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The Honourable
Martin Pakula
MP
The Honourable Martin Pakula MP
Minister for Industry Support and Recovery
	In office; 22 June 2020 – 27 June 2022
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Ben Carroll
Minister for Trade
	In office; 22 June 2020 – 27 June 2022
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Tim Pallas
Minister for Business Precincts
	In office; 22 June 2020 – 27 June 2022
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Jacinta Allan
Succeeded by	Ben Carroll
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events
	In office; 29 November 2018 – 27 June 2022
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	John Eren
Succeeded by	Steve Dimopoulos
Minister for Racing
	In office; 4 December 2014 – 27 June 2022
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Denis Napthine
Succeeded by	Anthony Carbines
53rd Attorney-General of Victoria
	In office; 4 December 2014 – 29 November 2018
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Robert Clark
Succeeded by	Jill Hennessy
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly; for Keysborough
	In office; 29 November 2014 – 26 November 2022
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly; for Lyndhurst
	In office; 27 April 2013 – 29 November 2014
Preceded by	Tim Holding
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Western Metropolitan Region
	In office; 25 November 2006 – 26 March 2013
Personal details
Born	7 January 1969 (age 55); Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Labor
Website	www.martinpakula.com.au

Martin Philip Pakula (born 7 January 1969) is an Australian former politician. He has been a Labor Party member of the Parliament of Victoria from 2006 to 2022: in the Legislative Council for Western Metropolitan Region from 2006 to 2013, and then in the Legislative Assembly for Lyndhurst (2013–2014) and Keysborough (2014–2022).

Pakula has served as a minister in the First Andrews Ministry and Second Andrews Ministry. Most recently until June 2022, Pakula was the Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Minister for Trade, Minister for Business Precincts from June 2020, the Minister for Tourism, Sport & Major Events from November 2018, and the Minister for Racing from December 2014. He previously served as the Minister for Jobs, Innovation & Trade (2018–2020), Attorney-General (2014–2018). He also served as Minister for Industrial Relations (2008–2010), Minister for Industry and Trade (2008–2010) and Minister for Public Transport (2010) in the Brumby Ministry.^[1]

Early life

Pakula was born in Melbourne in 1969, the son of immigrants from Poland who were deported during World War II to Uzbekistan.^{[citation needed]} Pakula's mother, a school teacher, arrived in Australia as a 6 year old with no knowledge of English, while his father, a lawyer, spoke no English at home.^[2] He attended Ormond Primary School and then Haileybury.^[3] Following this, he was accepted to study economics and law at Monash University.^[3] During his time at Monash he became a leading member of Victorian Young Labor, joining the Labor Party in 1987.^[3] He completed his Bachelor of Economics in 1989 and an Honours Degree in Law in 1991.^[3] In his final year, he won the Industrial Relations Law prize.^[3]

Professional career

After graduating from university, Pakula began work at Macpherson and Kelley Solicitors. In 1993, he became an Industrial Officer at the National Union of Workers. He went on to become State Secretary and National Vice President.^[3]

In 2005, Pakula unsuccessfully challenged Simon Crean in the ALP preselection for the seat of Hotham. Pakula was then preselected for ALP's third spot for the Western Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council and was elected at the 2006 Victorian state election. Following the election, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Ports under Tim Pallas.^[3]

After the resignation of Minister Theo Theophanous in December 2008, Pakula was appointed Minister for Industry and Trade and Minister for Industrial Relations. In January 2010, he replaced Lynne Kosky as Minister for Public Transport following her resignation.^[4]^[5]

On 18 March 2013 he was endorsed as the Labor candidate for the Lyndhurst by-election held on 27 April, caused by the February 2013 resignation of shadow treasurer Tim Holding.^[6] Pakula resigned from the Legislative Council on 26 March 2013 to contest Lyndhurst and was successful in retaining the seat for Labor.

On 4 December 2014 he was sworn in as the Victorian Attorney-General, and was replaced by Jill Hennessy following the 2018 Victorian state election. He continued to be a minister in a number of portfolios, with the racing portfolio being held the longest since 2014.

In June 2022, Pakula announced he would retire at the November state election.^[7] He stepped down from his ministerial roles on 27 June 2022.

