Chris Hurford | |
|---|---|
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| Minister for Community Services | |
| In office 16 February 1987 – 24 July 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Don Grimes |
| Succeeded by | Neal Blewett |
| Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs | |
| In office 13 December 1984 – 16 February 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Stewart West |
| Succeeded by | Mick Young |
| Minister for Housing & Construction | |
| In office 11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Tom McVeigh |
| Succeeded by | Stewart West |
| Manager of Opposition Business | |
| In office 11 February 1980 – 7 November 1980 | |
| Leader | Bill Hayden |
| Preceded by | Mick Young |
| Succeeded by | Lionel Bowen |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forAdelaide | |
| In office 25 October 1969 – 31 December 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Jones |
| Succeeded by | Mike Pratt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher John Hurford-Jones (1931-07-30)30 July 1931 Mhow,Indore Residency, British India |
| Died | 15 November 2020 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Labor |
| Occupation | Accountant |
Christopher John HurfordAO (30 July 1931 – 15 November 2020) was aLabor member of theAustralian House of Representatives seat ofAdelaide from 1969 to 1987. He played a key role in the development of Australia's skills-oriented immigration policy, and founded the ALP Labor Unity faction in SA.[1]
Hurford was born inMhow, India, to an English father and Australian mother. In 1940, his mother took the children to Perth, Western Australia where Hurford attended school, before returning to India, then to England. In 1949, his whole family migrated to Western Australia as 'ten-pound poms', despite their Australian heritage.[2] After studying at theLondon School of Economics, Hurford worked in accountancy before entering federal parliament in 1969, representing theDivision of Adelaide,South Australia.[3] The seat had fallen toLiberalAndrew Jones during the massive Coalition landslide of1966. However, Jones' strong conservatism did not resonate well in this traditionally Labor seat, and Hurford retook the seat for Labor on a resounding 14.3 percent swing, turning it into a safe Labor seat in one election cycle, securing a majority of the first preferences. He held Adelaide until his resignation in 1987.
Hurford wasMinister for Housing and Construction, outsideCabinet in thefirst Hawke Ministry from March 1983 to December 1984. In thesecond Hawke Ministry, he was promoted to Cabinet asMinister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs until February 1987, when he replacedDon Grimes asMinister for Community Services.[citation needed]
As Immigration Minister, Hurford led a change in Australia's immigration policy that has endured into the 2020s. He introduced a system that combined a higher level of immigration with a higher proportion of skilled migrants, as judged by a points-based system that assessed their skills, qualifications and experience.[4] He argued that such a system would benefit Australia economically by improving the country's level of human capital, and reducing the demographic ageing of the population.[5] The system won international approval and is now often referred to as the "Australian points-based system".[6] While introducing a formal category of skilled migration, the system under Hurford retained both a humanitarian and a family reunion intake.
Hurford also made an early, unsuccessful attempt to reduce ministerial discretions in the granting of immigration visas.
Hurford's period as Immigration Minister was also notable for his unsuccessful attempt to have SheikhTaj El-Din Hilaly deported.[7]
In July 1987, Hurford withdrew from the third Hawke ministry for personal reasons and resigned from Parliament at the end of the year.[8]
The resulting by-election in his seat of Adelaide saw his party lose the seat, with voters expressing anger at the by-election, having believed that Hurford would serve them as their member of parliament for the full term.
Within the South Australian ALP, Hurford is arguably an important modernising figure. He led the creation of theLabor Unity faction, a group variously described as "right-wing", moderate or (after the ascension of the UK Blair Government) "Third Way". As a Catholic, Hurford won support from the socially conservative leadership of the Shop Distributive and Allied Trades Union in forming the faction.
In the 1980s, Hurford led the SA Labor Unity group in vigorously defending within the ALP the policy direction of the Hawke Government, a direction with which the larger Centre-Left and Left factions were uncomfortable. By the 1990s, Labor Unity had become a substantial counterweight to the other factions in SA.
On resignation from Parliament at the end of 1987, Hurford became Australia's Consul-General inNew York for four years.[9]In 1991, he was appointed head of external relations at the University of South Australia.[10]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Housing and Construction 1983–1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs 1984–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Community Services 1987 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member forAdelaide 1969–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Australian Consul General in New York 1988–1992 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Other | |
