A senior British minister will discuss The Challenges Today in Northern Ireland at a free University of Queensland public lecture this week.
The Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office, the Rt Hon John Spellar MP, will be guest speaker at the lecture at the Customs House Long Room, 399 Queen Street on Friday, February 18 at 6pm.
Mr Spellar will give the background to the current situation, and prognosis for future peace and economic developments.
A commentary will be provided by Professor Kevin Clements, Foundation Director, Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.
Mr Spellar, who was appointed to his current role in 2003, was formerly Minister of Transport and has been Member of Parliament for Warley, West Midlands since 1997. He has previously served in the Ministry of Defence, where he was Minister of State for the Armed Forces from July 1999 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State from 1997.
Born in Bromley in 1947, Mr Spellar was educated at Bromley Parish Primary School, Dulwich College and St Edmund`s Hall, Oxford (Philosophy, Politics, Economics).
He was a Bromley Borough Councillor from 1970 to 1974 and was elected as the MP for Birmingham Northfield from 1982 to 1983. He was elected as the MP for Warley West in 1992 and Warley in 1997.
For the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and Plumbing Union, Mr Spellar was Res. Officer from 1969 to 1976 and National Officer from 1976 to 1992.
Mr Spellar was appointed Opposition Whip with responsibility for Employment, Trade and Industry and Parliamentary Business from 1992 to 1994.
He was Opposition Spokesman on Northern Ireland from 1994 to 1995, and on Defence from 1995 to 1997.
He also served on the Energy Select Committee from 1982 to 1983.
Media: For further information, please contact Terry O’Connor 0419 489 630 (for Mr Spellar) or Jan King at UQ Communications, 07 3365 1120 (for UQ).
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