Andre Haermeyer
Andre Haermeyer (born 20 February 1956, in Oberhausen, Germany) is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor Party member for Kororoit in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2002, prior to that representing the Yan Yean electorate in Melbourne's north from 1992.
He retired from Parliament in 2007, and in 2008 was appointed as the State of Victoria’s Commissioner to Europe based in Frankfurt, Germany until 2012.
He has since worked as a private consultant in both Europe and Australia and is Deputy Chair of the German Australian Business Council.
Career
Before being elected to Parliament, Haermeyer worked for the Victorian ALP Head Office and for Senator Robert Ray, a senior federal cabinet minister at the time.
Haermeyer's political campaigning skills were much respected after he unexpectedly won the Yan Yean seat in 1992, despite a massive landslide against Labor at that election.
He served as Labor's Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services from 1993 after helping future Victorian Treasurer and Premier, John Brumby win the party leadership after the sudden resignation of Jim Kennan, as Leader of the Opposition.
He added Corrections to his shadow portfolio in 2004.
Haermeyer was instrumental in making law and order positive issues for his party, traditionally an area of conservative strength. He forged close ties with the Police Association, which represents police officers and was able to successfully draw attention to the then Kennett government's cutbacks on spending on the Police.
In early 1999, he was instrumental in replacing then Opposition Leader John Brumby with his successor Steve Bracks. When Labor did surprisingly well in the election later that year, it was soon able to form a government and Haermeyer was one of its more senior ministers, in the Police and Emergency Services and Corrections portfolios. He presided over the hiring over 800 new Police officers.
Later he became Victorian Minister for Manufacturing Industry & Export, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Financial Services between 21 January 2005 and 1 December 2006.
Haermeyer retired from parliament on 2 June 2008. A by-election for the seat was held on 28 June.
He was appointed Victoria’s Commissioner to Europe, based in Frankfurt, in 2008 and represented the state’s commercial interests there until 2012.
He has since worked as a private consultant in both Europe and Australia.
External links
- Ex-minister steps down
Victorian Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Seat created | Member for Yan Yean 1992–2002 | Succeeded by Danielle Green |
| Preceded by Seat created | Member for Kororoit 2002–2008 | Succeeded by Marlene Kairouz |
 | This article about an Australian Labor Party politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
