John Madigan (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Madigan is an Australia
n politician. He is a member of the Democratic Labor Party
(DLP), elected to the Australian Senate
with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria
at the 2010 federal election, serving a six-year term since July 2011.
family, Madigan belonged to a youth group run by the National Civic Council founder, B.A. Santamaria, in Melbourne. Madigan was a blacksmith and boilermaker from 1983 to 2011, self-employed in his own engineering workshop in Hepburn Springs, Victoria
. He has an apprenticeship in Structural Steel Fabrication from Newport TAFE. He lives in Ballarat
and is married with two children.
in 1974. Preference counts indicated that the primary DLP vote of 2.3 percent (75,000 votes) in Victoria reached the 14.3 percent quota required by gaining One Nation, Christian Democratic
and Building Australia
preferences to edge out Steve Fielding
of the Family First Party
with a 0.2 percent lead and thus gained their preferences. When the Australian Sex Party
candidate was excluded, the DLP gained Liberal Democratic Party
preferences, overtaking the third Liberal/National
candidate and gaining their preferences to win the last seat.
Madigan took his seat in the Senate on 1 July, 2011. The Labor
government currently hold 31 seats, eight short of a majority, with the Greens
holding nine seats, a sole balance of power
position, therefore Madigan's vote is unlikely to be a decider in a senate division because the Green bloc paired with either Labor or the coalition is enough to win a division in the current 2011-14 Senate composition.
". He has stated he would oppose gay marriage. He is against the sale of public infrastructure. Madigan indicated he is opposed to a carbon tax on behalf of the DLP, stating "We're not in favour of a carbon tax because we believe it's a tax on people and a tax on life." Madigan is an advocate for shops closing at midday on Saturdays. Madigan addressed the Inaugural Jack Kane
Dinner in July 2011, where he advocated Chifley
protectionist economics.
In his maiden speech to the Senate on 25 August 2011, Madigan denounced "inhumane" abortion laws and committed to help restore Australia's dwindling manufacturing sector. He called for a "good Labor government that will bring something better to the people". He said that the DLP and ALP differed in a number of ways, however "we both came from the same lineage and however some members on both sides may dislike it, we are kin, of sorts. The ALP has a chance to reaffirm its commitment to that unchanging labour movement. The DLP intends to pursue that vision":
Madigan also praised fellow crossbench Senator Nick Xenophon
in his maiden speech, saying he had "done his best to address the plight of the Australian worker and the Australian family". Madigan was one of only a couple of Senators present when Xenophon used parliamentary privilege
in September 2011 to make claims about Catholic Church coverups of alleged sexual abuse.
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 is a member of the Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
(DLP), elected to the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
at the 2010 federal election, serving a six-year term since July 2011.
Early life
Born into a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family, Madigan belonged to a youth group run by the National Civic Council founder, B.A. Santamaria, in Melbourne. Madigan was a blacksmith and boilermaker from 1983 to 2011, self-employed in his own engineering workshop in Hepburn Springs, Victoria
Hepburn Springs, Victoria
Hepburn Springs is a resort town located in the middle of the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. It is in Victoria, 48 km northeast of Ballarat. At the 2006 census, Hepburn Springs had a population of 601 and Hepburn had a population of 375. Total population of...
. He has an apprenticeship in Structural Steel Fabrication from Newport TAFE. He lives in Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
and is married with two children.
Politics
Madigan served as vice-president of the Victorian DLP from 2008 to 2009, now serving as president of the Victorian DLP and vice-president of the federal DLP since 2009.2010 federal election
Madigan won the sixth and last Victorian Senate seat at the 2010 federal election. He took office on 1 July, 2011 as the first "DLP" senator since Vince GairVince Gair
Vincent Clare "Vince" Gair was an Australian politician. He served as Premier of Queensland from 1952 until 1957, when his stormy relations with the trade union movement saw him expelled from the Australian Labor Party. He was elected to the Australian Senate and led the Democratic Labor Party...
