Born in Manesi, Kalavryta, Greece, he migrated to Queensland at the age of ten with his brother.
[2] In 1977, Fouras was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the Labor member for South Brisbane.
The dumping of Fouras as Speaker by his ALP colleagues raised the prospect of him being re-elected with the support of the Coalition, as he would have had the numbers to beat Palaszczuk on the floor of Parliament.
During this renewed tenure as Speaker, Independent Liz Cunningham mostly sided with the Coalition in parliamentary votes.
In February 1996, the ALP lost its one-seat majority after the loss of the Mundingburra by-election and the Goss Government resigned its commission.