Jason Clare
Encyclopedia
Jason Dean Clare is the Australian Labor Party
member of the Australian House of Representatives
for the seat of Blaxland
in the western suburbs of Sydney. He won election in the 2007 Australian federal election.
Clare was born and raised in western Sydney and attended Cabramatta
Primary School and Canley Vale High School
. He was the dux of Canley Vale High School in 1989. When he left school he joined the Labor Party and was the secretary of the Cabramatta Branch for 10 years (1992 to 2002). He has a BA (Hons) and an LLB from the University of New South Wales
. He was a senior adviser to former NSW Premier Bob Carr
and an executive at Transurban
, one of Australia's Top 100 companies.
Blaxland was the electorate of Prime Minister Paul Keating
from 1969 to 1996. Since 1996 it has been held by Michael Hatton
. In May 2007 Hatton, the sitting member, lost his Labor preselection for the 2007 election and was replaced by Clare. Clare also competed for preselection against George Williams who had been "anointed by the ALP executive", had the "blessing of [former Prime Minister] Gough Whitlam
" and whose chances had been "talked up" by ABC news reports. Since Blaxland is regarded as a safe Labor seat, Clare was almost certain to be elected in the 2007 federal election. Although the seat had a redistribution in 2006, it is likely that the redistribution has made the seat safer for Labor.
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 Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
for the seat of Blaxland
Division of Blaxland
The Division of Blaxland is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. It is based in the western suburbs of Sydney, and includes the working-class suburbs of Bass Hill, Birrong, Carramar, Chester Hill, Condell Park, Fairfield East, Georges Hall, Guildford West, Old Guildford,...
in the western suburbs of Sydney. He won election in the 2007 Australian federal election.
Clare was born and raised in western Sydney and attended Cabramatta
Cabramatta, New South Wales
Cabramatta is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located 30 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield...
Primary School and Canley Vale High School
Canley Vale High School
Canley Vale High School is a New South Wales Government co-educational high school located in south-west Sydney, in the suburb of Canley Vale, NSW, Australia. It was established in 1965, on which was once an area of orchards and currently provides for over 1200 students.The school caters for...
. He was the dux of Canley Vale High School in 1989. When he left school he joined the Labor Party and was the secretary of the Cabramatta Branch for 10 years (1992 to 2002). He has a BA (Hons) and an LLB from the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He was a senior adviser to former NSW 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...
and an executive at Transurban
Transurban
Transurban is an international toll road developer and manager with interests in Australia and North America. In Australia, Transurban has a stake in five out of Sydney’s nine motorways, and in Melbourne it is the full owner of CityLink, which connects three of the city’s major freeways...
, one of Australia's Top 100 companies.
Blaxland was the electorate of Prime Minister Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
from 1969 to 1996. Since 1996 it has been held by Michael Hatton
Michael Hatton
Michael John Hatton was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from June 1996 to November 2007, representing the Division of Blaxland, New South Wales....
. In May 2007 Hatton, the sitting member, lost his Labor preselection for the 2007 election and was replaced by Clare. Clare also competed for preselection against George Williams who had been "anointed by the ALP executive", had the "blessing of [former Prime Minister] Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
" and whose chances had been "talked up" by ABC news reports. Since Blaxland is regarded as a safe Labor seat, Clare was almost certain to be elected in the 2007 federal election. Although the seat had a redistribution in 2006, it is likely that the redistribution has made the seat safer for Labor.