John Faulkner

Who is John Faulkner?

John Philip Faulkner is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Australian Senate since 1989, representing the state of New South Wales. Following a period serving on various Senate Committees and as Deputy Whip, he was a Minister in the Keating Labor government 1993–96. Following several years in opposition as a Shadow Minister, he was appointed in 2007 as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Special Minister of State in the First Rudd Government. He was Minister for Defence from June 2009 to September 2010.

Faulkner, the longest currently-serving Labor member of the Australian Senate, has sat on the backbench since the 2010 election, is considered by some as an elder statesman, and on 1 July 2014 became the Father of the Australian Senate. Faulkner will not seek re-election and his current Senate term, which expires in June 2017, will be his last.

Faulkner is a Member of the Board of the Global Panel Foundation – Australasia – a respected NGO that works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world. The Australasia Chair is the Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, former Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Commonwealth Secretary General.