Editing Con Sciacca

{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[File:ac.consciacca.jpg|frame|Hon Con Sciacca]] -->
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Con Sciacca
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}}
| image = Second Keating Cabinet 1994 (cropped Sciacca).jpg
| caption = Sciacca in 1994
| constituency_MP = [[Division of Bowman|Bowman]]
| parliament = Australian
| majority = 
| predecessor = [[Len Keogh]]
| successor = [[Andrea West]]
| term_start = 11 July 1987
| term_end = 2 March 1996
| predecessor2 = [[Andrea West]]
| successor2 = [[Andrew Laming]]
| term_start2 = 3 October 1998
| term_end2 = 9 October 2004
| birthname = Concetto Antonio Sciacca
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1947|6|13}}
| birth_place = [[Sicily]], [[Italy]]
| death_date =  {{Death date and age|2017|6|21|1947|6|13|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Kangaroo Point, Queensland|Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland]], Australia
| nationality = [[Italian Australian]]
| party = [[Australian Labor Party]]
| profession = Solicitor
}}

'''Concetto Antonio Sciacca''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (13 June 1947 – 21 June 2017) was an Australian politician of the [[Australian Labor Party]] and member of the [[Australian House of Representatives]] from July 1987 to March 1996 and again from October 1998 to October 2004, representing the [[Division of Bowman]], [[Queensland]].<ref name=pse>{{cite web|url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1987/1987repsqld.txt|title=Legislative Election of 11 July 1987|access-date=24 January 2010}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Sciacca was born on 13 June 1947 in the village of [[Piedimonte Etneo]], [[Sicily]], Italy.<ref name="aph">{{cite news|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22handbook%2Fallmps%2F6j4%22;querytype=;rec=0|title=Biography for SCIACCA, the Hon. Concetto Antonio|publisher=Parliament of Australia|accessdate=12 September 2022}}</ref><ref name=inaug>{{cite news|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F1987-09-24%2F0117%22|title=Maiden speech|publisher=Parliament of Australia|date=24 September 1987|accessdate=12 September 2022}}</ref> He migrated to Australia with his family in 1951 and settled in Queensland, where his father worked as a canecutter. After completion of his law studies, he became a solicitor in 1970 starting his law practice straight out of law school.<ref name="AO">{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Sciacca-dedicates-AO-award-to-son/2006/01/26/1138066884115.html |title=Sciacca dedicates AO award to son |date=26 January 2006 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=21 June 2017}}</ref> He founded the group Sciaccas Lawyers which was taken over by the legal group of [[Shine Lawyers]] in 2014.<ref name="Tributes">{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/tributes-for-con-sciacca-who-died-aged-70-after-battle-with-cancer/news-story/29735188d20a061cb8fae207d3478bbc |title=Tributes for Con Sciacca who died, aged 70, after battle with cancer |work=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date= 21 June 2017 |access-date=21 June 2017 |author=Matthew Connors}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/shine-adds-to-its-cabinet.html |title= Shine Adds to its Cabinet |work=businessnewsaus.com |date= 29 October 2014 |access-date=21 June 2017}}</ref>

== 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"/>

== Health and death ==
Sciacca was suffering from cancer and in February 2015 was reported to have been cleared of it after an operation performed in 2014. In April 2015 he was operated on by ophthalmologist [[Bill Glasson (surgeon)|Bill Glasson]] for [[cataract]]s in both his eyes.<ref name="Cataract">{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/former-labor-mp-con-sciacca-just-beat-cancer-now-has-cataracts/news-story/a14796320cf94621fa88cda4e9065df5 |title=Former Labor MP Con Sciacca just beat cancer, now has cataracts |work=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date= 9 April 2015 |access-date=21 June 2017 |author= Anthony Marx}}</ref>

Sciacca died on 21 June 2017, aged 70, after prolonged suffering from cancer at [[St Vincent's Hospital (Brisbane)|St Vincent's Private Hospital]] in [[Brisbane]]. He had frequently been admitted to the hospital in the last six months for his deteriorating health.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef| before=[[John Faulkner]] }}
{{s-ttl| title= [[Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Minister for Veterans' Affairs]]  | years=1994–1996}}
{{s-aft| after=[[Bruce Scott (Australian politician)|Bruce Scott]]}}
{{s-par|au}}
{{succession box | title=Member for [[Division of Bowman|Bowman]] | before=[[Len Keogh]] | after=[[Andrea West]] | years=1987–1996}}
{{succession box | title=Member for [[Division of Bowman|Bowman]] | before=[[Andrea West]] | after=[[Andrew Laming]] | years=1998–2004}}
{{s-end}}
{{First Keating Ministry}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sciacca, Con}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia]]
[[Category:Labor Right politicians]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Italian emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Bowman]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Queensland]]
[[Category:People from Redland City]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1987–1990]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1990–1993]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1993–1996]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 1998–2001]]
[[Category:Australian MPs 2001–2004]]