John Philip Faulkner (born 12 April 1954) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. He has been the federal Minister for Defence since June 2009.
Faulkner was born in Leeton, New South Wales, and was educated at Macquarie University, Sydney, where he graduated in arts and education. He worked as a teacher in government schools before en...
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John Philip Faulkner (born 12 April 1954) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. He has been the federal Minister for Defence since June 2009.
Faulkner was born in Leeton, New South Wales, and was educated at Macquarie University, Sydney, where he graduated in arts and education. He worked as a teacher in government schools before entering politics. He was Assistant General Secretary of the NSW ALP 1980-89, and has been a member of the ALP National Executive since 1989.
A leading member of the Socialist Left faction of the ALP, Faulkner succeeded the former left-wing minister Arthur Gietzelt in the Senate in 1989. In the Keating Labor government he was Minister for Veterans Affairs and Minister for Defence Science and Personnel 1993-94, and Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories, with a seat in the Cabinet, 1994-96.
After the defeat of the Keating government...
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