John Della Bosca

John Joseph Della Bosca is an Australian politician, representing the Australian Labor Party in the New South Wales Legislative Council. He is currently Minister for Health and Minister for the Central Coast in the NSW State Government.

Early career

Della Bosca joined the ALP in January 1973. He rose through his branch and electorate council to take a place on the party's National Executive. Between 1976 and his election to parliament in 1999, Della Bosca worked for the labour movement full-time in various capacities, first as a researcher for Senator Kerry Sibraa. In 1979 he took on the role of National Research Officer for the Australian Transport Officers' Federation, becoming the union's State Organiser in 1981.

In 1983, Della Bosca became State Organiser for the ALP. In 1985, he was promoted to Assistant Secretary and in 1990 he attained the position of General Secretary, a post he was to hold for nine years.

Parliamentary career

In 1999, Della Bosca made his much-anticipated move into parliamentary politics as a candidate for the Legislative Council. Within a month of his election, Premier Bob Carr appointed him Special Minister of State, in effect the government's "Mr Fix-it".

As Special Minister of State, Della Bosca led reforms to compulsory third party ("green slip") insurance after public outcry over soaring costs. Della Bosca also braved controversy to streamline the system of workers compensation—drawing the ire of the trade union movement.

In 2000, Della Bosca famously became the first senior ALP figure to support the Goods and Services Tax (GST) since the mid-1980s, telling "The Bulletin" magazine that then federal leader Kim Beazley was wrong to oppose the measure. Della Bosca's approach made him a pariah within a party then running hard on the GST issue: his stance is thought to have derailed his bid for the party's federal presidency. Labor has since fallen in line with Della Bosca and dropped its opposition to the tax: the GST had become a non-issue by the time of the 2004 election.

Della Bosca's Ministerial portfolio was expanded following the 2003 election to include Commerce, Finance, Industrial Relations, Ageing and Disability Services. He was also appointed Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.

Following the 2007 election he was appointed Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for the Central Coast.

On September 4, 2007 Della Bosca stated 'the NSW government drives to keep (TAFE) fees as low as possible.' Yet he announced that fees would be increasing by 6.5% to 9% in relation to course fees. [cite news
title =TAFE fee rise 'excludes students'
publisher =Australian Broadcasting Commission
date =September 4 2007
url =http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/04/2023187.htm?site=nsw
accessdate = 2007-09-06 ]

In May, 2008, Della Bosca revealed his probationary drivers licence had been revoked for a period of six months, after he was caught multiple times for speeding offences.cite news |first=Andrew |last=Clennell |title=Education minister reveals he lost licence |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/education-minister-reveals-he-lost-licence/2008/05/13/1210444415894.html |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" |date=2008-05-13 |accessdate=2008-05-13 ] At the time of the ban Della Bosca was in charge of the Motor Accidents Authority.cite news |first=Andrew |last=Clennell |title=Banned minister urged to drop motoring role |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/banned-minister-urged-to-drop-motoring-role/2008/05/14/1210444530195.html |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" |date=2008-05-15 |accessdate=2008-05-15 ] Later that month, he caused further controversy by swearing at a media photographer after being photographed cycling to work. [ [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1405492.php/Australian_minister_sets_appalling_example Australian minister sets appalling example - Asia-Pacific ] ]

On June 13 2008 Della Bosca was stood down from his position as Minister for Education and Training while police investigated an alleged altercation between Della Bosca and his wife Belinda Neal (a Federal ALP MP), and the staff at Iguanas Waterfront Bar. [cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/apology-for-della-bosca/2008/06/08/1212863429807.html|title=Club offers apology after NSW MP flags legal action|date=2008-06-08|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2008-06-08] The nightclub issued an apology to Della Bosca, at least parts of which were reported to have been written by Della Bosca himself. [cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/iguanagate-della-dumped/2008/06/13/1213321594982.html|title=Iguanagate: Della dumped|last=Robins|first=Brian|date=2008-06-13|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2008-06-13] The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently found that "there is insufficient evidence to support any criminal charge against NSW law". [cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/iguanas-affair-neal-and-della-off-the-hook/2008/09/03/1220121306755.html|title=Iguanas affair: Neal and Della off the hook|last=Welch|first=Dylan|date=2008-09-03|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2008-09-03]

On his return to the Ministry, Della Bosca was appointed Minister for Health and Minister for the Central Coast, with his former Education portfolio passing to Verity Firth.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/E2EFDB8F9BCC38D94A25675200021A4B John Della Bosca MLC at the NSW Parliament website]