Николас Джон Шерри: Австралия саяхатшысының өмірі мен мансабы

Australian politician

Nicholas John Sherry (born 19 November 1955) is a former Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Tasmania from July 1990 until June 2012, representing the Australian Labor Party. Sherry was sworn in as the Assistant Treasurer on 9 June 2009, after serving as the first Australian Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law. Sherry was the first Assistant Treasurer from Tasmania.

Sherry was born in Kingston upon Thames, London. He was educated at the University of Tasmania, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Administration. Sherry was also active in the student union while at university, sitting on the Tasmanian University Union and various business committees from 1976 to 1979.

Sherry started his working life as a night cashier and auditor at the Wrest Point Hotel and Casino in Hobart. While working at Wrest Point, Sherry joined the Federated Liquor and Allied Industries Employees' Union and became State Secretary of the then FLAIEU between 1979 and 1990. In 1992, the FLAIEU amalgamated with another union to form the present day Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU). While State Secretary, Sherry also helped establish the HostPlus Superannuation Fund, an industry superannuation fund then only for hospitality industry workers, but now a full public offer fund with over $7 billion under management. Sherry held the position of trustee of HostPlus from 1987 to 1990 and was also a trustee, manager, and company secretary of ClubPlus Superannuation fund. Sherry held positions on the State Executive of the Tasmanian Trades and Labor Council from 1988 to 1990 and was president from 1988 to 1990. During his time as State Secretary, Sherry held a number of positions including board member at the College of Hospitality, board member of the Hospitality Group Training and board member of Employment and Skills Formation Council.

Sherry was elected to the Senate in 1990, representing Tasmania for the Australian Labor Party. Between 1993 and 1996 he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy in the Second Keating Ministry.

After the defeat of the Keating government, Sherry was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and held many positions in the front bench including Shadow Minister for Finance and Shadow Assistant Treasurer. He also held Shadow Ministries for financial services, banking, superannuation, business regulation, consumer affairs and intergenerational finance. In October 1997, however, he was accused of improper use of his Parliamentary travel allowance. Although he was later cleared of these allegations, it caused significant distress and he attempted suicide. He was later diagnosed with clinical depression. His suicide attempt again gained media attention after Greg Wilton became the first Australian Federal Parliamentarian to take his own life, in June 2000. At the time Sherry was open about his own experiences with depression from which he recovered in 1999. Sherry took time away from the Shadow Ministry, but returned to the frontbench in 2001 as Shadow Minister for Retirement Incomes and Savings, a position he held until 2004. In 2004 Sherry was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Finance and Superannuation and in 2005 he was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Superannuation and Intergenerational Finance and Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services, positions he held until the 2007 election.

Sherry has participated on a number of Senate and Joint Parliamentary Committees during his time in Parliament. These include Senate Standing committees on Scrutiny of Bills, Appropriations and Staffing, Privileges and Regulations and Ordinances. Sherry has also participated on the Senate Legislative and General Purpose Committees for Employment, Education and Training, Rural and Regional Affairs, Economics Legislation Committee and the Finance and Public Administration Committees. From 1991 to 2003, Sherry was a key member of, and under Labor chaired, the Senate Select Committee on Superannuation. This committee made a number of recommendations on the performance of the superannuation industry including the key Senate breakthrough that led to the introduction of the Compulsory Superannuation Guarantee system.

Following the election of Julia Gillard's government, Sherry was appointed Minister for Small Business on 14 September 2010. He was also the Minister Assisting or Deregulation and Public Sector Superannuation and Minister Assisting on Tourism. At the 2011 Labor National Conference Sherry told Gillard he wanted to step down from the cabinet as part of the upcoming cabinet reshuffle.

On 12 December 2011, Sherry announced that he would be retiring from the Senate at the 2013 election. He later announced he would resign at the beginning of June 2012, creating a casual Senate vacancy. Lin Thorp won the preselection vote to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement.

On 18 November 2012, it was announced Sherry had been appointed as chairman of FNZ and non executive director of Citi Australia. He has also held the chairman role at Household Capital, a retirement funding specialist. In July 2022, Sherry and Doug Cameron were appointed by the Australian Labor Party National Executive as administrators of the Tasmanian branch, following the suspension of the state executive.