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Michael Darrel Joseph Ferguson (born 23 March 1974) is an Australian politician who served as the Deputy Premier of Tasmania from April 2022 to October 2024. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the Division of Bass since the 2010 state election. Ferguson was appointed to cabinet after his party's victory in the 2014 state election and has served continuously as Minister in a range of portfolios including Finance, Health, Infrastructure, Transport, State Growth and Science and Technology.

Ferguson previously served in federal parliament as a Liberal Party of Australia member in the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2007, representing the federal electorate of Bass. He was defeated at the 2007 federal election.

Background and early career

He was educated at the University of Tasmania, holding degrees in Applied Science and Education. In the past, his broad community activities include many local tourism and progress associations as well as community radio. He has worked as a teacher from 1996 to 2002, and a member of the Meander Valley Council. He has received awards including winning the Regional Initiative category for the Young Australian of the Year Awards for Tasmania in 2002, and Tasmanian Young Achiever of the Year (2002) by the National Australia Day Council.

Before entering politics, he was a teacher in public secondary schools in Northern Tasmania and adviser to Guy Barnett, Liberal Senator for Tasmania.

Political career

In his parliamentary term in the Commonwealth Parliament Ferguson concentrated on issues such as education, health, family and employment and served on numerous parliamentary and backbench committees. He was the secretary of the Government Education, Science and Training policy committee and is acknowledged as having played a key role in brokering the passage of the Voluntary Student Unionism legislation through the Senate with his (implemented) proposal for a sports infrastructure transition fund.

Soon after the 2007 election when he failed to be elected, Ferguson was appointed as the CEO of the Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust.

He was subsequently elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly at the 2010 state election, securing the highest number of primary votes in Bass (1.5 quotas) and the second highest vote in the state. In April 2010 Ferguson was appointed as Shadow Minister for Education and Skills; and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology.

Ferguson was re-elected at the 2014 state election, at which the Liberals gained government, and was appointed Minister for Health and Minister for Information Technology and Innovation.

As Health Minister, Ferguson led a somewhat contentious reform of the Tasmanian health system by merging the previously three health services into one and changing the services delivered at each of the four hospitals in the state. He has also taken charge of the redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital to ensure that the much-promised building eventuates.

His tenure has not been without incident with his appointment of an interim CEO of the merged health service having a side interest in alternative therapies and a series of electrical and computer failures at the ambulance service. He was removed as Health Minister in 2019 after an increasing number of complaints and mistakes in his portfolio including widespread complaints from medical practiioners and a damning report from the Tasmanian Auditor-General.

In January 2020, Premier Will Hodgman resigned and Ferguson was a candidate to succeed him as Premier and Liberal leader but ultimately withdrew from the leadership contest. Treasurer Peter Gutwein was instead elected unopposed as Hodgman's successor. There was speculation that Ferguson would succeed Gutwein as Treasurer but in the end Premier Gutwein chose to retain the Treasury portfolio.

On 8 April 2022, after Gutwein resigned as Premier, deputy party leader Jeremy Rockliff became party leader, and Ferguson was elected as deputy party premier to replace Rockliff. Ferguson was sworn in as Deputy Premier of Tasmania that afternoon. Ferguson was also sworn in as Minister for Infrastructure and Treasurer however significant problems with the construction of new 'Spirit of Tasmania' ferries, including production delays and cost blow-outs and ongoing arguments with the ferry management Board and the port authority, and bungled re-design of the port to accommodate the new ferries and subsequent claims of misleading Parliament resulted in his resignation as Minister for Infrastructure. He continued to hold the position of Deputy Premier and State Treasurer. Anticipating a successful no confidence motion in the Tasmanian Parliament the following day, Ferguson resigned from the Cabinet on the 14th of October 2024, but will remain a backbencher.

Political views

Ferguson has been described as a "conservative" Liberal, and is opposed to same-sex marriage and abortion. In 2018, he criticised the Tasmanian Greens and the Labor Party for their reforms to make birth certificates gender-optional, citing it as a social experiment on children that Tasmanian parents would be "disgusted" by.

Ferguson opposed the 2023 Voice to Parliament.

References

1. "Mr Michael Ferguson MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
2. ^ "Michael Darrel Joseph Ferguson". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
3. "Cabinet". Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
4. "Concerns over how State Government's overhaul of the health system will be funded". The Mercury. 29 June 2015.
5. "White Paper heralds a turning point for state health system". The Mercury. 9 July 2015.
6. "Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment plan better value: Tasmanian Government". ABC News.
7. "State Government unveils new Royal Hobart Hospital plans". The Mercury.
8. "Health is in good hands". The Mercury. 27 June 2015.
9. "Ambulance Tasmania systems under review after second communication outage in 24 hours". ABC News.
10. "Health minister Ferguson dumped in Tasmanian government reshuffle - Pulse+IT". www.pulseit.news/. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
11. "Tasmanian health staff welcome end to minister's tumultuous tenure". ABC News. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
12. "Patient care 'severely compromised', damning report into hospitals finds". ABC News. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
13. "Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson tipped as new Treasurer". The Examiner.
14. Alexandra Humphries (8 April 2022). "Jeremy Rockliff, Michael Ferguson announced as Tasmania's leadership team". ABC News.
15. "Jeremy Rockliff becomes Tasmania's 47th premier after being elected as state Liberal leader". The Guardian. 8 April 2022.
16. "'I truly tried to keep the project on track': Ferguson resigns over Spirit of Tasmania debacle". ABC News. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
17. "Michael Ferguson Resigns as Infrastructure Minister". Tasmanian Times. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
18. "Rockliff confident in Ferguson as treasurer after infrastructure exit". Pulse Tasmania. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
19. "Tasmania's deputy premier resigns from cabinet ahead of no-confidence motion". ABC News. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
20. Baker, Emily (17 January 2020). "Who are Tasmanian premiership candidates Peter Gutwein and Michael Ferguson?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
21. Whitson, Rhiana (21 November 2018). "Tasmania poised to become first state to have gender optional on birth certificates". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
22. Massola, James (1 September 2023). "Small states' premiers speak out on Voice as Minns, Andrews hang back". Retrieved 1 September 2023.

External links

• Michael Ferguson – official site
• Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust

• 1974 births
• Living people
• Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Tasmania
• Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Bass
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives
• Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
• Deputy premiers of Tasmania
• Treasurers of Tasmania
• 21st-century Australian politicians
• People from Burnie, Tasmania