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George Wright (trade unionist)

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George Wright
National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party
In office
19 April 2011 – 30 August 2016
Preceded byKarl Bitar
Succeeded byNoah Carroll
Personal details
Born
George Bernard Wright
Political partyLabor
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
OccupationTrade unionist

George Bernard Wright AO is an Australian trade unionist who served as the 10th National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party. He currently works in the private sector.[1]

Political career

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Wright has worked at the Finance Sector Union, the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Unions and held the position of Director of Policy and Communications at the Australian Council of Trade Unions.[2] As Director of Policy and Communications, he led the successful Your Rights At Work campaign against John Howard's WorkChoices laws.[3]

He has also worked as Communications Director at the National Australia Bank after leaving his position as press secretary for Kevin Rudd in 2008.[3][2][4]

As National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, Wright ran the campaign for the Australian Labor Party in the 2013 and 2016 federal elections. In September 2016, he resigned as National Secretary to take up a senior corporate relations role at BHP.[1]

He is not tied to any faction inside the Labor Party.[3]

In the 2020 Australia Day Honours Wright was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for "distinguished service to parliament and politics as National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, and to business".[5]

Personal life

[edit]

He has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and is married with a daughter in high school.[2] Wright grew up in outer suburban Melbourne and has been a member of the Labor Party throughout his adult life.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Aston, Heath (23 September 2016). "ALP appoints Victorian party boss Noah Carroll to steer next federal election campaign". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d George Wright - National Secretary, Australian Labor Party
  3. ^ a b c "George Wright". The Australian. Australia. 2013.
  4. ^ "Labor secretary wants to be a winner". Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. 20 April 2011.
  5. ^ "George Bernard Wright". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
Party political offices
Preceded by National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party
2011–2016
Succeeded by