Alex Gallacher

Alexander McEachian Gallacher (born 1 January 1954) is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for South Australia since 2011. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was a senior official in the Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) before entering parliament.

Senator

Alex Gallacher
Gallacher in 2014
Senator for South Australia
Assumed office
1 July 2011
Personal details
Born
Alexander McEachian Gallacher

(1954-01-01) 1 January 1954
New Cumnock, Scotland, United Kingdom[1]
CitizenshipAustralian
British (1954–2010)[2]
Political partyLabor
OccupationUnion official

Early life

Gallacher was born on 1 January 1954 in New Cumnock, Scotland.[3] He arrived in Australia with his family in 1966.[4] He renounced his British citizenship prior to his election to parliament in 2010, as required by section 44 of the constitution.[2] After leaving school he worked as a labourer and truck driver for a number of years. He was then employed as a ramp services operator with Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) from 1976 to 1988.[3]

Labour movement

Before entering parliament, Gallacher had a long involvement with the Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU). Within the union's South Australia/Northern Territory (SA/NT) branch he held the positions of industrial officer (1988–1992), organiser (1992–1996), and state secretary (1996–2010). He additionally served as federal vice-president (2005–2007) and president (2007–2010).[3]

Politics

Gallacher joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1988 and served as a delegate to state council and the ALP National Conference.[3] He aligned with the Labor Right faction. Prior to the 2010 federal election he won ALP preselection for the Senate in first position on the party's ticket in South Australia. He defeated two incumbent senators, Anne McEwen and Dana Wortley, for the place at the top of the ticket.[5]

Gallacher was elected in 2010 to an initial term beginning on 1 July 2011. He was re-elected at the 2016 and 2019 federal elections.[3] In his maiden speech, Gallacher listed transport, road safety and superannuation as three priority interests.[6] He also stated his concerns over the impact of the carbon tax on road transport and call for self-employed drivers to be compensated for any negative impacts. He later warned against the ALP becoming "captive to a new Green agenda".[5]

Gallacher has served on a number of standing and select committees during his time in the Senate.[3]

Personal life

Gallacher was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2020 and took a leave of absence from the Senate to undergo treatment. He self-isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

References
  1. http://www.sa.alp.org.au/alp/federal-mps/alex-gallacher
  2. "Dual citizenship: Which politicians still have questions to answer in this constitutional mess?". ABC News. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. "Senator Alex Gallacher". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. "Maiden speech". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. Brady, Jack (14 July 2011). "The Union Boss Who Went Straight To The Top". NewMatilda.com. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  6. "Transport a top priority for freshly elected Gallacher". Fully Loaded. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. Workman, Alice (26 May 2020). "Tanks for the memories, Joel". The Australian. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
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