Timothy Ayres (born 18 December 1973) is an Australian politician and trade unionist who was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 2019 federal election. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party and was previously a trade union official with the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU).
Tim Ayres | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2022 | |
| Assistant Minister for Trade | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
| Senator for New South Wales | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 December 1973 Sydney |
| Political party | Labor |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney |
| Occupation | Trade unionist politician |
Early life edit
Ayres was born in Sydney on 18 December 1973.[1] He was raised on a farm near Lismore, New South Wales. He completed his schooling at Glen Innes High School, before going on to study industrial relations at the University of Sydney.[2]
Career edit
Ayres worked as a union organiser in the Riverina until 2000, when he moved to Sydney. He was elected state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) in 2010.[2]
In July 2017, Ayres won preselection for the ALP Senate ticket in New South Wales, replacing retiring senator Doug Cameron. He defeated former federal MP Chris Haviland by a substantial margin in a ballot of Labor Left factional delegates. According to The Australian, the vote was "highly controversial and acrimonious", and was boycotted by two major left-wing unions, the Maritime Union of Australia and the CFMEU.[3]
Ayres was elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election, running in second place on the ALP ticket in New South Wales.[4][5] He made his first speech to parliament on 30 July 2019, in which he offered that "a cruel pea-heart beats inside the chest of this mean-spirited government".[6]
In 2022, following the ALP's victory at the 2022 federal election, Ayres was appointed assistant trade minister in the Albanese government.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b "Senator Tim Ayres". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Tim Ayres". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ Bramston, Troy (25 July 2017). "Ayres' early claim for Senate splits Labor left". The Australian. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Senate Results". ABC News. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ Coughlan, Matt (30 July 2019). "Labor senator urges better ties to country". Canberra Times.