30 Facts About Morris Iemma

Morris Iemma is an Australian former politician who was the 40th Premier of New South Wales, serving from 3 August 2005 to 5 September 2008.

From Sydney, Iemma attended the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney.

From 1999, Morris Iemma was a minister in the third and fourth ministries led by Bob Carr.

Morris Iemma replaced Carr as premier and Leader of the New South Wales Labor Party in 2005, following Carr's resignation.

Morris Iemma led Labor to victory at the 2007 state election, albeit with a slightly reduced majority.

Morris Iemma resigned as premier in 2008, after losing the support of caucus, and left parliament shortly after, triggering a by-election.

Morris Iemma was born in Sydney, the only child of Giuseppe and Maria Morris Iemma, migrants from Martone, Calabria, Italy.

Maria Morris Iemma worked in the clothing trade, and Giuseppe Morris Iemma, a communist supporter in Italy, worked as a machine labourer.

Morris Iemma was educated at state schools in Sydney, including the now-closed Narwee Boys' High School, and has an economics degree from the University of Sydney and a law degree from the University of Technology, Sydney.

In 1997, Morris Iemma married Santina Raiti, with whom he has four children.

Morris Iemma is a member of the dominant right-wing faction of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party.

Morris Iemma then worked as an adviser to Senator Graham Richardson who held the environment and social security portfolios in the Bob Hawke and Paul Keating federal governments.

Morris Iemma is a keen supporter of the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.

Morris Iemma contested the seat of Liberal-held seat of Hurstville at the 1991 New South Wales state election.

Morris Iemma was re-elected in 1995 and was appointed as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Carr Government.

Morris Iemma added the portfolio of Minister for Sport and Recreation in 2001.

Morris Iemma held the three portfolios until the 2003 election.

When Bob Carr announced his intention to retire as New South Wales Premier on 3 August 2005, Morris Iemma immediately announced his candidacy to succeed him as leader of the NSW Labor Party and thus as Premier.

Sydney newspapers consistently asserted that Morris Iemma's government was more interested in "spin" than policy development.

For example, in February 2006, while awaiting the start of a COAG media conference in Canberra, while chatting to Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and not realising cameras were operating, Morris Iemma was recorded as saying:.

On 15 July 2007, after several failures on the NSW rail system, Morris Iemma claimed that the government was at war with rail unions.

In November 2007 the Morris Iemma government lifted the ban on genetically modified canola production and started the process of privatising the state's electricity system.

On 5 September 2008, Morris Iemma announced his resignation as Premier after losing the support of his caucus faction over the details of a proposed cabinet reshuffle sparked by the resignation of Deputy Premier John Watkins.

Morris Iemma had proposed that five other Ministers depart, including Treasurer Michael Costa and Health Minister Reba Meagher.

Morris Iemma resigned from parliament on 19 September 2008, ending his 17-year political career, and forcing a by-election in the seat of Lakemba, won by Robert Furolo.

In January 2013, there was speculation that Morris Iemma was considering standing for the Division of Barton in the Australian House of Representatives for Labor at the 2013 federal election to replace former Attorney-General Robert McClelland who on that day announced that he would be retiring from parliament after 17 years.

Morris Iemma decided not to contest the preselection in Barton, and the preselection instead went to Steve McMahon.

In November 2012 and March 2014 Morris Iemma was called before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption in relation to allegations of corrupt behaviour by Eddie Obeid regarding a dispute between Australian Water Holdings and Sydney Water; and in relation to allegations of corrupt behaviour by Ian Macdonald and Obeid regarding the issuing of lucrative mining licences near Bylong.

In 2015, Morris Iemma sought preselection to contest Barton at the 2016 Australian federal election.

The Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre, named in honour of Iemma and operated by the City of Canterbury-Bankstown in partnership with the YMCA NSW, is a modern sports facility that caters for a variety of indoor sports, including netball, basketball, soccer and volleyball as well as incorporating a gym, change rooms, cafeteria and childcare services.