Martin Ferguson has a long history of public service and work in economic and social policy.
From 1984 until 1990 Martin served as the General Secretary of the Miscellaneous Workers Union and from 1990 until 1996 as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).  As a senior trade union official, from 1984 until 1996 he sat on the ACTU National Executive, participating directly in shaping and implementing many of the economic reforms of the Hawke and Keating Governments.

In March 1996, Martin was elected as a Member of the Federal Parliament in the seat of Batman, in Melbourne, which he held until retiring in 2013.  He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 1996.

During the Howard Government, Martin served in a range of economic shadow portfolios, including Employment and Training; Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Population; Urban and Regional Development, Transport and Infrastructure; Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism; and Transport, Roads and Tourism.

Upon the Rudd Government assuming office in December 2007, Martin was appointed the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Tourism, and acted as the Chair of the Standing Council on Resources and Energy and the Ministerial Council for Tourism.  He held the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolios until March 2013, when he resigned from the Cabinet.

Martin is a member of an Advisory Board to the Australian Oil and Gas industry association, AEP and is the Strategic Director of Natural Resources to SGH Energy.  He also chairs the CO2CRC, is a consultant to the Board of Accommodation Australia and the Minerals Council. He served until recently as the Chair of Clare Valley Wine and Grape Association and was an Independent Director of the Stars Foundation.

Martin was a member of the University of Western Australia’s Industry Advisory Board on Resources and Energy from 2013 until it was abolished in late 2018. From 2014-16 he was an Independent Director of the BG Group in London prior to its takeover by Shell and he chaired the The University College of London’s, Adelaide Campus Advisory Board until it merged with the University of S.A. in late 2017.

Martin has an honours degree in economics from Sydney University.