Paul Erickson (politician)
Australian politician (born 1983 or 1984)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[1]Paul Erickson is an Australian trade unionist and the national secretary of the Australian Labor Party.
Paul Erickson | |
|---|---|
| National Secretary of the Labor Party | |
| Assumed office 16 August 2019 | |
| Assistant | Jen Light |
| National President | Wayne Swan |
| Preceded by | Noah Carroll |
| Assistant National Secretary of the Labor Party | |
| In office 17 April 2014 – 16 August 2019 | |
| National Secretary | Noah Carroll |
| Preceded by | Nick Martin |
| Succeeded by | Jen Light |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Paul Erickson 1983 or 1984 (age 42–43) |
| Party | Labor |
Domestic partner | Dimity Paul |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | alp.org.au |
Political career
Erickson worked for the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in research and data.[2] In 2014, he took up the position as assistant national secretary of the Australian Labor Party.[3][2][4] He has also worked in the New South Wales and Victorian state governments, advising several Labor ministers including Peter Batchelor, Richard Wynne and Carmel Tebbutt.[5]
Following the resignation of Noah Carroll in 2019, Erickson was appointed acting national secretary and was appointed to the role permanently on 16 August 2019.[2][6] Erickson is a member of the left faction, and served as convenor of the Socialist Left in Victoria in 2010.[7][2]
As party secretary, Erickson was the national campaign director for Labor in both the 2022 and 2025 federal elections, achieving a victory in both, including a landslide victory in 2025.[8][9] In 2024, he was publicly touted by Labor Left allies as a potential candidate for the Australian Senate to fill the vacancy created following the death of Linda White.[10] However, he declined the opportunity.[11] Following the 2025 election victory, he denied further speculation he intended to enter parliament soon and noted his intention to re-nominate as party secretary at the next Australian Labor Party National Conference.[12][13][14]
Erickson was afforded the number one spot on the "10 most covertly powerful people list" for 2025 published by the Australian Financial Review.[15]
Personal life
Erickson grew up in the state of Victoria.[2] He holds a bachelor's degree in arts and economics.[2] It was there he became involved in student politics,[16] and was elected President of the University of Melbourne in 2003. He is the younger brother of three time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medalist, Chris Erickson.[1] In May 2025, shortly before that year's Federal Election, Erickson and his partner welcomed their first child, Elisabeth.[17]