Chris Hurford

Christopher John "Chris" Hurford (b. 30 July 1931) was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1969 until his resignation in 1987, representing the Division of Adelaide, South Australia. Hurford was Minister for Housing and Construction, outside Cabinet in the first Hawke Ministry from March 1983 to December 1984. In the second Hawke Ministry, he was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs until February 1987, when he replaced Donald Grimes as Minister for Community Services. Within the South Australian ALP, Hurford led the creation of the Labor Unity faction, a group variously described as "right-wing", moderate or (after the ascension of the UK Blair Government) "Third Way". In the 1980s Hurford led the SA Labor Unity group in vigorously defending within the ALP the policy direction of the Hawke Government, a direction with which the larger Centre-Left and Left factions were uncomfortable. By the 1990s Labor Unity became a substantial counterweight to the other factions in SA.

Ministerial record

As Immigration Minister, Hurford's major achievement was the introduction of the "points system" for skilled immigration - a system which provided transparency in decisions on skilled migration and brought a new focus to immigration's role in developing human capital. The system has since been adopted in other jurisdictions. Hurford's period in Immigration was also notable for his attempt to have Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly deported,, but was unsuccessful. He also made an early, unsuccessful attempt to reduce ministerial discretions in the granting of immigration visas. In July 1987, he was left out of the third Hawke ministry. He retired from Parliament at the end of the year and became Australia’s Consul–General in New York for four years.