Alex Gallacher

Alexander McEachian Gallacher (1 January 1954 – 29 August 2021) was an Australian politician who was a Senator for South Australia from 2011 until his death in 2021.[3] He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was a senior official in the Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) before entering parliament.

Alex Gallacher
Gallacher in 2014
Senator for South Australia
In office
1 July 2011 – 29 August 2021
Succeeded byKaren Grogan
Personal details
Born
Alexander McEachian Gallacher

(1954-01-01)1 January 1954
New Cumnock, Scotland, United Kingdom[1]
Died29 August 2021(2021-08-29) (aged 67)
Australia
CitizenshipAustralian (1980–2021)
British (1954–2010)[2]
Political partyLabor
OccupationTrade union official

Early life

Gallacher was born on 1 January 1954 in New Cumnock, Scotland.[4] He arrived in Australia with his family in 1966 and became an Australian citizen in 1980.[2][5] He renounced his British citizenship prior to his election to parliament in 2010, as required by section 44 of the constitution.[6] After leaving school, he worked as a labourer and truck driver for a number of years. He was then employed as a ramp services operator with Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) from 1976 to 1988.[4]

Labour movement

Before entering parliament, Gallacher had a long involvement with the Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU). Within the union's South Australia/Northern Territory (SA/NT) branch, he held the positions of industrial officer (1988–1992), organiser (1992–1996), and state secretary (1996–2010). He additionally served as federal vice-president (2005–2007) and president (2007–2010).[4]

Politics

Gallacher joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1988 and served as a delegate to state council and the ALP National Conference.[4] He aligned with the Labor Right faction. Prior to the 2010 federal election, he won ALP preselection for the Senate in first position on the party's ticket in South Australia. He defeated two incumbent senators, Anne McEwen and Dana Wortley, for the place at the top of the ticket.[7]

Gallacher was elected in 2010 to an initial term beginning on 1 July 2011. He was re-elected at the 2016 and 2019 federal elections.[4] In his maiden speech, Gallacher listed transport, road safety and superannuation as three priority interests.[8] He also stated his concerns over the impact of the carbon tax on road transport and call for self-employed drivers to be compensated for any negative impacts. He later warned against the ALP becoming "captive to a new Green agenda".[7]

Gallacher served on a number of standing and select committees during his time in the Senate.[4]

Personal life

Gallacher was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2020 and took a leave of absence from the Senate to undergo treatment. He self-isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] He died on 29 August 2021, aged 67.[3][10]

References
  1. "State Election Candidates". Sa.alp.org.au. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  2. "Statement in Relation to Citizenship for Gallacher, Senator Alexander McEachian (Alex)" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  3. Coughlan, Matt (30 August 2021). "South Australian senator Gallacher dies". Busselton-Dunsborough Mail. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  4. "Senator Alex Gallacher". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  5. "Maiden speech". Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. "Dual citizenship: Which politicians still have questions to answer in this constitutional mess?". ABC News. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. Brady, Jack (14 July 2011). "The Union Boss Who Went Straight To The Top". NewMatilda.com. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  8. "Transport a top priority for freshly elected Gallacher". Fully Loaded. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  9. Workman, Alice (26 May 2020). "Tanks for the memories, Joel". The Australian. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  10. "Labor senator and trade unionist Alex Gallacher dies after battle with lung cancer". ABC News. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
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