Senator the Hon Murray Watt

Senator the Hon Murray Watt

Senator for QLD

Positions
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Party
Australian Labor Party
Chamber
Senate

Seating Plan

Seating map

Electorate Office

(Principal Office)

Suite G04 Kay House
35 Scarborough Street
Southport, QLD, 4215

Postal address

PO Box 310
Southport Business Centre, QLD, 4215

Telephone:
(07) 5531 1033

Parliament Office

PO Box 6100
Senate
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Telephone:
(02) 6277 7320

Biography

Parliamentary service
  • State: Elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Everton, 2009. Defeated at general elections 2012.
  • Federal: Elected to the Senate for Queensland 2016. Re-elected 2022.
Ministerial appointments
  • Cabinet Minister from 1.6.2022.
  • Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from 1.6.2022 to 29.7.2024.
  • Minister for Emergency Management from 1.6.2022 to 29.7.2024.
  • Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 29.7.2024.
Committee service
  • Joint Standing: Trade and Investment Growth served from 11.10.2016 to 12.10.2016; Trade and Investment Growth served as Deputy Chair from 13.10.2016 to 8.2.2018; Trade and Investment Growth served from 9.2.2018 to 1.7.2019
  • Joint Statutory: Corporations and Financial Services served from 12.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity served from 12.9.2016 to 11.4.2019
  • Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Community Affairs: References served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 15.9.2016 to 2.12.2016; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served from 2.7.2019 to 13.5.2020; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served from 2.7.2019 to 12.6.2020; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 5.2.2020 to 1.6.2022
  • Senate Select: National Integrity Commission served from 9.2.2017 to 13.9.2017; Red Tape served from 30.3.2017 to 3.12.2018; Future of Work and Workers served from 19.10.2017 to 19.9.2018; Effectiveness of the Australian Government's Northern Australia Agenda served from 22.7.2019 to 24.7.2019; Effectiveness of the Australian Government's Northern Australia Agenda served as Chair from 25.7.2019 to 28.4.2021; COVID-19 served from 8.4.2020 to 7.4.2022
  • Senate Standing: Scrutiny of Bills served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019
Parliamentary party positions
  • Australian Labor Party. Served: 02.07.2016 to present
  • Shadow Minister for Northern Australia from 2.6.2019 to 23.5.2022.
  • Shadow Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management from 2.6.2019 to 28.1.2021.
  • Shadow Minister for Disaster and Emergency Management from 28.1.2021 to 23.5.2022.
  • Shadow Minister for Queensland Resources from 28.1.2021 to 23.5.2022.
Party positions
  • Member of the Australian Labor Party Mitchelton Branch (Qld).
  • Member of the Australian Labor Party from 1990.
  • President of Young Labor (Qld), 1998.
  • Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (Qld) from 2003 to 2009.
  • Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Qld) from 2008 to 2010.
  • Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 2011.
  • President of the Australian Labor Party Everton State Electorate Council (Qld) from 2012 to 2015.
  • Member of the Australian Labor Party Policy Coordination Council from 2012 to 2016.
  • Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (Qld) from 2013 to 2016.
  • Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 2015.
Personal
  • Born: 20.1.1973, Brisbane, Australia
  • Gender: Male
  • Marital Status: Married
Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
  • BCom (University of Queensland).
  • LLB (University of Queensland).
  • Articled Clerk at Blake Dawson Waldron Solicitors from 1997 to 1999.
  • Associate to the Hon. P Gray at the Federal Court of Australia from 1999 to 2000.
  • Solicitor at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and Reidy and Tonkin from 2000 to 2002.
  • Chief of Staff to the Premier A Bligh (Qld) from 2002 to 2007.
  • Director of Policy Development at the Department of State Development (Qld) from 2007 to 2008.
  • Executive Director of Policy Development at the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Qld) from 2008 to 2009.
  • Senior Associate at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers from 2012 to 2016.
State/Territory Government service
  • Elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Everton, 2009. Defeated at general elections 2012.
  • Parliamentary Secretary for Health from 9.4.2009 to 3.3.2011.
  • Parliamentary Secretary for Treasurer and Minister for State Development from 3.3.2011 to 23.3.2012.

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