Advertisement |
As the world's largest exporter of coal and a nation which derives around 80 percent of its electricity from coal, it is vital that we make technological progress on carbon capture and storage -- and soon
Report: Clean coal more costly Oct 28, 2009
We simply cannot maintain supply reliability for households and businesses if we don't invest in electricity supply infrastructure
Australia needs electricity overhaul Mar 22, 2010
This project will provide enormous wealth and employment to our country for many decades to come
China signs massive Australian gas deal Mar 25, 2010
Exploration in the areas under offer, some of which are in frontier areas, is a step towards achieving our energy security objective
Australia announces new exploration leases May 18, 2010
Shutting down the industry and putting the nation's energy security, jobs and the economy at risk does nothing towards achieving any of these goals
Australia announces new exploration leases May 18, 2010
Martin John Ferguson AM (born 12 December 1953), Australian politician, has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Batman, Victoria. He was born in Sydney, the son of Jack Ferguson, who was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1984. He is the brother of Laurie Ferguson, also a federal MP.
Ferguson was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield and then the University of Sydney. He was successively research officer, Assistant General Secretary and General Secretary of the Miscellaneous Workers' Union, a member of the executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) 1984–90. He was Vice-President of the ACTU 1985–90 and President of the ACTU 1990–96. He was a member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation 1990–96. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1996.
Ferguson won preselection unopposed for the seat of Batman in 1995 after a deal negotiated between the right-wing Labor Unity faction in Victoria and the ALP National Executive. At the local level the majority Greek membership, largely resulting from heavy branch stacking, was likely to support a candidate other than Ferguson, but no local candidate was likely to receive support from the fifty per cent vote in the preselection panel elected by the Victorian ALP State Conference. Both opposing candidates, Jenny Mikakos and Theo Theophanous, then members of competing Left factions, were forced to withdraw from a local preselection plebiscite in favour of Ferguson as a result of these negotiations.