24 Facts About Mick Young

Michael Jerome Young was an Australian politician.

Mick Young rose through the Australian Labor Party to become its National Secretary, before serving as a Labor member of the House of Representatives from the 1974 election to 1988.

Mick Young was a senior minister in the Hawke government, and was a prominent political figure during the 1970s and 1980s.

Mick Young was President of the Australian Labor Party from 1986 to 1988.

Mick Young was the sixth of eight children born to Kathleen Bridget and Ray Barnard Young.

Mick Young left school at the age of 15 and began training as a wool classer, moving to western New South Wales.

Mick Young later became a shearer and became involved with the labour movement in Broken Hill, at a time of frequent industrial conflict within the industry.

Mick Young was elected secretary of the Broken Hill Pastoral Workers' Committee at the age of 20.

Mick Young attended the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow in 1957, visiting China in the same year.

In 1958, Mick Young moved to Adelaide and began working as a paid organizer with the Australian Workers' Union.

Mick Young soon came under the influence of Clyde Cameron, later working as an organizer in Port Pirie.

Mick Young was appointed as the party's South Australian state organizer in 1964, and his role in the first Labor electoral win for 30 years at the 1965 state election led first to his election as Secretary of the state branch in 1968 and later secretary of the federal party in 1969.

Mick Young again showed his substantial campaign management skills in the 1972 federal election, playing a significant role in the first ALP federal election win since 1946.

Mick Young devised Labor's "It's Time" slogan, still considered one of the most effective vote-winning phrases in Australian history.

Labor under Whitlam suffered its worst-ever electoral defeat in late 1975; Mick Young was promoted to the shadow ministry in 1976, and was given the Immigration and Ethnic Affairs portfolios.

Mick Young has been credited with keeping Labor's spirits up during its time in opposition from 1975 to 1983.

Mick Young was forced to step down again in 1984 when he neglected to declare at Customs a large stuffed Paddington Bear toy that was in his wife's suitcase.

Mick Young resumed his place in Cabinet when he was cleared of wrongdoing by a judicial inquiry.

Mick Young was made Leader of the House of Representatives.

Mick Young became Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs in July 1987, when he took on the position of vice-president of the Executive Council again.

Mick Young made available copies of the secret Fox Report on Ranger Uranium to anti-nuclear protesters and supported their campaign to have the City of Port Adelaide declared a Nuclear Free Zone.

In 1987, Mick Young faced controversy over his alleged handling of campaign donations during the 1987 election.

Mick Young subsequently resigned from parliament on 12 February 1988, sparking the 1988 Port Adelaide by-election, though he was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Mick Young continued to serve as guide to promising Labor politicians, including Beazley, who considered Young his best friend.