Tim Gartrell appointed ALP Acting National Secretary Greg Sword

Media Statement - 15 August 2003

The Assistant National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, Tim Gartrell, has been appointed Acting National Secretary of the party. The appointment was made by the National Executive Committee meeting in Canberra today and follows the resignation of National Secretary Geoff Walsh. It will take effect next Friday, 22 August.

I welcome the appointment of Tim Gartrell and also want to record the National Executive's appreciation of the strong leadership and total commitment shown by Geoff Walsh over the past three and a half years.

The National Executive Committee has reluctantly accepted his resignation. We are saddened by his decision but understand the circumstances that led to it.

Geoff Walsh has been a unifying force during what has been a difficult time for the Labor Party. This was especially apparent in his role as campaign director in the last federal election: A difficult and complex campaign where Geoff's clear judgement and political instinct were indispensable.

His departure as National Secretary comes after a long career in the Australian Labor Party. He was press secretary and special adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke and chief of staff to Paul Keating.

Tim Gartrell has held the position of Assistant National Secretary since April 2000 after joining the National Secretariat to work on the 1998 federal election. He is also the Secretary of Federal Labor's think-tank, the Chifley Research Centre. In late 2000, he was seconded to the Queensland branch of the party as Executive Director.

He was born and grew up in Orange in central western New South Wales before moving to study politics at the University of New South Wales. While at university he worked as an advocate and researcher for the Australian Services Union and the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union.

He worked for two Keating Government ministers and Sydney MP Anthony Albanese and was Media and Community Liaison Manager with South Sydney Council. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters in Communications.