Biography for THOMSON, the Hon. Kelvin JohnMember for Wills (Vic)
Australian Labor Party
Parliamentary Service
State: elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Pascoe Vale from 1.10.1988. Resigned 5.2.1996.
Federal: elected to the House of Representatives for Wills, Victoria, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.
Parliamentary Positions
Member, Speaker's Panel from 18.2.08 to 13.2.13.
Ministerial Appointments
Parliamentary Secretary for Trade from 4.2.13.
Committee Service
State: Legal and Constitutional Committee (Vic) 1988-92; Public Accounts and Estimates Committees (Vic) 1992-96.
Federal: House of Representatives Standing: Procedure from 29.5.96 to 31.8.98; Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 30.5.96 to 17.11.97 and from 6.2.07 to 17.10.07; Science and Innovation from 8.5.07 to 17.10.07; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs from 19.2.08 to 19.7.10; Climate Change, Environment and the Arts from 25.10.10 to 11.10.11 and from 7.2.12 to 13.2.13; House Appropriations and Administration from 25.10.10 to 13.2.13.
Joint Statutory: Corporations and Securities from 19.6.97 to 31.8.98; Public Accounts and Audit from 10.4.00 to 11.2.02; Human Rights from 14.3.12 to 6.2.13.
Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade from 18.2.08 to 15.6.09; Treaties from 18.2.08 to 6.2.13.
Conferences, Delegations and Visits
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 5th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Vancouver, Canada, January 1997.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the Philippines and Japan, May-June 1999.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to South Africa, August-September 2002.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Austria, April 2008.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Papua New Guinea and East Timor, October-November 2008.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Switzerland, Austria and USA, June-July 2009.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Tonga and Vanuatu, July-August 2009.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Indonesia, Brunei and Laos, April 2010.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the Solomon Islands and Samoa, July-August 2011.
Member, Parliamentary Delegation to USA, September-December 2011.
Parliamentary Party Positions
State: Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry (Vic) 1992-94. Shadow Minister for Energy and Minerals, Shadow Minister responsible for State Owned Enterprises and Shadow Minister for Tourism (Vic) 1992-93; Shadow Minister for Employment, Industry and Industrial Relations (Vic) 1994.
Manager, Opposition Business (Vic) 1994.
Federal: Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer and to the Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration from 26.8.97 to 20.10.98.
Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry from 19.10.98 to 9.3.07. Shadow Assistant Treasurer from 20.10.98 to 25.11.01; Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage from 25.11.01 to 18.2.03; Shadow Minister for Sustainability and the Environment from 18.2.03 to 26.10.04; and Heritage from 8.12.03 to 26.10.04; Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Roads from 26.10.04 to 24.6.05; and Housing and Urban Development from 26.10.04 to 24.6.05; Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services from 24.6.05 to 10.12.06; Shadow Attorney-General from 10.12.06 to 9.3.07.
Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House from 10.12.06 to 9.3.07.
Party Positions
Member, ALP from 1975.
Executive Member, ALP Coburg North Branch 1977-88.
President, Wills Federal Electoral Assembly 1980-81 and 1985-89.
Delegate, ALP State Conference (Vic) from 1980.
Personal
Born 1.5.1955 at Coburg, Vic.
Married.
Qualifications and Occupation before entering Federal Parliament
BA(Hons), LLB(Hons)(Melb).
Public servant 1977-79.
Electorate Secretary to Senator GJ Evans 1979-82.
Project Officer, Commonwealth Ombudsman 1983.
Principal Project Officer, Australia Post 1984-88.
Member, Victorian Legislative Assembly (see Parliamentary Service above).
Local Government Service
Councillor, Coburg City Council 1981-88; Deputy Mayor 1983-84 and 1987-88.
Publications
Labor essays 1983 (co-editor with J Reeves), Richmond, Vic: Dove Communications, 1983.
Electorate
Description: inner metropolitan.
Location: inner north Melbourne; it includes the suburbs of Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale and Strathmore.
Area: 57 sq km (approx.).
Electors enrolled: 98 599 (at 21.8.10).
Industries: paper, tiles, hosiery, steel, paints, glass, textiles, defence industries, joinery, electrical goods and various hardware industries.
State electorates: Wills includes the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorate of Pascoe Vale, and parts of Broadmeadows, Brunswick, Essendon and Thomastown.