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Ed Husic
Australian politician (born 1970) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Edham Nurredin "Ed" Husic (born 3 February 1970) is an Australian politician. Husic is a member of the Australian House of Representatives, elected to represent the seat of Chifley in western Sydney for the Australian Labor Party at the 2010 federal election. He served as Minister for Industry and Science in the first Albanese ministry between 2022 and 2025.
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He is the first Muslim to be elected to federal parliament,[2] as well as the first Muslim to be made a minister in the Australian government.[3]
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Early life and education
Husic was born in Sydney, the son of Bosnian Muslim immigrants who came to Australia in the late 1960s. His father, Hasib Husić, a welder, worked on iconic projects undertaken by the Chifley government such as the Snowy Mountains Scheme.[4][5] His mother, Hasiba, was a housewife.[4] His siblings are Alan and Sabina.[4]
Husic says that while growing up, his household practised Islam but also celebrated Christmas and Easter.[4] As a child Husic did not attend the mosque, but in his twenties he took a deeper interest in Islam.[4] After the September 11 attacks, Husic described himself as "non–practising" Muslim,[6] in order to "make people feel more comfortable."[4] He later regretted calling himself non–practising.[7][4] Husic has said he spoke Bosnian at home, picking it up during his primary school years.[4]
Husic was raised in Western Sydney and was educated at Blacktown South Public School, Mitchell High School and the University of Western Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Communications.[6][8]
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Early career and union involvement
In the 1990s, Husic worked as a research officer for the member for Chifley, Roger Price.[9] Husic was first elected as a branch organiser in 1997. In 1998, he was elected as vice–president of the Communications Division of the CEPU. From 1999 to 2003, he worked for Integral Energy as a communications manager.[10] In July 2006, he became the secretary of the Communications Division of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union of Australia (CEPU).[11] He was the national president of the CEPU before being elected to federal parliament.[12]
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Political career
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Preselection
Husic unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of Greenway at the 2004 federal election,[11] representing the Labor Party. Husic lost to Liberal candidate Louise Markus. During the election, anonymous campaigners distributed leaflets attacking Ed Husic for being a Muslim.[13] There were also reports that voters were urged to vote for Louise Markus "because she's a Christian".[14] The Labor Party accused the Liberal Party of orchestrating the leaflets, but the Liberal party denied that.[13]
Following the decision by Roger Price not to run for re–election, Husic contested and won the safe Labor seat of Chifley in 2010.[6][8][15]
Rudd–Gillard Governments
When Kevin Rudd announced the Second Rudd Ministry in 2013, Husic became the first Muslim sworn onto the Australian federal government frontbench, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband, taking his oath on the Quran.[16][17][18]
Opposition
Husic served as the Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy and the Shadow Minister for Human Services[19] until 2019, when he resigned to make way for Kristina Keneally.[20] Husic was added back to the shadow cabinet when Joel Fitzgibbon resigned as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources, with Husic taking over the portfolio.[21] After a shadow cabinet reshuffle, Husic became the Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation in January 2021.[22][23] In parliament, he was good friends with Josh Frydenberg[24] a Liberal party MP.
Husic's sister Sabina was Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese's deputy chief of staff between May 2019 and November 2020.[25]
Albanese Government
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After Labor's victory in the 2022 Australian federal election, Husic became the Minister for Industry and Science.[22] In the role he has moved to introduce Australia's first mandatory safety requirements for artificial intelligence.[26] He was proactive in his science portfolio and advanced various technological initiatives, increased local research capabilities and consolidated international partnerships.[27]
After Labor's victory in the 2025 Australian federal election, Husic's tenure in the second Albanese ministry ended.[28] Husic, a member of the right faction in the Labor party was removed due to the over–representation of the NSW branch in the ministry.[29] He described Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles as a "factional assassin" and questioned Labor's commitment to diversity.[30] Husic said his outspokenness toward the Gaza conflict in cabinet played a role in his removal.[31][30] The ouster of the first Muslim cabinet member was criticised by former Labor prime minister Paul Keating[32] and viewed negatively by some Australian Muslim community leaders and groups.[33][34]
In August 2025, Husic attended the March for Humanity in Sydney, a large protest highlighting the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict.[35]
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Political views
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Husic was the primary advocate for a parliamentary investigation into the "Australia Tax," the significant price difference for certain IT products compared to overseas markets.[36] He supports same–sex marriage.[37]
In Australia Husic has attended commemoration events and made several speeches in parliament marking the Srebenica Genocide.[38][39][40] In an opinion piece for The Guardian he has criticised the international order's failure to uphold the phrase of "Never again" in relation to genocide.[41]
During October 2020, Husic said his potential to be chosen by fellow Labor politicians for future party leadership rested with the Australian population moving beyond their concerns about Islam.[42]
In March 2021, Husic's parliamentary speech critiqued the Coalition government's approach toward the Australian Muslim community through its use of the expression "Islamic terrorism" in relation to national security.[18] Husic stated several politicians preferred to overlook problems affecting conservatism and described concerns said by some conservative senators over the term "right wing extremism" as being "politically convenient".[18] He supported ASIO substituting both expressions with other terminology.[18] Husic said he is against violent acts and Muslims like him over the years have been often confronted by conservatives to denounce "Islamist extremism".[18]
Husic supports recognition of a Palestinian state.[43] Public statements critical of Israeli actions toward Palestinians in the Gaza conflict were made by Husic and he said the Australian Muslim community had concerns their voice on the issue was not being heard by the Labor government.[44][45] He has called for targeted sanctions on several Israeli government ministers due to Israel's conduct toward Palestinian civilians in the Gaza conflict.[46]
The unilateral Israeli and US bombing of Iran was criticised by Husic and he said a lack of international support destabilised the rules based order of which Australia, a middle power is dependant upon.[47] He urged caution toward an antisemitism report (July 2025) recommending adoption by the government of the IHRA antisemitism definition and financial cuts to universities, media and artists if deemed to have unbalanced depictions of Jews or failure to act against antisemitism.[48] Husic stated the importance of bringing people together over a "heavy-handed" response and said the IHRA definition may impede criticism of Israeli actions such as in Gaza.[48]
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References
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