Secord on watch in Vaucluse
NSW Labor frontbencher and prominent supporter of Israel, Walt Secord has been appointed “Duty Member” for the State seat of Vaucluse in a re-allocation of responsibilities for the NSW Opposition.
Wa;t Secord at the Georgian synagogue
The appointment was made last Friday the NSW ALP Administrative Committee.
Vaucluse has a significant Jewish population and it is held by the NSW Liberal Government.
Sign of the times
A “duty member” is a Legislative Council members from the Labor party who represents the Opposition on policy and electorate matters in government-held electorates.
The new position adds to Mr Secord’s responsibility as State Labor’s Shadow Water spokesperson and Special Shadow Minister of State.
Mr Secord was one of the first non-Jewish reporters at the Australian Jewish News – serving from 1988 to 1991 as a senior journalist at the newspaper.
“The new position will complement my current responsibilities as the deputy chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel.
“I look forward to representing the Labor Party at events and commemorations important to the Jewish community as well as matters concerning the families and businesses that live in the eastern suburbs,” Mr Secord added.
Mr Secord recently returned from the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies-assisted study tour of Israel which included his second visit to Yad Vashem. He also visited the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Armenia, Georgia, the Palestinian Territories, including Bethlehem, the ancient ruins of Western Armenia, Turkey, Istanbul, Anzac Cove at Gallipoli and Egypt.
Last year, he also travelled to Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, Israel, Ramallah, Jordan and Iraqi Kurdistan.
On the 2013 study tour, Mr Secord also visited the Great Synagogue in Tbilisi which is currently under restoration and the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo.