In November 2022 Pakula was appointed to the board of helloworld travel as a non-executive director. Pakula was currently serving in this role as of March 2024^[8] In January 2023 Pakula accepted a part-time role as an advisor to the Australian Football League.^[9] In October 2023 Pakula was appointed as the chair of the board of the Australian Grand Prix.^[10]

Personal life

Pakula is married with two children and is a supporter of the Carlton Football Club.^[11] He lives in Black Rock.^[12] Pakula is Jewish.^[13]

References

^ "The Hon. Martin Philip Pakula". Members of Parliament. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
^ Pakula, Martin [@MartinPakula] (20 February 2018). "My mum arrived here as a 6 year old. No English. Ended up being a school teacher for decades. Dad was born here but spoke no English at home. Became a lawyer. I'm the Attorney General of Victoria, and you - mate - can get stuffed. Australian enough for you?" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 March 2024 – via Twitter.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "About Martin". Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Martin was educated at Ormond Primary School, Haileybury College and Monash University and joined the Australian Labor Party in 1987. At Monash, Martin completed an economics degree (1989), and an Honours degree in Law (1991) winning the Industrial Relations Law Prize in his final year. In 1993, Martin joined the National Union of Workers, where he served as an Industrial Officer (1993 – 2000), Assistant State Secretary (2000 – 2004) and State Secretary and National Vice President (2004 – 2006). He also served as a Director of LUCRF Super. In 2006, Martin was elected to the Legislative Council as the member for Western Metropolitan Region As well as holding various Shadow Ministries in Opposition, Martin has held the following portfolios in Government: Parliamentary Secretary for Transport (2006-07)
^ "Martin Pakula MLC - Premier of Victoria, Australia". www.premier.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009.
^ Pakula to inherit transport troubles, The Age, 20 January 2010.
^ Willingham, Richard (19 March 2013). "Pakula for safe seat". The Age. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
^ "Victorian ministers confirm resignations from Andrews government ahead of November election". ABC News. 24 June 2022.
^ "Board Profiles". helloworldlimited.com.au. Hon. Martin Pakula. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
^ Bourke, Ed (31 January 2023). "Former Victorian sports minister Martin Pakula joins AFL". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
^ Rooney, Kieran (10 October 2023). "Martin Pakula to take wheel as new Australian Grand Prix chair". The Age. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
^ "The Hon Martin Pakula MP" (PDF). ttf.org.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024. A keen football and racing fan, Martin has been a member of the Carlton Football Club for more than 40 years and is a member of the Victorian Racing Club. His other passions include music and running. Martin is married with two children.
^ Smethurst, Annika (16 September 2021). "Parachuting pollies into safe seats fuels political cynicism". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2021. But it becomes a little more difficult to argue that Disability Minister Luke Donnellan's home base in Fitzroy North is reflective of the south-eastern electorate of Narre Warren North where he is the local member. So too Jobs Minister Martin Pakula who is the member for Keysborough but lives in the idyllic bayside suburb of Black Rock.
^ Douglas, Carly (9 July 2021). "Southwick, Pakula seats at risk". The Australian Jewish News. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2021. Pakula, who holds a range of ministerial positions, told The AJN, "The Jewish community has been well represented in the State Labor caucus in recent years by MPs such as Marsha Thompson, Philip Dalidakis, Paul Hamer and myself. Hopefully the community – and the party – sees some value in that."

External links

Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Tim Holding	Member for Lyndhurst 2013–2014	Abolished
New seat	Member for Keysborough 2014–2022	Abolished
Victorian Legislative Council
Preceded by New region	Member for Western Metropolitan 2006–2013 Served alongside: Khalil Eideh Andrew Elsbury Bernie Finn Colleen Hartland Justin Madden	Succeeded by Cesar Melhem
Political offices
Preceded by Theo Theophanous	Minister for Industry and Trade 2008–2010	Succeeded by Jacinta Allan
Preceded by Lynne Kosky	Minister for Public Transport 2010	Succeeded by Terry Mulder
Preceded by Robert Clark	Attorney-General of Victoria 2014–2018	Succeeded by Jill Hennessy
Preceded by Denis Napthine	Minister for Racing 2014–2022	Succeeded by Anthony Carbines
Preceded by Philip Dalidakis as Minister for Trade and Investment Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy	Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade 2018–2020	Succeeded by Himself as Minister for Trade
	Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade 2018–2020	Succeeded by Jaala Pulford as Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy
Preceded by Himself as Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade	Minister for Trade 2020–2022	Succeeded by Tim Pallas
Preceded by John Eren	Minister for Tourism, Sport & Major Events 2018–2022	Succeeded by Steve Dimopoulos
New title	Minister for Industry Support and Recovery 2020–2022	Succeeded by Ben Carroll
Preceded by Jacinta Allan as Minister for Priority Precincts	Minister for Business Precincts 2020–2022	Succeeded by Ben Carroll