Nationality Italian Australian Role Political figure | Name Con Sciacca | |
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Concetto Antonio Sciacca (13 June 1947 – 21 June 2017) was an Australian politician of the Australian Labor Party and member of the Australian House of Representatives from July 1987 to March 1996 and again from October 1998 to October 2004, representing the Division of Bowman, Queensland.
Contents
- 150715 the inside word with the hon con sciacca ao
- The inside word with con sciacca june 25 2015
- Early life
- Political career and recognition
- Health and death
- References
The inside word with con sciacca june 25 2015
Early life
Sciacca was born in Sicily, Italy, on 13 June 1947. He migrated to Australia with his family in 1951 and settled in Queensland. His father worked as a canecutter. After completion of his law studies, he became a solicitor in 1970. He also worked as a bank officer before entering politics. He founded the group Sciaccas Lawyers which was taken over by the legal group of Shine Lawyers in 2014.
Political career and recognition
Sciacca successfully contested the 1987 Australian federal election and won from the Division of Bowman. He consecutively won the next two elections of 1990 and 1993. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Security from 1990 to 1994, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Arts and Administrative Services 1993–94, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Administrative Services 1994, Minister for Veterans' Affairs 1994–96 and Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Superannuation 1995–96. He thus served in the Fourth Hawke Ministry, the First Keating Ministry, and the Second Keating Ministry.
Sciacca was defeated by Liberal Party candidate Andrea West in the 1996 election. After his re-election in 1998, Sciacca was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1998–2001. After a redistribution made Bowman notionally Liberal, Sciacca contested the new Division of Bonner at the 2004 election, but was narrowly defeated by Liberal candidate Ross Vasta.
In 1992, Sciacca's son Sam died of Ewing's sarcoma at the age of 19. Thereafter he started the Sam Sciacca Travelling Fellowship through which health experts would visit Australia and present lectures on the latest developments in research and technology. In 2006, Sciacca was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for "service to ex-service personnel, cancer research institutions and service to the Australian parliament". He dedicated the award to his deceased son.
Health and death
Sciacca was suffering from cancer and in February 2015 was reported to have been cleared of it after an operation performed in 2014. In April 2015 he was operated on by ophthalmologist Bill Glasson for cataract in both his eyes.
Sciacca died on 21 June 2017, aged 70, after prolonged suffering from cancer at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Brisbane. He had frequently been admitted to the hospital in the last six months for his deteriorating health. Upon his death, the Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, called him "a community champion and a true gentleman".