Christopher John Hurford AO (30 July 1931 – 15 November 2020) was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide from 1969 to 1987. He played a key role in the development of Australia's skills-oriented immigration policy, and founded the ALP Labor Unity faction in SA.[1]
Chris Hurford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Community Services | |
| In office 16 February 1987 – 24 July 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Don Grimes |
| Succeeded by | Neal Blewett |
| Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs | |
| In office 13 December 1984 – 16 February 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Stewart West |
| Succeeded by | Mick Young |
| Minister for Housing & Construction | |
| In office 11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Tom McVeigh |
| Succeeded by | Stewart West |
| Manager of Opposition Business | |
| In office 11 February 1980 – 7 November 1980 | |
| Leader | Bill Hayden |
| Preceded by | Mick Young |
| Succeeded by | Lionel Bowen |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Adelaide | |
| In office 25 October 1969 – 31 December 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Jones |
| Succeeded by | Mike Pratt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher John Hurford-Jones 30 July 1931 Mhow, Indore Residency, British India |
| Died | 15 November 2020 (aged 89) Adelaide, South Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Labor |
| Occupation | Accountant |
Early life
editHurford was born in Mhow, India, to an English father and Australian mother. In 1940, his mother took the children to Perth, Western Australia where Hurford attended school, before returning to India, then to England. In 1949, his whole family migrated to Western Australia as 'ten-pound poms', despite their Australian heritage.[2] After studying at the London School of Economics, Hurford worked in accountancy before entering federal parliament in 1969, representing the Division of Adelaide, South Australia.[3] The seat had fallen to Liberal Andrew Jones during the massive Coalition landslide of 1966. However, Jones' strong conservatism did not resonate well in this traditionally Labor seat, and Hurford retook the seat for Labor on a resounding 14.3 percent swing, turning it into a safe Labor seat in one election cycle, securing a majority of the first preferences. He held Adelaide until his resignation in 1987.
Ministerial record
edit
Hurford was Minister for Housing and Construction, outside Cabinet in the first Hawke Ministry from March 1983 to December 1984. In the second Hawke Ministry, he was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs until February 1987, when he replaced Don Grimes as Minister for Community Services.
As Immigration Minister, Hurford led a change in Australia's immigration policy that has endured into the 2020s. He introduced a system that combined a higher level of immigration with a higher proportion of skilled migrants, as judged by a points-based system that assessed their skills, qualifications and experience.[4] He argued that such a system would benefit Australia economically by improving the country's level of human capital, and reducing the demographic ageing of the population.[5] The system won international approval and is now often referred to as the "Australian points-based system".[6] While introducing a formal category of skilled migration, the system under Hurford retained both a humanitarian and a family reunion intake.
Hurford also made an early, unsuccessful attempt to reduce ministerial discretions in the granting of immigration visas.
Hurford's period as Immigration Minister was also notable for his unsuccessful attempt to have Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly deported.[7]
In July 1987, Hurford withdrew from the third Hawke ministry for personal reasons and resigned from Parliament at the end of the year.[8]
The resulting by-election in his seat of Adelaide saw his party lose the seat, with voters expressing anger at the by-election, having believed that Hurford would serve them as their member of parliament for the full term.
Internal ALP role
editWithin the South Australian ALP, Hurford is arguably an important modernising figure. He led the creation of the Labor Unity faction, a group variously described as "right-wing", moderate or (after the ascension of the UK Blair Government) "Third Way". As a Catholic, Hurford won support from the socially conservative leadership of the Shop Distributive and Allied Trades Union in forming the faction.
In the 1980s, Hurford led the SA Labor Unity group in vigorously defending within the ALP the policy direction of the Hawke Government, a direction with which the larger Centre-Left and Left factions were uncomfortable. By the 1990s, Labor Unity had become a substantial counterweight to the other factions in SA.
Post political life
editOn resignation from Parliament at the end of 1987, Hurford became Australia's Consul-General in New York for four years.[9] In 1991, he was appointed head of external relations at the University of South Australia.[10]
Notes
edit- ^ "The Hon. Christopher John (Chris) AO Hurford". The Weekly Times. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ Don Dunstan Oral History Project, Flinders University.
- ^ "Members of the House of Representatives since 1901". Parliamentary Handbook. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
- ^ Miller, Paul W. (1999). "Immigration Policy and Immigrant Quality: The Australian Points System". The American Economic Review. 89 (2): 192–197. doi:10.1257/aer.89.2.192. JSTOR 117105. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ Immigration Policy: Sound Economic Foundations?, Flinders University.
- ^ "What is an Australian-style immigration system and how might it work?". The Independent. 28 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Former minister outlines reservations over sheik". Insiders. ABC. 29 June 2003. Archived from the original on 18 May 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
- ^ "Chris Hurford". Insiders. The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Library. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
- ^ "Chris Hurford". Insiders. The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Library. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
- ^ Hollis, Shaun. "Obituaries for December 19, 2020: Psychologist John Raftery and politician Chris Hurford". The Advertiser. Retrieved 20 December 2022.