Nick Champion

Nicholas David Champion (born 27 February 1972) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives since 2007. He represented the Division of Wakefield until its abolition in 2019, when he transferred to the new Division of Spence.

Not to be confused with Nicolas Champion.

Nick Champion

MP
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Wakefield
In office
24 November 2007 – 18 May 2019
Preceded byDavid Fawcett
Succeeded byAbolished
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Spence
Assumed office
18 May 2019
Preceded byNew Seat
Personal details
Born
Nicholas David Champion

(1972-02-27) 27 February 1972
Elizabeth, South Australia, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
Spouse(s)Fiona Webber
Alma materUniversity of South Australia
OccupationUnion official

Early life

Champion was born in Elizabeth in South Australia. He spent his early years in the rural town of Kapunda and completed his secondary education at Kapunda High School while working part-time as a fruit picker. He also previously worked as a cleaner, salesman and trolley collector. He completed an Arts degree and a Graduate Diploma in Communication at the University of South Australia.[1]

Champion became a union official at the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) in 1994, serving as an organiser, training officer and occupational health and safety officer.[1] He is aligned with the Labor Right.[2]

Champion served as South Australian State President of the Australian Labor Party from 2005 to 2006 and was a ministerial adviser to state Labor Minister Michael Wright.[3]

Federal parliament
Labor MPs Champion, Mike Rann, Kevin Rudd and Tony Piccolo in Gawler for the Tour Down Under in 2010.

Champion won his seat at the 2007 election, defeating incumbent Liberal Party of Australia member David Fawcett.[4]

Champion became only the third Labor member ever to win Wakefield at the 2007 election with a 56.6 percent two-party vote. Champion made it a safe Labor seat on paper at the 2010 election with a 62 percent two-party vote, and became the first Labor member to be re-elected to Wakefield. The South Australian federal redistribution in 2011 had the greatest impact on Wakefield where the Labor margin declined by 1.5 points. Champion retained Wakefield at the 2013 election on a 53.4 percent two-party vote even as Labor lost government, marking the first time the non-Labor parties won government at an election without winning Wakefield. Champion increased his margin at the 2016 election with a 61 percent two-party vote, again making Wakefield a safe Labor seat on paper.

Champion served as a shadow parliamentary secretary (shadow assistant minister from 2016) in Bill Shorten's shadow ministry from 2014 to 2019.[3]

In August 2019 he called for the nationalisation of Port Darwin following its lease to a Chinese-owned company.[5]

Champion was rumoured in 2020 to be considering a switch to state parliament, initially through the electoral district of Light following the release of draft new boundaries would have left the seat vacant.[6] That plan was thwarted by the final report of the Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission, however Champion was again the topic of speculation in January 2021, this time for Taylor.[7] Both state electorates are covered by Champion's larger federal division of Spence.

Personal life

Champion is married to Fiona Webber, a former Labor political staffer.[8][9] They were married in Gibraltar after he proposed in the week of the 2013 election.[10] Their first child was born just over a month after the 2016 election.[11]

References
  1. Nick Champion profile: ALP
  2. Wakefield MP's push to remove 'pokies trickery': The Advertiser 13/9/2009
  3. Nick Champion: APH
  4. "Big swings against Coalition across SA". ABC News. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  5. Ferguson, Richard (5 August 2019). "Labor MP calls for Port Darwin to be nationalised". The Australian. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  6. Richardson, Tom (7 September 2020). "Labor's election push: Wortley bows out, Federal MP 'considering state switch'". InDaily. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  7. Richardson, Tom (27 January 2021). "By Gee, Champion set to seek swap to state politics". InDaily. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  8. "State pays up on baby death". The Advertiser. News Limited. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Treasurer Kevin Foley's spokeswoman Fiona Webber said
  9. "Off the Record: The home of SA political gossip". The Advertiser. News Limited. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2021. Champion and wife Fiona Webber are expecting their first child
  10. McGuire, Michael (25 June 2016). "Spouses of Parliament: Families of Labor's Nick Champion and Amanda Rishworth and Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham reveal all". The Advertiser. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  11. "Nick's baby joy". The Bunyip. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
David Fawcett		 Member for Wakefield
2007–2019		 Abolished
New seat Member for Spence
2019–present		 Incumbent
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