George Wright (trade unionist)


George Bernard Wright is an Australian trade unionist who served as the 10th National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party. He currently works in the private sector.

Political career

Wright has worked at the Finance Sector Union, the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Unions and held the position of Director of Policy and Communications at the Australian Council of Trade Unions. As Director of Policy and Communications, he led the successful Your Rights At Work campaign against John Howard's WorkChoices laws.
He has also worked as Communications Director at the National Australia Bank after leaving his position as Press Secretary for Kevin Rudd in 2008.
As National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, Wright ran the campaign for the Australian Labor Party in the 2013 Australian federal election and the 2016 Australian federal election. In September 2016, he resigned as National Secretary to take up a senior corporate relations role at BHP Billiton.
He is not tied to any faction inside the Labor Party.
In the 2020 Australia Day Honours Wright was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for "distinguished service to parliament and politics as National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, and to business".

Personal life

He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and is married with a daughter in high school. Wright grew up in outer suburban Melbourne and has been a member of the Labor Party throughout his adult life.