Editing Con Sciacca (section)

== Political career and recognition ==
Sciacca joined the ALP at the age of 17 and was state president of [[Young Labor]] in 1972.<ref name=aph/><ref name=inaug/> He first stood for parliament at the [[1969 Queensland state election]] at the age of 21.<ref name=inaug/> He made three unsuccessful bids for the state seat of [[Electoral district of Redlands|Redlands]] beginning in 1977, coming closest at the [[1985 Redlands state by-election]].

Sciacca successfully contested the [[1987 Australian federal election]] and [[Electoral results for the Division of Bowman|won the Division of Bowman]]. He consecutively won the next two elections of [[1990 Australian federal election|1990]] and [[1993 Australian federal election|1993]]. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Security from 1990 to 1994,<ref name=conf>{{cite web|url=http://dc01.commongroundconferences.com/2000/abstracts/a-Sciacca.html|title=Hon. Con Sciacca|work=The Diversity Conference 2000|access-date=24 January 2010}}</ref> Parliamentary Secretary to the [[Department of the Arts and Administrative Services|Minister for Arts and Administrative Services]] 1993–94, Parliamentary Secretary to the [[Department of Administrative Services (1994–97)|Minister for Administrative Services]] 1994, [[Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Veterans' Affairs]] 1994–96 and Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Superannuation 1995–96. He thus served in the [[Fourth Hawke Ministry]], the [[First Keating Ministry]], and the [[Second Keating Ministry]].<ref name=conf/>

Sciacca was defeated by [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] candidate [[Andrea West]] in the [[1996 Australian federal election|1996 election]]. After his re-election in 1998, Sciacca was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1998–2001.<ref name=conf/> After a redistribution made Bowman notionally [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]], Sciacca contested the new [[Division of Bonner]] at the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 election]], but was narrowly defeated by Liberal candidate [[Ross Vasta]].<ref>{{cite web|date=22 October 2004|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1225772.htm|title=Sciacca concedes in Bonner|access-date=24 January 2010|work=ABC News}}</ref>

In 1992, Sciacca's son Sam died of [[Ewing's sarcoma]] at the age of 19. Thereafter he started the Sam Sciacca Travelling Fellowship through which health experts would visit Australia and present lectures on the latest developments in research and technology. In 2006, Sciacca was appointed an Officer of the [[Order of Australia]] (AO) for "service to ex-service personnel, cancer research institutions and service to the Australian parliament". He dedicated the award to his deceased son.<ref name="AO"/>