The Hon. Tony Stewart MP




TONY STEWART B.A., Dip.Ed., MP

MEMBER FOR BANKSTOWN

PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR SPORT AND RECREATION


                                          Biographical Details
Personal:

Born in Sydney, Anthony Paul Stewart (Tony) is 54 years of age and has been a Member of the NSW Parliament Legislative Assembly for the past 16 years. Mr Stewart will not be recontesting the next State Election which will be held on March 26, 2011.

Qualifications, occupations, interests:

Mr Stewart attained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of NSW (1979) and holds a distinguished Diploma in Education from Sydney Teachers' College (1980).

He worked as a High School teacher, teaching History and English in several NSW public schools and also at TAFE NSW where he taught English as a second language and Business Communications.

In 1987 Mr Stewart was seconded from his teaching position to work at the Australian Government's Trade Union Training Authority (TUTA) as an Education Officer.  After working with TUTA for twelve months Mr Stewart was then invited to take up an appointment with the Labor Council of NSW (now known as Unions NSW) as Senior Occupational Health and Safety Education Officer, designing and conducting specialist training programmes for employees and management within a diverse range of industries.

In 1989 Mr Stewart was appointed to the Australian Federated Iron Workers Union as National Organiser in charge of the Union's programmes on Workplace Restructuring within the Aluminium and Steel Industries throughout Australia.

During 1991 Mr Stewart was seconded for 12 months to private industry working in a range of Industry restructuring forums and helping design and develop a workplace skills matrix for application towards upskilling workers in Australian Production Industries.

Mr Stewart returned to the newly Amalgamated Australian Workers Union (AWU) in 1992 and was elected as the National Branch Secretary for the Union's Technical, Administrative, Professional and Salaried Division.  Mr Stewart also served as a member of the Australian Workers Union National Executive.

Mr Stewart was elected as a Councillor to Canterbury City Council in 1991 and completed a 12 month term as Deputy Mayor.  During this period Mr Stewart established a strong commitment to important local issues such as improving health amenities, law and order, creating jobs, improving public transport, education and environmental needs.  He was also instrumental in local moves to save Canterbury Hospital from closure. 
In 1995, Mr Stewart was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and has successfully contested four State Elections since that time.

Immediately following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Mr Stewart joined Father Chris Riley of Youth Off The Streets in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, with a view of establishing an orphanage for homeless children.  Mr Stewart played an integral part of making initial contact and establishing a positive relationships with Indonesian Government officials and Indonesia's largest welfare group, Muhammadiyah.  As a result of this a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in February 2005 and updated in July 2005, ensuring that Youth Off The Streets would purchase land, build an orphanage/child care centre and fund its operations for 5 years.

The orphanage/child care centre was successfully constructed in partnership with Muhammadiyah and the construction program was project managed over an 18 month period by Mr Stewart.

Mr Stewart has also been closely involved in on-going discussions with Senior Australian Embassy and AusAID officials in Jakarta to maintain positive relationships between the organisations involved and to promote goodwill and friendship between Indonesia and Australia. 

In 2007 Mr Stewart was awarded the Australian Government Humanitarian Service Award Medal in recognition of his efforts in Aceh, Indonesia following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami crisis.

Mr Stewart is Chairman of the Youth Off the Streets Overseas Relief Fund Limited (ORF).  The Board of this fund administers overseas relief projects for Youth Off The Streets, Australia.  ORF's major current overseas relief projects include an orphanage/child care centre in Baguia, East Timor and an orphanage in Tanzania, Africa, along with the construction of a special regional school.  This school will provide for student intakes of orphaned children and also children from very low socio economic backgrounds.  Construction of this school is now nearing completion and Mr Stewart has played, over the past three years, an integral part in its project management, including land purchase and negotiations with Tanzania Government officials, AusAID, along with local building contractors and the Tanzania Education Department. 

Mr Stewart is a former Board Member of the The Kokoda Track Foundation Limited and has completed 2 successful treks along The Kokoda Track and on each occasion has raised considerable funds for charity.   In 2004, Mr Stewart led a charity trek in the Himalayas raising over $70,000 for Youth Off The Streets and in 2010 Mr Stewart led another charity trek which summited Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa, raising over $50,000 for Youth Off The Streets. 

