Kelvin Thomson
Encyclopedia
Kelvin John Thomson is an Australia
n politician. Since March 1996 Thomson has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Australian House of Representatives
, representing the Division of Wills
in Victoria
.
. He has been active in improving the local environment of Pascoe Vale
and north-western Melbourne from a young age. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne
and, finishing first in his class, he was awarded the Supreme Court Prize for Law.
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1975 and was a public servant and electorate secretary to Senator Gareth Evans
before entering local politics serving as a councillor
in the Coburg City Council from 1981 to 1988. He was the deputy mayor
from 1983 to 1984 and 1987 to 1988.
Kelvin Thomson was married to Victorian Labor MP Marsha Thomson
until they separated in 2003. They have two children.
as the member for the Electoral district of Pascoe Vale
. He was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry from 1992 to 1994, and in 1994 he served as the Manager of Opposition Business.
. In August 1997, Thomson joined the Opposition Shadow Ministry. From 2003 to 2004 he was Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage; Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Roads, Housing and Urban Development from 2004 to 2005; and in June 2005 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Shadow Minister for Human Services. After the election of Kevin Rudd
to party leadership in December 2006, Thomson was appointed to the position of Shadow Attorney-General.
On 9 March 2007, it was revealed that Thomson had provided Melbourne gangland
figure Tony Mokbel
with a personal reference, describing Mokbel as a "responsible, caring husband and father". Thomson resigned from Labor's front bench
after the reference became public. It was later revealed by the media that up until 2000, there had only been one mention of Tony Mokbel in the media, a positive article in the Herald Sun about the contributions Mokbel's businesses made to the local economy in Moreland.
Thomson has previously attracted controversy with his comments regarding the link between migration and terrorism. Thomson repeated his call to cut immigration levels in September 2009 following the release of a report stating that the population of Australia would grow to 35 million by 2049. He has since been an advocate for sustainable population levels in Australia.
Thomson has a 14 Point Plan for Population Reform
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. Since March 1996 Thomson has been 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 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....
, representing the Division of Wills
Division of Wills
The Division of Wills is an Australian electoral division of Victoria. It is currently held by the Australian Labor Party's Kelvin Thomson.The electorate encompasses many of the suburbs in the City of Moreland in Melbourne's north, including Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner, Glenroy, and Essendon Airport...
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....
.
Early life
Thomson was born in Coburg, VictoriaCoburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
. He has been active in improving the local environment of Pascoe Vale
Pascoe Vale, Victoria
Pascoe Vale is a western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland. At the 2006 Census, Pascoe Vale had a population of 13,558.- History :...
and north-western Melbourne from a young age. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and, finishing first in his class, he was awarded the Supreme Court Prize for Law.
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1975 and was a public servant and electorate secretary to Senator Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans (politician)
Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
before entering local politics serving as a councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in the Coburg City Council from 1981 to 1988. He was the deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
from 1983 to 1984 and 1987 to 1988.
Kelvin Thomson was married to Victorian Labor MP Marsha Thomson
Marsha Thomson
Marsha Thomson, born 21 December 1955 in Melbourne, is an Australian politician, is a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the division of Footscray....
until they separated in 2003. They have two children.
State parliament
In October 1988, Thomson was elected to the Victorian Legislative AssemblyVictorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
as the member for the Electoral district of Pascoe Vale
Electoral district of Pascoe Vale
The Electoral district of Pascoe Vale is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Members for Pascoe Vale:-Election results:-See also:* Parliaments of the Australian states and territories...
. He was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry from 1992 to 1994, and in 1994 he served as the Manager of Opposition Business.
Federal parliament
In 1996, Thomson was elected to the seat of WillsDivision of Wills
The Division of Wills is an Australian electoral division of Victoria. It is currently held by the Australian Labor Party's Kelvin Thomson.The electorate encompasses many of the suburbs in the City of Moreland in Melbourne's north, including Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner, Glenroy, and Essendon Airport...
. In August 1997, Thomson joined the Opposition Shadow Ministry. From 2003 to 2004 he was Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage; Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Roads, Housing and Urban Development from 2004 to 2005; and in June 2005 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Shadow Minister for Human Services. After the election of Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
to party leadership in December 2006, Thomson was appointed to the position of Shadow Attorney-General.
On 9 March 2007, it was revealed that Thomson had provided Melbourne gangland
Melbourne gangland killings
The Melbourne gangland killings were the murders in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia of 36 criminal figures or partners between 16 January 1998 and 13 August 2010. The murders were in a series of retributional murders involving various underworld groups. The deaths caused a sustained power vacuum...
figure Tony Mokbel
Tony Mokbel
Antonios Sajih 'Tony' Mokbel is an Australian from Melbourne, Australia, who was a fugitive until his recapture in Athens, Greece on 5 June 2007. He is of Lebanese descent and born in Kuwait. Detectives from Operation Purana allege that he is the mastermind behind the Melbourne amphetamines trade...
with a personal reference, describing Mokbel as a "responsible, caring husband and father". Thomson resigned from Labor's front bench
Frontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
after the reference became public. It was later revealed by the media that up until 2000, there had only been one mention of Tony Mokbel in the media, a positive article in the Herald Sun about the contributions Mokbel's businesses made to the local economy in Moreland.
Thomson has previously attracted controversy with his comments regarding the link between migration and terrorism. Thomson repeated his call to cut immigration levels in September 2009 following the release of a report stating that the population of Australia would grow to 35 million by 2049. He has since been an advocate for sustainable population levels in Australia.
Thomson has a 14 Point Plan for Population Reform
External links
- Home Page
- www.youtube.com/kelvinthomsonmp