Mark Kersten
Encyclopedia
Mark Raymond Kersten is a former Australia
n politician. He was a National Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
from 1995 to 1999.
Kersten was born in Broken Hill
, and worked as a signwriter and painter from 1966 to 1995. Unlike many Coalition
politicians he had a background in the union movement
, having been president of the Australian Metal Workers' Union from 1985 to 1986. He was also chairman of Neighbourhood Watch 1986–87, an executive member of the Murray Darling Association 1992–95, and chairman of the Broken Hill Proud Association 1993–94. In 1993 he was also made chairman of the Far West Regional Development Board, a position he held until 1995.
At the 1995 state election
, he was selected as the National Party
's candidate for the seat of Broken Hill
. He was defeated by sitting Labor
member Bill Beckroge
, but shortly afterwards he was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council
after the retirement of Robert Webster. In 1999 he retired from the Council in order to contest the lower house seat of Murray-Darling
, a notional National seat created from large parts of the abolished electorates of Broken Hill and Murray
. Kersten was defeated by Labor candidate Peter Black
, and has not returned to politics.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He was a National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
from 1995 to 1999.
Kersten was born in Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
, and worked as a signwriter and painter from 1966 to 1995. Unlike many Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
politicians he had a background in the union movement
Union Movement
The Union Movement was a right-wing political party founded in Britain by Oswald Mosley. Where Mosley had previously been associated with a peculiarly British form of fascism, the Union Movement attempted to redefine the concept by stressing the importance of developing a European nationalism...
, having been president of the Australian Metal Workers' Union from 1985 to 1986. He was also chairman of Neighbourhood Watch 1986–87, an executive member of the Murray Darling Association 1992–95, and chairman of the Broken Hill Proud Association 1993–94. In 1993 he was also made chairman of the Far West Regional Development Board, a position he held until 1995.
At the 1995 state election
New South Wales state election, 1995
Elections to the 51st Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 March 1995. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election. The minority Liberal Party of Australia-led Coalition government of Premier John Fahey was defeated by...
, he was selected as the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
's candidate for the seat of Broken Hill
Electoral district of Broken Hill
Broken Hill was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. From 1894 to 1913, the Broken Hill district was covered by the electoral districts of Broken Hill, Willyama and Sturt. In the 1912 redistribution, the electoral district of Broken Hill...
. He was defeated by sitting Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member Bill Beckroge
Bill Beckroge
Bill Beckroge was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1981 until 1999. He was a member of the ALP....
, but shortly afterwards he was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
after the retirement of Robert Webster. In 1999 he retired from the Council in order to contest the lower house seat of Murray-Darling
Electoral district of Murray-Darling
Murray-Darling is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Williams of the National Party of Australia....
, a notional National seat created from large parts of the abolished electorates of Broken Hill and Murray
Electoral district of Murray (New South Wales)
Murray was an electoral district in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was a single-member electorate from 1859 to 1920, but from 1920 to 1927 it was merged with Albury, Corowa and Wagga Wagga to create a three-member electorate, voting by proportional representation. It was recreated as a...
. Kersten was defeated by Labor candidate Peter Black
Peter Black (Australian politician)
Peter Laurence Black OAM is an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.Black was born in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville and educated at Sydney Boy's Technical High School and received a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales...
, and has not returned to politics.