Patrick Gorman

Biography

Patrick Possum Gorman is an Australian politician who was elected as a representative of the Australian Labor Party in the Division of Perth during the 2018 Perth by-election. Gorman was born in East Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1984, and attended Lance Holt School and Melville Senior High School. He completed his tertiary education at Curtin University, where he received a Bachelor of Social Science, and the University of Western Australia, where he obtained a Graduate Diploma of Business and a Master of Business Administration.

Before entering politics, Gorman worked as a research officer for Ken Travers, a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council, and as an electorate officer for Melissa Parke, a member of the Australian House of Representatives. During this time, he held several voluntary positions within the Australian Labor Party, including Secretary of Young Labor (WA) and convenor of the Australian Labor Party Conservation, Environment and Climate Change Policy Committee (WA).

Gorman then worked as an advisor to Kevin Rudd from 2010 to 2013, including as principal advisor during Rudd’s second term as prime minister. He later served as Director of Public Affairs for the United Voice union, which is part of the Labor Left faction, from 2014 to 2015. In 2015, Gorman became the State Secretary of WA Labor, leading the party’s successful campaign in the 2017 Western Australian state election.

Gorman was selected as the Labor Party’s candidate for the Division of Perth at the 2018 Perth by-election and won with a primary vote of 38.5% and a two-party-preferred vote of 63.1% against the Greens. He retained his seat in the 2019 Australian federal election and, in a January 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle, became Shadow Assistant Minister for Western Australia.

In October 2021, Gorman announced his support for changing the date of Australia Day, a position he had previously been against. He cited the day’s negative impact on indigenous people and the fact that Australia Day is “not a date that means much to what became Western Australia” as reasons for his change of heart.