John Cherry (Australian politician)

John Cherry
Cherry in 2008
Senator for Queensland
In office
31 July 2001 – 30 June 2005
Preceded byJohn Woodley
Personal details
Born (1965-05-22) 22 May 1965 (age 59)
Kilcoy, Queensland
NationalityAustralian
Political partyAustralian Democrats (since 1993)
Other political
affiliations		Labor (until 1993)
OccupationJournalist

John Clifford Cherry (born 22 May 1965)[1] was an Australian Democrats senator from 2001 to 2005, representing the state of Queensland and the Queensland Democrats. In March 2005 he became CEO of the Queensland Farmers Federation.[2]

Cherry was born in Kilcoy, Queensland.[3][4] He studied law and economics at the University of Queensland, culminating in a master's degree in public administration.[5] While at university, he joined the Australian Labor Party. He spent two years as a journalist with the Townsville Bulletin, then worked as an industrial officer with the State Public Services Federation until 1993, when he was appointed economics adviser first to Senator Cheryl Kernot, the then Senate leader of the Australian Democrats, and to her successor Meg Lees. As an adviser to the latter, Cherry was a principal player in negotiations for the 1999 introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a measure which was a triumph for the Coalition government led by John Howard but which caused a serious split in the Australian Democrats, leading to electoral downturn and loss of the party's Senate representation. He himself was defeated in the 2004 election, ceasing to be a senator on 30 June 2005.[6]

As a senator, Cherry supported protection of Queensland banana growers from potentially diseased imports,[7] conservation of the Great Barrier Reef[8] and superannuation reform to include recognition of same-sex relationships.[9]

  1. ^ "The 40th Parliament Senators and Members by Age". Department of the Parliamentary Library. 1 April 2004. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  2. ^ ABC Rural report accessdate 1/21/10
  3. ^ Santoro (22 June 2005). "THE SENATE VALEDICTORY SPEECH". Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  4. ^ "Former Senator John Cherry". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Democrats to contest all 28 Queensland seats". 17 September 2004. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Senate Results QLD". 2004 Federal Election. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  7. ^ John Cherry (29 February 2004). "Broader Senate probe of quarantine system needed". Archived from the original on 24 August 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  8. ^ "Senator John Cherry speaks to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Boundary Extension) Amendment Bill 2002: Second Reading". 16 May 2002. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  9. ^ Margo Kingston (2 October 2003). "Same sex super: how we value love". SMH. Retrieved 27 January 2010.