The Dowding Ministry was the 30th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, and was led by Labor Premier Peter Dowding and his deputy, David Parker. It succeeded the Burke Ministry on 25 February 1988, upon the retirement of Brian Burke from politics on the fifth anniversary of his becoming Premier.
The Ministry was reconstituted on 28 February 1989 following the 1989 election, due in part to the defeat of one minister, Barry Hodge (MLA for Melville), and the Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet, John Read (MLA for Mandurah), by opposition Liberal candidates.
The second term of the Ministry was a particularly difficult one due to ongoing revelations relating to the government's past dealings with relation to WA Inc, and with a federal election approaching, considerable pressure was being exerted on the State Government. On 7 February 1990, a majority of the 47-member Labor caucus signed an open letter calling on Dowding to step down, and in a caucus meeting on 12 February 1990, Dowding and Parker resigned[ citation needed ]. The Ministry was succeeded six days later by the Lawrence Ministry led by the Minister for Education and Aboriginal Affairs, Dr Carmen Lawrence, and her deputy, Ian Taylor [ citation needed ].
On 25 February 1988, the Governor, Gordon Reid, designated 17 principal executive offices of the Government under section 43(2) of the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1899. The following ministers were then appointed to the positions, and served until the reconstitution of the Ministry on 28 February 1989.
The members of the First Dowding Ministry were:
Office | Minister |
---|---|
Premier and Treasurer | Peter Dowding, LL.B., MLA |
Deputy Premier | David Parker, BA, JP, MLA |
Attorney-General | Joe Berinson, LL.B., QC, MLC |
Minister for Community Services | Kay Hallahan, BSW, JP, MLC |
Minister for Mines | Jeff Carr, BA, JP, MLA |
Minister for Transport | Bob Pearce, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA |
Minister for the Environment | Barry Hodge, MLA [2] |
Minister for Agriculture | Julian Grill, LL.B., JP, MLA |
Minister for Health | Rev Keith Wilson, MLA |
Minister for Police and Emergency Services | Ian Taylor, B.Econ (Hons), JP, MLA |
Minister for Housing | Pam Beggs, JP, MLA |
Minister for Labour | Gavan Troy, B Bus, FAIM, JP, MLA |
Minister for Water Resources | Ernie Bridge, MLA |
Minister for Employment and Training | Gordon Hill, JP, MLA |
Minister for Consumer Affairs | Graham Edwards, MLC |
Minister for Lands | Yvonne Henderson, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA |
Minister for Education | Dr Carmen Lawrence, BPsych, PhD, MLA |
On 28 February 1989, the Governor, Gordon Reid, reconstituted the Ministry. He designated 17 principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the following ministers to the positions, who served until the Lawrence Ministry was established on 19 February 1990.
On 12 February 1990, Premier Peter Dowding resigned all of his ministerial portfolios, being replaced in them temporarily by Carmen Lawrence, who retained Education and Aboriginal Affairs. Deputy Premier David Parker resigned purely as Deputy Premier, retaining the Treasury, Resources Development and the Arts; Ian Taylor became Deputy Premier and retained Police and Emergency Services, Conservation and Land Management and Waterways.
The members of the Ministry were:
Office | Minister |
---|---|
Premier | Peter Dowding, LL.B., MLA |
Deputy Premier and Treasurer | David Parker, BA, JP, MLA |
Attorney-General | Joe Berinson, LL.B., QC, MLC |
Minister for Local Government | Kay Hallahan, BSW, JP, MLC |
Minister for Housing | Pam Beggs, JP, MLA |
Minister for Agriculture | Ernie Bridge, MLA |
Minister for Mines | Jeff Carr, BA, JP, MLA |
Minister for Racing and Gaming | Graham Edwards, MLC |
Minister for Economic Development and Trade | Julian Grill, LL.B., JP, MLA |
Minister for Consumer Affairs | Yvonne Henderson, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA |
Minister for Regional Development | Gordon Hill, JP, MLA |
Minister for Education | Dr Carmen Lawrence, BPsych, PhD, MLA |
Minister for Transport | Bob Pearce, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA |
Minister for Community Services | David Smith, LL.B., JP, MLA |
Minister for Police and Emergency Services | Ian Taylor, B.Econ (Hons), JP, MLA |
Minister for Labour | Gavan Troy, B Bus, FAIM, JP, MLA |
Minister for Health | Rev Keith Wilson, MLA |
Carmen Mary Lawrence is an Australian academic and former politician who was the Premier of Western Australia from 1990 to 1993, the first woman to become the premier of an Australian state. A member of the Labor Party, she later entered federal politics as a member of the House of Representatives from 1994 to 2007, and served as a minister in the Keating government.
Peter McCallum Dowding SC is an Australian lawyer and former politician who was the 24th Premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990. He was a member of parliament from 1980 to 1990.
Margaret Mary Quirk is an Australian politician who has been a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia since 2001. She served as a minister in the governments of Geoff Gallop and Alan Carpenter between 2005 and 2008.
Robert John Pearce is a former Australian politician, who was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1977 until 1993 representing the seats of Gosnells and Armadale.
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David Charles Parker is an Australian former politician from Western Australia, serving as a minister in the Burke Ministry (1983–1988), then as Deputy Premier in the Dowding Ministry (1988–1990). He later served a jail term for perjury for evidence given to the WA Inc royal commission.
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Gordon Leslie Hill is a former Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1982 to 1994. He served as a minister in the governments of Brian Burke, Peter Dowding and Carmen Lawrence.
Jeffrey Phillip Carr is a former Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1974 to 1991, representing the seat of Geraldton. He served as a minister in the governments of Brian Burke, Peter Dowding, and Carmen Lawrence.
A leadership spill of the Western Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party occurred on 12 February 1990. It resulted in the replacement of premier and party leader Peter Dowding with Carmen Lawrence, making her the first female state premier in Australia. It also resulted in the replacement of deputy premier and deputy party leader David Parker with Ian Taylor. The leadership spill occurred as a result of the government's increasing unpopularity as a result of the WA Inc scandal.