John Graham (Australian politician)
# John Graham (Australian politician)

John Edward Graham is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since October 2016 and has been Special Minister of State and Minister for Roads, the Arts, Music, the Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism since 2023.

## Career

Graham joined the Labor Party in 1991. He worked in the higher education sector and for the Finance Sector Union. He also worked as an adviser to NSW and Queensland state governments, including as the Deputy Chief of Staff to then-NSW Premier Nathan Rees in 2009. He is a founder of Labor Loves Live Music.

Graham became assistant general secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party in the early 2010s, serving for six years.

Graham was considered for preselection for the Canterbury state by-election, and was confident he had the support of the rank-and-file members. However, Sophie Cotsis was preselected after NSW Labor leader Luke Foley intervened over concerns that Graham lived in Redfern (in the electorate of Newtown) and Foley wanted the candidate to be a woman. Graham was appointed to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Cotsis to contest the by-election.

After Michael Daley replaced Foley as Leader in 2018, Graham was appointed to the shadow ministry in the role of Shadow Minister for Forestry, Gaming and Racing, Night Time Economy and Music, Tourism and Major Events.

After the 2019 election, Jodi McKay replaced Daley as Leader. Graham was appointed as Shadow Minister for Roads, Night Time Economy and Music in her frontbench. He retained these positions in the Shadow Ministry of Chris Minns when that was constituted in 2021. He was also appointed as deputy leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council and Shadow Special Minister of State at this time.

Following the resignation of Walt Secord from the frontbench in 2022, Graham added the portfolios of Arts and the North Coast to his existing Shadow Ministries.

## Personal life

Graham is married to federal senator Jenny McAllister. They have two children. He is a member of NSW Labor's left faction.

