David Harris (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
David Robert Harris is an Australia
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing the electoral district of Wyong
from 24 March 2007 until his defeat at the 2011 state election
.
. His parents later moved to the New South Wales Central Coast
.
Harris is married to Sherelle and they have two daughters.
South Public School and Woy Woy
High School where became school captain.
Harris undertook tertiary studies and was awarded a Diploma of Teaching and began work in the public school system. He started his career as a teacher at Griffith Public School in 1987. The following year, in his second year of teaching, he became the principal of a one-teacher school at Merriwagga
. He moved on to teach at Hillston
Central School. It was in Hillston that he met his wife Sherelle.
Harris returned to the New South Wales Central Coast
and became principal at Dooralong
Public School and then deputy principal at Northlakes Public School.
Harris was later appointed principal at Gwandalan
Public School and finally principal of Kariong
Public School.
In 2006 Harris resigned as the principal to pursue a career in politics.
branch of the Australian Labor Party
, eventually becoming the president of the Wyong
branch and then the secretary of Dobell Federal Electoral Council.
Harris was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
on 24 March 2007 as the Member for Wyong
. He was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary for Education & Training, Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast. He was also Deputy Chair of the Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Chair of the Natural Resource Management(Climate Change) Committee. He was a Member of the Staysafe Committee (Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety) and a Member of the Standing Committee on Broadband in Rural and Regional Communities.
At the 2011 State election
, Harris lost the seat of Wyong to his Liberal
opponent; local small businessman Darren Webber
. It was the first time the seat of Wyong had been held by any party other than the Labor Party and the win was a milestone for the Liberals.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He was an Australian Labor Party
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...
representing the electoral district of Wyong
Electoral district of Wyong
Wyong is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. The district is a 44,017 km² urban and semi-rural electorate on the Central Coast. The main urban centres are the towns of Wyong, Toukley and Wyee...
from 24 March 2007 until his defeat at the 2011 state election
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
.
Personal life
Harris is one of three children born to his parents who grew up in GreenacreGreenacre, New South Wales
Greenacre, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and the Municipality of Strathfield, is located 17 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region.-History:This area was once...
. His parents later moved to the New South Wales Central Coast
Central Coast, New South Wales
The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
.
Harris is married to Sherelle and they have two daughters.
Education and teaching career
Harris attended Woy WoyWoy Woy, New South Wales
Woy Woy is a coastal town and a southern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney...
South Public School and Woy Woy
Woy Woy, New South Wales
Woy Woy is a coastal town and a southern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney...
High School where became school captain.
Harris undertook tertiary studies and was awarded a Diploma of Teaching and began work in the public school system. He started his career as a teacher at Griffith Public School in 1987. The following year, in his second year of teaching, he became the principal of a one-teacher school at Merriwagga
Merriwagga, New South Wales
Merriwagga is a rural village community in the northern part of the Riverina. It is situated by road, about 20 kilometres north west from Goolgowi and 42 kilometres south from Hillston on the Kidman Way in NSW. According to the ABS Census 2001 it has a population of 66 people...
. He moved on to teach at Hillston
Hillston, New South Wales
Hillston is a township in western New South Wales, Australia, in Carrathool Shire, built on the banks of the Lachlan River. It was founded in 1863 and at the 2006 census had a population of 1,054.-History:...
Central School. It was in Hillston that he met his wife Sherelle.
Harris returned to the New South Wales Central Coast
Central Coast, New South Wales
The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
and became principal at Dooralong
Dooralong, New South Wales
Dooralong is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Wyong Shire local government area....
Public School and then deputy principal at Northlakes Public School.
Harris was later appointed principal at Gwandalan
Gwandalan, New South Wales
Gwandalan is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on a peninsula extending northwards into Lake Macquarie...
Public School and finally principal of Kariong
Kariong, New South Wales
Kariong is a locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located to the west of Gosford along the Central Coast Highway. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.Kariong in the local Original language means meeting place...
Public School.
In 2006 Harris resigned as the principal to pursue a career in politics.
Political career
In 1987 Harris joined the UminaUmina Beach, New South Wales
Umina Beach is a suburb within the City of Gosford local government area on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.By road, it is north of Sydney and south of Newcastle....
branch of the Australian Labor Party
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...
, eventually becoming the president of the Wyong
Wyong, New South Wales
Wyong was proclaimed a town in 1888 and is currently a major northern suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, located approximately 89 km NNE of Sydney. It is the administrative centre for the Wyong Shire local government area.- History :...
branch and then the secretary of Dobell Federal Electoral Council.
Harris was elected to 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...
on 24 March 2007 as the Member for Wyong
Electoral district of Wyong
Wyong is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. The district is a 44,017 km² urban and semi-rural electorate on the Central Coast. The main urban centres are the towns of Wyong, Toukley and Wyee...
. He was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary for Education & Training, Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast. He was also Deputy Chair of the Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Chair of the Natural Resource Management(Climate Change) Committee. He was a Member of the Staysafe Committee (Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety) and a Member of the Standing Committee on Broadband in Rural and Regional Communities.
At the 2011 State election
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
, Harris lost the seat of Wyong to his Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
opponent; local small businessman Darren Webber
Darren Webber
Darren James Webber MP Darren James Webber MP Darren James Webber MP (born 29 June 1981 in Gosford, New South Wales, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Wyong on the Central Coast for the Liberal Party since 2011.-Early career and background:...
. It was the first time the seat of Wyong had been held by any party other than the Labor Party and the win was a milestone for the Liberals.