12 Facts About Chris Hurford

Christopher John Hurford was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide from 1969 to 1987.

Chris Hurford played a key role in the development of Australia's skills-oriented immigration policy, and founded the ALP Labor Unity faction in SA.

In 1940, his mother took the children to Perth, Western Australia where Chris Hurford attended school, before returning to India, then to England.

However, Jones' strong conservatism did not resonate well in this traditionally Labor seat, and Chris Hurford retook the seat for Labor on a resounding 14.3 percent swing, turning it into a safe Labor seat in one election cycle, securing a majority of the first preferences.

Chris Hurford was Minister for Housing and Construction, outside Cabinet in the first Hawke Ministry from March 1983 to December 1984.

Chris Hurford introduced a system that combined a higher level of immigration with a higher proportion of skilled migrants, as judged by a points-based system that assessed their skills, qualifications and experience.

Chris Hurford argued that such a system would benefit Australia economically by improving the country's level of human capital, and reducing the demographic ageing of the population.

Chris Hurford made an early, unsuccessful attempt to reduce ministerial discretions in the granting of immigration visas.

In July 1987, Chris Hurford withdrew from the third Hawke ministry for personal reasons and resigned from Parliament at the end of the year.

The resulting by-election in his seat of Adelaide saw his party lose the seat, with voters expressing anger at the by-election, having believed that Chris Hurford would serve them as their member of parliament for the full term.

Chris Hurford led the creation of the Labor Unity faction, a group variously described as "right-wing", moderate or "Third Way".

On resignation from Parliament at the end of 1987, Chris Hurford became Australia's Consul-General in New York for four years.