Stephen Patrick Hutchins (22 April 1956 – 24 November 2017) was an Australian politician and a member of the
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives (Australia), House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter ...
for the state of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
(NSW) between October 1998 and June 2011, representing the
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...
.
Early life and career
Hutchins was born in Sydney. He worked as a
forklift
A forklift (also called lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various c ...
driver and waste collector before attending the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, where he graduated in arts, and then
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, where he was part of the university's
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
education programme. He was an official with the
Transport Workers' Union from 1980 and was Federal President of the union from 1993 to 1998. He was a member of the
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions and eight trades and la ...
Executive from 1996 to 1998.
On 14 October 1998 Hutchins was elected as a senator for
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. He was elected again in 2004 but defeated in 2010, his term ending in 2011.
Family and personal life
His first marriage was to New South Wales State Member for
Mulgoa
Mulgoa is a village, located in the local government area of the City of Penrith, in the region of western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mulgoa is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district.
Mu ...
,
Diane Beamer
Diane Beamer (born 15 July 1960) is an Australian politician. As an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, she represented the state electorates of Badgerys Creek (1995–1999) and Mulgoa (1999–201 ...
. His second marriage was to
Natalie Sykes, who later became a Victorian state minister.
Hutchins died on 24 November 2017, aged 61.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchins, Steve
1956 births
2017 deaths
Harvard University alumni
Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
Labor Right politicians
Members of the Australian Senate
Members of the Australian Senate for New South Wales
Spouses of Australian politicians
21st-century Australian politicians
20th-century Australian politicians
People educated at De La Salle College, Cronulla