Matthew Gardiner

Who is Matthew Gardiner?

Matthew John Gardiner is the former Secretary for Unions NT, he held this position from 2008 till 2010 when he stood down to take endorsement as a political candidate. Unions NT has been an active part of the NT Labour movement since the early 1980s and is the Northern Territory's representative of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

He is also the Secretary of the NT Branch of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union now known as United Voice and has overseen the growth of the branch to become the largest Union in the Northern Territory. The Union represents workers in many varied industries in the Northern Territory including Mining, Firefighters, Prison Officers, Childcare, Healthcare, Cleaners, Security and Indigenous Organisations. The Union has grown between 5-10% per annum under his term of office and was recently re elected unopposed to continue his tenure till 2014.

Matthew grew up in Merrylands, NSW where he attended Parramatta High School. After schooling he joined the Australian Army where he trained to become a Combat Engineer. It was while posted to 17 Troop, 18 Field Squadron of the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment in Lavarack Barracks, Townsville that he was deployed on active duty to Somalia as part of Operation Solace as part of the 1RAR Battalion Group deployment as part of UNITAF. Matthew later trained to become a surveyor and was posted to 17 Construction Squadron where he spent several months living in remote communities in the Northern Territory as part of the Army's AACAP programs.