Arch Bevis

Archibald Ronald "Arch" Bevis (born 10 April 1955) is an Australian politician who was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2010, representing the Division of Brisbane, Queensland. He was born in Brisbane, and educated at Ithaca Creek State Primary School and The Gap State High School, and graduated as a teacher from the then Brisbane CAE (now QUT). Whilst studying to become a teacher Bevis was president of the Australian Student Teachers Federation.

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Bevis worked as a teacher between 1975 and 1977. He became the Queensland President of Young Labor in 1975, aged 20, and went on to become National President of Young Labor in 1978, aged 23.

Between 1978 and 1980, Bevis worked as an organiser for the Queensland Teachers Union. In 1980, aged 25, he was promoted to Deputy General Secretary, a position he held until 1990.

From 1988–90, he was also a member of the Labor Party's national executive. He was elected Vice-President of the Australian Labor Party from 2000–02.

After being elected to the House of Representatives at the 1990 election, Bevis served on a number of committees. He chaired the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology from 1992–93 and the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters from 1992–94. From 1994 to 1996, he was also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence.

After Labor lost the 1996 election, Bevis was one of only two Queensland Labor members left in Federal Parliament and held the most northern Labor seat in Federal Parliament. He was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet. From 1996 to 1998, he was Shadow Minister for Defence, and from 1998 to 2001, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations.

He left the Shadow Ministry in 2001, but was reinstated in 2004. He was Shadow Minister for Defence Planning, Procurement and Personnel and Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations 2004–05 and was Shadow Minister for Homeland Security; Aviation and Transport Security in 2005–06. He was appointed Shadow Minister for Homeland Security and Territories in December 2006. In 2007 the Justice and Custom portfolios was added to Homeland Security and Territories.

Following the 2007 federal election, Bevis was elected Chairperson of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and Chairperson of the Joint Defence Sub-Committee.

He was defeated at the 2010 Federal Election by Liberal National challenger Teresa Gambaro, formerly the member for Petrie, by only 1,831 votes (a difference of 916 votes).

Since the 2010 Federal Election Bevis has been awarded life membership of the Australian Education Union (AEU), the Queensland Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU). He was also appointed to the Defence Remuneration Tribunal, the board of directors of Defence Housing Australia, and the ANZAC Centenary Advisory Board.