in 1974. Preference counts indicated that the primary DLP vote of 2.3 percent (75,000 votes) in Victoria reached the 14.3 percent quota required by gaining One Nation, Christian Democratic
Christian Democratic Party (Australia)
The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
and Building Australia
Building Australia Party
The Building Australia Party is a minor political party in Australia, advocating the rights of the building industry. First registered in New South Wales, it achieved federal registration in June 2010....
preferences to edge out Steve Fielding
Steve Fielding
Steven "Steve" Fielding , was a Senator representing the state of Victoria and the federal parliamentary leader of the Family First Party in Australia. Elected to the Senate at the 2004 federal election on two percent of the Victorian vote, he failed to gain re-election at the 2010 federal election...
of the Family First Party
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
with a 0.2 percent lead and thus gained their preferences. When the Australian Sex Party
Australian Sex Party
The Australian Sex Party is a Australian political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the influence of religion in politics. The party was born out of adult-industry lobby group, the Eros Association. Party leader, Fiona Patten, is CEO of Eros and the party's Registered Officer,...
candidate was excluded, the DLP gained Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)
The Liberal Democratic Party is a classical liberal Australian political party founded in 2001.-Party name:In 2007 the party tried to register federally under the name "Liberal Democratic Party" but this was opposed the by the Liberal Party, so the party chose to register as the "Liberty and...
preferences, overtaking the third Liberal/National
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
candidate and gaining their preferences to win the last seat.
Madigan took his seat in the Senate on 1 July, 2011. The 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...
government currently hold 31 seats, eight short of a majority, with the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
holding nine seats, a sole balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
position, therefore Madigan's vote is unlikely to be a decider in a senate division because the Green bloc paired with either Labor or the coalition is enough to win a division in the current 2011-14 Senate composition.
Political views
Madigan takes an anti-abortion stance, describing himself as "unashamedly pro-lifePro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
". He has stated he would oppose gay marriage. He is against the sale of public infrastructure. Madigan indicated he is opposed to a carbon tax on behalf of the DLP, stating "We're not in favour of a carbon tax because we believe it's a tax on people and a tax on life." Madigan is an advocate for shops closing at midday on Saturdays. Madigan addressed the Inaugural Jack Kane
Jack Kane
John Thomas "Jack" Kane was an Australian politician. Born in Burraga, New South Wales, he was educated at Catholic schools in Lithgow, after which he became a coalminer. He was Vice-President of the Transport Workers' Union 1952-1956 and Assistant General Secretary of the New South Wales Labor...
Dinner in July 2011, where he advocated Chifley
Ben Chifley
Joseph Benedict Chifley , Australian politician, was the 16th Prime Minister of Australia. He took over the Australian Labor Party leadership and Prime Ministership after the death of John Curtin in 1945, and went on to retain government at the 1946 election, before being defeated at the 1949...
protectionist economics.
In his maiden speech to the Senate on 25 August 2011, Madigan denounced "inhumane" abortion laws and committed to help restore Australia's dwindling manufacturing sector. He called for a "good Labor government that will bring something better to the people". He said that the DLP and ALP differed in a number of ways, however "we both came from the same lineage and however some members on both sides may dislike it, we are kin, of sorts. The ALP has a chance to reaffirm its commitment to that unchanging labour movement. The DLP intends to pursue that vision":
During my time here there will no doubt be a number of controversial bills proposed. I do not intend to be deliberately controversial simply for a few cheap headlines but on some issues I cannot be complicit by my silence.
Madigan also praised fellow crossbench Senator Nick Xenophon
Nick Xenophon
Nicholas "Nick" Xenophon is a South Australian barrister, anti-gambling campaigner and politician. He attended Prince Alfred College, and studied law at the University of Adelaide, attaining his Bachelor of Laws in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co....
in his maiden speech, saying he had "done his best to address the plight of the Australian worker and the Australian family". Madigan was one of only a couple of Senators present when Xenophon used parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
in September 2011 to make claims about Catholic Church coverups of alleged sexual abuse.