, was a statutory body responsible for the generation of electricity and its bulk transmission throughout New South Wales, Australia...
. He worked in the Kemira mines for two years after the completion of his apprenticeship, before shifting to the Coalcliff mines, where he spent a further 24 years. He joined the Labor Party in response to the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975
Australian constitutional crisis of 1975
The 1975 Australian constitutional crisis has been described as the greatest political crisis and constitutional crisis in Australia's history. It culminated on 11 November 1975 with the removal of the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party , by Governor-General Sir John Kerr...
, and was active in his local branches for many years thereafter.
State politics
Markham won Labor preselection for the newly created seat of KeiraElectoral district of Keira
Keira is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Ryan Park of the Australian Labor Party.-Members for Keira:-Election results:...
in 1988, following the abolition of the previously safe Labor seat of Corrimal
Electoral district of Corrimal
Corrimal was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales from 1968 to 1988, named after the suburb of Corrimal. It was replaced by Keira. Its only member was Laurie Kelly, representing the Australian Labor Party....
held by the long-serving Member for Corrimal, Laurie Kelly
Laurie Kelly (politician)
Lawrence Borthwick "Laurie" Kelly is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Corrimal in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1968 to 1988, and served as Speaker from 1976 to 1988....
. Kelly challenged sitting Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
MP Frank Arkell for his seat of Wollongong
Electoral district of Wollongong
Wollongong is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Noreen Hay of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
, but was defeated.
Markham won a narrow victory and was subsequently reelected at the 1991
New South Wales state election, 1991
Elections to the 50th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 May 1991. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
and 1995
New South Wales state election, 1995
Elections to the 51st Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 March 1995. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election. The minority Liberal Party of Australia-led Coalition government of Premier John Fahey was defeated by...
State elections, increasing his majority at each election. Markham developed a reputation as an occasionally outspoken local MP, publicly clashing with his party over their policies on the coal industry not long after his election. He was promoted into the shadow ministry in 1989, taking the position of Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, but was cut upon the election of the Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
government in 1995 after struggling to gain a profile in the role.
Markham was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs
New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs
The New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs is a department of the Government of New South Wales that is responsible for administering legislation in relation to NSW's policies that support indigenous Australians and advising the Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal...
after his demotion from Cabinet, and was a persistent advocate for Aboriginal issues throughout the remainder of his parliamentary career. He was the architect of early land rights legislation transferring a number of government-owned sites into the control of their traditional owners, and continually campaigned for action from the state government on Aboriginal reconciliation, ultimately resulting in the Carr government's Statement of Commitment on Aboriginal reconciliation in 1997. He was also a frequent advocate for local workers as the job cuts of the 1990s hit the Wollongong economy hard.
Markham had long faced rumors of a preselection challenge from the right-faction, which had been gaining increasing dominance in his region through the late 1990s. As a popular local member, however, he was tipped to be difficult to shift, and planned challenges for the 1991 and 1995 elections never eventuated. He faced a much more difficult situation ahead of the 1999 election, however, when an electoral redistribution saw the right-wing faction gain firm control of the electorate's Labor branches. A deal was struck by which Markham would instead contest preselection for the neighbouring seat of Wollongong
Electoral district of Wollongong
Wollongong is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Noreen Hay of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
, held by fellow left-winger Gerry Sullivan. Markham won preselection for Wollongong, but his treatment by the party caused a local backlash, with Wollongong councillor Dave Martin running for and nearly winning Markham's old seat of Keira as an independent. Sullivan took the preselection to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
but lost, and publicly considered running as an independent before deciding against it.
He was reappointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs after the election, and acted as a strong proponent of Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week was initiated in 1996 by Reconciliation Australia to celebrate indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster reconciliation discussion and activities...
. He faced speculation about another challenge for his seat in 2002, when it was leaked to the press that his name was on an internal party "hit-list" for the next election. Long a target of the right wing, the faction had been especially angered by his refusal to cross a union picket line at Parliament House in opposition to Carr government workers compensation changes that were deeply unpopular in Markham's blue-collar electorate. The speculation received a sharp response from the trade union movement, with the local divisions of six major unions threatening protests and support for independent candidacies if Markham was toppled by head office. Markham's impending axing took on federal consequences when angry local unions and left-wing groups directed their resources against the right faction candidate Labor had endorsed for a by-election in the federal seat of Cunningham
Cunningham by-election, 2002
The 2002 Cunningham by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Cunningham in New South Wales on 19 October 2002. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party's Stephen Martin on 16 August 2002...
; in a shock result, Green candidate Michael Organ
Michael Organ
Michael Keith Organ is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Greens member of the Australian House of Representatives between 2002 and 2004, representing the Division of Cunningham, New South Wales...
won the seat after a disastrous Labor campaign.
Markham received a late endorsement from Premier Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
ahead of the 2002 preselection vote, but this was not enough to sway the right-dominated preselectors, who voted for Noreen Hay
Noreen Hay
Noreen Hay is an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. She has represented Wollongong for the Australian Labor Party since 2003....
, a local left faction figure who defected to the right soon after. He retired at the election rather than run as an independent, and Hay held the seat, albeit with a 13% swing against her. Tickets to his farewell dinner at the WIN Entertainment Centre sold out five days before it was held.
Community involvement
Since leaving politics, Markham has maintained his interest in aboriginal affairs, having previously served as an Executive Member, Deputy Chairperson, and now Ambassador of the New South Wales Reconciliation Council. He holds a strong interest in rugby league and is a Director of the Illawarra SteelersIllawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
Board and Gold Foundation Member of the Illawarra Steelers as well as previously serving as Chairman of the Illawarra Steeler's Injured Player Fund.
In 2003, he was awarded as an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong
The University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
.