Harry Quick

Who is Harry Quick?

Harry Vernon Quick, is an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 until 2007, representing the electorate of Franklin. He sat as an Australian Labor Party representative from 1993 to 2007, when he was expelled from the party for failing to pay his membership dues. An outspoken maverick MP, he did not contest the 2007 federal election.

He first entered politics in 1993 after winning the southern Tasmanian seat of Franklin in the House of Representatives. On the night of the 1993 federal election, Quick was the first member to become elected, reclaiming Franklin for Labor, for the first time in 17 years. During the time he has been member for Franklin the one-time Liberal stronghold has become a reasonably safe Labor seat. Even in the 2004 federal election where all Tasmanian Labor members lost support, Quick's decline was the smallest.

He was a teacher, education officer and electorate officer before entering politics. He worked for Senator Michael Tate prior to being elected to the House.

He also protested against the 2003 Iraq war in which Australian troops took part. He once took a Tasmanian apple into the Federal parliament in protest against legalising the import of New Zealand apples which have been banned in Australia for 80 years because of bio-security risk reasons, notably the Fireblight disease. He opposed the 2005 Walker Corporation planned development at Ralphs Bay, Lauderdale near Hobart that the State Labor Government had hoped for. He has always believed that politicians should take a "hands on" role in the community. Quick was an Opposition Whip 2001-04.