David Harris (Australian politician)

Harris is one of three children, and grew up in Greenacre. His parents later moved to the New South Wales Central Coast.

Harris is married to Sherelle and they have two daughters.[1]

Harris attended Woy Woy South Public School and Woy Woy High School, where became school captain.[1]

Harris gained a Diploma of Teaching and began work in the public school system, starting his career at Griffith Public School in 1987. In the following year he became the principal of a one-teacher school at Merriwagga, and moved on to teach at Hillston Central School. It was in Hillston that he met his wife Sherelle.[1]

Harris returned to the New South Wales Central Coast, becoming principal at Dooralong Public School and then deputy principal at Northlakes Public School. Harris was later appointed principal at Gwandalan Public School and then principal of Kariong Public School.

In 2006 Harris resigned as the principal to pursue a career in politics.[1]

In 1987 Harris joined the Umina branch of the Labor Party, eventually becoming the president of the Wyong branch, and then secretary of Dobell Federal Electoral Council.[1]

He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 24 March 2007 as the member for Wyong. He was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Training and Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast. He was also deputy chair of the Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption and chair of the Natural Resource Management (Climate Change) Committee. He was a member of the Staysafe Committee (Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety) and a member of the Standing Committee on Broadband in Rural and Regional Communities.[2]

At the 2011 state election Harris lost the seat of Wyong to his Liberal opponent, local small businessman Darren Webber. It was the first time the seat of Wyong had been held by any party other than Labor, and the win was a milestone for the Liberals. Harris regained the seat in the 2015 state election.

David Harris recently won the 2023 election and is now the Honourable David Harris MP, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Minister for Gaming and Racing, Minister for Veterans, Minister for Medical Research and the Minister for the Central Coast MP (Legislative Assembly).

Late in 2011 Harris was appointed as the new principal at Point Clare Public School, to begin in the new year. In 2015 he resigned when he decided to run for re-election in Wyong re-winning the seat off Darren Webber.