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Graham Perrett

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Graham Perrett
MP
Perrett in 2013
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Moreton
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 November 2007
Preceded byGary Hardgrave
Personal details
Born (1966-01-05) 5 January 1966 (age 58)
St George, Queensland, Australia
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
Queensland University of Technology
OccupationSolicitor
Websitewww.grahamperrett.net.au

Graham Douglas Perrett (born 5 January 1966) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007, representing the Queensland seat of Moreton for the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He worked as a schoolteacher, solicitor, and political staffer before entering parliament.

Early life

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Perrett was born in St George in Queensland in 1966 (seventh child in a family of ten children),[1] and received a diploma of teaching in 1985.[2] He taught for three years in schools on the Darling Downs and Far North Queensland, then another eight years in Brisbane.

In 1993, Perrett completed a BA (Hons) through the University of Queensland. His thesis was a study of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He later received an LL.B. from Queensland University of Technology in 1999. He worked as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 1999 to 2005 in Quinn & Scattini.[3] After working with the Queensland Independent Education Union as an organiser he was given a role as a senior policy adviser to the Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, in 2005, and later for the Minister for Health, Stephen Robertson.[2]

Politics

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Perrett ran unsuccessfully for the federal seat of Moreton in 2004.[2] He was elected to Moreton at the 2007 election[4] where he ended Gary Hardgrave's 11-year term in office with a 7.6-point swing.[5] Perrett described the victory as surprising, stating "In my wildest dreams I certainly didn't expect that the seat would be decided as early as it was".[5] Perrett claimed the victory, over a former multicultural affairs minister, could be put down to the fact that "people are ready for hope and aren't prepared to stick with the tired old fear factor of John Howard".[4]

In the 2007 Moreton campaign Perrett's rival, Gary Hardgrave, complained of being branded a "racist", after the standing member said that Moreton was being "exhausted" by the influx of African refugees.[4] Perrett campaigned primarily on issues relating to health and education in the lead up to the election, whilst Hardgrave focused primarily on roads, according to a radio interview.[6]

Perrett was appointed as a government whip in May 2013, holding the position until Labor's defeat at the 2013 election. He was appointed as a shadow parliamentary secretary in Bill Shorten's shadow ministry in May 2014 and was also reappointed as a whip in August 2016. Perrett remained as a shadow assistant minister under Anthony Albanese when he replaced Shorten as leader in June 2019. He was not included in the Albanese ministry after Labor won the 2022 election, but was appointed chair of the Joint Statutory Committee on Public Works.[7]

In August 2024, Perrett announced that he would not re-contest his seat at the next federal election.[8]

Personal life

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Perrett lives in Moorooka, Queensland with his wife Lea and has two sons.[9][as of?]

Perrett published his first novel, The Twelfth Fish, in October 2008. The sex scenes in The Twelfth Fish drew attention from the political class and the media. In the lead-up to the 2010 federal election a Christian group put out a flyer calling Perrett the "Member for Porn". He retained his seat and went on to publish a sequel in September 2013, The Big Fig.[10][11]

In his teaching days Perrett played in a band called Once I Killed a Gopher with a Stick and remains a fan of music and literature. He enjoys writing and bushwalking.[12]

Perrett attracted international attention and ridicule after tweeting about facial injuries he suffered while watching an episode of political satire Veep. Perrett suffered a black eye and received three stitches in his cheek after knocking himself unconscious.[13]

Electoral history

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House of Representatives[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Year Electorate Party First Preference Result Two Candidate Result
Votes % ±% Position Votes % ±% Result
2004 Moreton Labor 30,828 39.12 Increase   0.14 Second 36,118 45.83 Decrease   1.61 Not Elected
2007 37,908 47.11 Increase   7.27 First 44,055 54.75 Increase   7.58 Elected
2010 29,190 36.01 Decrease 12.12 Second 41,147 51.13 Decrease   4.88 Elected
2013 31,932 38.73 Increase   2.72 Second 42,503 51.55 Increase   0.42 Elected
2016 31,342 36.90 Decrease   1.83 Second 45,892 54.02 Increase   2.47 Elected
2019 31,864 35.15 Decrease   1.60 Second 47,045 51.90 Decrease   2.12 Elected
2022 34,633 37.42 Increase   2.27 First 54,690 59.09 Increase   7.19 Elected

References

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  1. ^ "Graham Perrett – Member for Moreton". Australian Labor Party. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
  2. ^ a b c "About Graham". Labor for Moreton. Archived from the original on 7 July 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  3. ^ "Quinn & Scattini Solicitors". quinnscattini.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 May 2000. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Hannah Davies (24 November 2007). "Graham Perrett takes back Moreton after 11 years". The Courier Mail. News.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  5. ^ a b Sam Strutt (26 November 2007). "New faces ride wave of change". The Courier Mail. News.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 November 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  6. ^ Eleanor Hall (24 September 2007). "Hardgrave and Perrett battle it out for Moreton". The World Today. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 December 2007.
  7. ^ "Mr Graham Perrett MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  8. ^ Remeikis, Amy (22 August 2024). "Labor left warrior Graham Perrett to retire after almost 20 years in federal parliament". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  9. ^ ://www.alp.org.au/our-people/our-people/graham-perrett/
  10. ^ National Library of Australia. Boolarong Press. 2013. ISBN 9781922109866. OCLC 846537011. Archived from the original on 13 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  11. ^ "The Sydney Morning Herald". 26 September 2013.
  12. ^ "Biography published by The Vulgar Press". Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  13. ^ "Federal MP laughed so hard at Veep he choked, got a black eye". ABC News. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  14. ^ "QLD DIVISION - MORETON - AEC Virtual Tally Room". AEC Virtual Tally Room. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  15. ^ "House of Representatives Division First Preferences". AEC Virtual Tally Room. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  16. ^ "House of Representatives Division First Preferences". AEC Virtual Tally Room. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  17. ^ "House of Representatives Division First Preferences". AEC Virtual Tally Room. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Moreton, QLD - AEC Tally Room". AEC Tally Room. 27 July 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Moreton, QLD - AEC Tally Room". AEC Tally Room. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Moreton, QLD - AEC Tally Room". AEC Tally Room. 16 June 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.

 

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Moreton
2007–present 		Incumbent
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