Steve Georganas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forAdelaide | |
| Assumed office 18 May 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Kate Ellis |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forHindmarsh | |
| In office 2 July 2016 – 18 May 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Williams |
| Succeeded by | Mark Butler |
| In office 9 October 2004 – 7 September 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Gallus |
| Succeeded by | Matt Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-06-13)13 June 1959 (age 66) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Taxi driver, underwriter, policy advisor |
| Website | facebook |
Steven Georganas (Greek:Στηβ Γεωργανάς; born 13 June 1959) is an Australian politician and is theAustralian Labor Party member for theHouse of Representatives seat ofAdelaide inSouth Australia since the2019 Australian federal election. Previously, he had been the member forHindmarsh from 2004 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2019.
Georganas was born inAdelaide of Greek parents. He gained a Business Studies Certificate at aTAFE college and worked as a taxi driver, an assembly-line worker in a factory, and an underwriter.[1][2] He worked as a ministerial adviser to South Australian government ministerJay Weatherill from 2002 to 2004.
Georganas was the Labor Party candidate forHindmarsh at the1998 federal election and the2001 federal election, but was unsuccessful on both occasions, losing to the incumbentLiberal Party MPChris Gallus.
When Gallus retired at the2004 federal election, Georganas defeated new Liberal candidateSimon Birmingham, winning Hindmarsh by 108 votes. He was re-elected with increased majorities at the2007 and2010 federal elections.[3]
Georganas was defeated by Liberal candidateMatt Williams at the2013 federal election when the Australian Labor Party lost government. Georganas was successful at recapturing the seat for Labor at the2016 federal election.[4]
A redistribution ahead of the2019 federal election saw the neighbouring seat ofPort Adelaide abolished, with most of its territory being transferred to Hindmarsh. The redistribution made Hindmarsh significantly more secure for Labor, boosting the Labor majority to 8.2 percent. Soon afterward, the Left and Right factions of SA Labor reached a deal that saw Georganas relinquish Hindmarsh to the incumbent MP for Port Adelaide, former federal Labor presidentMark Butler. In return, Georganas was given Labor preselection forAdelaide, after the incumbent MP,Kate Ellis, announced that she was retiring. Adelaide was made safer for Labor at the redistribution, having a nominal majority of 9 percent.[citation needed]
Georganas campaigned on noise reduction surrounding theAdelaide Airport,[5] and in 2007 introduced aprivate member's bill to create an Aircraft Noise Ombudsman.[6]
He is a prominent advocate for animal welfare and curtailinglive animal exports, speaking at rallies and tabling motions in parliament calling for the practice to be condemned and fines to be imposed for animal cruelty.[7][8][9] He also campaigned for the super-trawlerFVMargiris to be banned from fishing in Australia.[5]
Georganas voted in support ofsame-sex marriage in Australia when the issue was debated in parliament in 2013.[10]
He has also campaigned for a "Do Not Knock" register to ban door-to-door salespeople from visiting registered properties,[11] and introduced a private member's bill to create a register in 2012.[12]
Georganas leftLabor Left, the faction that had supported him since the 1990s, in May 2019. Georganas joined several other South Australian MPs, candidates and members who had resigned from the left to joinLabor Unity, includingTony Piccolo MP in 2013 and candidate Jo Chapley in 2018.[13]
Georganas has lived in the suburb of Mile End, currently in the electorate of Adelaide, his entire life.[5] He has two adult sons.[5]
He is a supporter of theWest Adelaide Football Club, and was a member of the club's board of directors[14] from 2013 to 2016.[15] He is also involved in numerous community organizations, including as president of his localLions club, and as a board member of the AdelaideGreekGlendi Festival.[2]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forHindmarsh 2004–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member forHindmarsh 2016–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member forAdelaide 2019–present | Incumbent |