Recreational pursuits include: fishing, scuba diving, photography, live theatre, music and sports.



Parliamentary Career:
Tony Stewart -
·         Was elected to NSW State Parliament on 25 March 1995 as the Member for Lakemba.
·         Successfully contested the Seat of Bankstown at the 1999 State Elections following boundary changes made by the NSW Electoral Commission.
·         Again successfully contested the seat of Bankstown in March 2003.
·         Again successfully contested the seat of Bankstown in March 2007.
·         Was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Recreation by Premier Kristina Keneally on 6 January 2010.
·         Was previously appointed Deputy Speaker of the NSW Parliament on 8 May 2007.
·         Appointed Minister for Small Business, Minister for Science and Medical Research, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) on 8 September 2008.
·         Has served as Parliamentary Secretary for Education & Training, Parliamentary Secretary for Roads, Parliamentary Secretary for Housing as well as Parliamentary Secretary for Police & Parliamentary Secretary for Utilities.
·         Was the Chair of the NSW Government Inquiry into declining Male Teacher Numbers.
·         Has served as Chair of the Joint Committee on Victims Compensation;
·         Has served as Chair of the Workplace Communication Skills Taskforce of the NSW Government;
·         Has served as a member of the Electoral Matters Committee.
·         Has served as a member of the NSW Parliament Public Works Committee.
·         Has served as a Member of the following NSW Parliament Caucus Policy Committees:  Education, Tourism, Gaming and Racing, Sport & Recreation, Planning, Infrastructure and Lands, Climate Change, Environment, Roads and Transport.
·         Has served on the Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Broadband in Rural and Regional Communities.
·         Is the current President of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Egypt Committee.
·         A member of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Friendship Group, a member of the NSW Parliamentary Armenian Friendship Group, a member of the Parliamentary Irish Friendship Group and a member of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of the European Union.
·         Has served as the Premier’s representative on the Anzac Memorial Trust Fund.
·         Has served as a Councillor of the Southern Cross University, and the University of Technology Sydney.

 

EDUCATION, PARLIAMENTARY ACHIEVEMENTS

 

Anthony Paul Stewart (Tony)


Tony is currently MP for Bankstown and Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Recreation.
Tony’s appointments, qualifications and previous experiences include :
·        Completed Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of NSW and holds Distinguished Diploma in Education from Sydney Teachers College.
·        1980-1987 – High School and TAFE Teacher (NSW) English/History, Business Communications, English as a Second Language (ESL).
·        1987-88 Education Officer: Commonwealth Government Trade Union Training Authority (TUTA).
·        1989-1991 National Organiser Federated Ironworkers Association (FIA) in charge of National Steel and Aluminium Industry Representation  
·        1991 – 1995 Councillor, Canterbury City Council
·        1991-1992 Senior Industry Consultant, Workplace Development in charge of Workplace Restructuring
·        1994 – Deputy Mayor, Canterbury City Council
·        1992-1995 National Branch Secretary: Technical Administrative and Professional Branch – AWU  
·        Elected as the Member for Lakemba for NSW State Parliament in 1995.
·        Elected as the Member for Bankstown for NSW State Parliament in 1999.
·         Appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Assisting Education 20 April 1999 – 14 Mar 2002.
·        Appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Roads – 14 March 2002 – 8 May 2003
·        Appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Housing – 8 May 2003 – 21 Feb 2005
·        Appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Police – 21 Feb 2005 – 3 Aug 2005
·        Appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Utilities – 4 Aug 2005 – 18 Sep 2006.
·        Appointed as the NSW Premier's Representative on the Anzac Memorial Trust –July  2005 - May 2008                                                                                                                   /2
-2-

·        Appointed as Deputy Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly 8 May 2007 – 11 Sep 2008
·        Appointed Minister for Small Business, Minister for Science and Medical Research and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) – 8 Sept 2008
·        Former Member of the Southern Cross University Council – 1996- 1998
·        Former Member of the University of Technology Sydney Council- 1998 - 2008 
·        Chairman of the NSW Government Inquiry Into Declining Numbers of Male Teachers – 2001 – 2002
·        Chairman of Workplace Communication Skills Taskforce (Literacy and Numeracy) 1996  
·        Chairman, Joint Select Committee on Victims Compensation Nov 1996 – Mar 1999