Lawrence ministry

Last updated

The Lawrence Ministry was the 31st Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, and was led by Labor Premier Dr Carmen Lawrence and her deputy Ian Taylor. It succeeded the Dowding Ministry on 18 February 1990, following the resignation of Peter Dowding six days earlier following an open letter signed by a majority of the 47-member Labor caucus. The ministry was in turn succeeded by the Court–Cowan Ministry on 16 February 1993 after the Labor Party lost government at the state election held on 6 February.

Contents

Overview

Of the former Dowding ministry, 15 of the 17 ministers retained office—Peter Dowding and Julian Grill were not reappointed, and backbenchers Pam Buchanan (Ashburton) and Dr Geoff Gallop (Victoria Park) took their place. Two months later, former Deputy Premier David Parker resigned from both the Ministry and from Parliament.[ citation needed ]

At a caucus meeting held on 29 January 1991, a spill motion was carried which created three vacancies in the Ministry. On 5 February, Jeff Carr, Gavan Troy and Pam Buchanan were removed as Ministers, whilst Eric Ripper, Dr Judyth Watson and Jim McGinty were sworn in. A major crisis was precipitated when Carr resigned from Parliament, with his seat of Geraldton being won by a Liberal at a by-election, whilst Troy ceased to attend caucus meetings and Buchanan resigned from the party, sitting as an Independent. With the resignation of left-wing MLA Dr Ian Alexander a month later, the Government was forced to depend on independents in the Legislative Assembly to maintain supply—the first time Western Australia had had minority government since 1905.

First Ministry

On 16 February 1990, the Lieutenant-Governor and Administrator, Sir Francis Burt, constituted the Ministry. He designated 17 principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the following ministers to their positions, and served until the reconstitution of the Ministry on 5 February 1991. The list below is ordered by decreasing seniority within the Cabinet, as indicated by the Government Gazette and the Hansard index.

The members of the Ministry were:

OfficeMinister

Premier and Treasurer
Minister for Public Sector Management
Minister for the Family
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs
Minister for Women's Interests

Dr Carmen Lawrence, BPsych, PhD, MLA

Deputy Premier
Minister for Finance and Economic Development (until 20 December 1990)
Minister for Trade (30 April [1] -20 December 1990)
Minister for State Development (from 20 December 1990)
Minister for the Goldfields (until 26 November 1992)
Minister for the Mid-West (7 September – 26 November 1992)

Ian Taylor, B.Econ (Hons), JP, MLA

Attorney-General
Minister for Resources (30 April [1] -20 December 1990)
Minister for Corrective Services
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council

Joe Berinson, LL.B., QC, MLC

Minister for Planning
Minister for Lands
Minister for Heritage
Minister for the Arts (from 30 April 1990) [1]
Minister assisting the Minister for Women's Interests (until 30 April 1990)
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council

Kay Hallahan, BSW, JP, MLC

Minister for Mines
Minister for Fuel and Energy
Minister for the Mid-West
Minister for Small Business (until 20 December 1990)

Jeff Carr, BA, JP, MLA

Minister for Resources and Trade
Minister for the Arts

David Parker, BA, JP, MLA
(until 30 April 1990) [1]

Minister for the Environment
Minister for Conservation and Land Management
Minister for Waterways
Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly

Bob Pearce, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA
Minister for Health Rev Keith Wilson, MLA

Minister for Productivity and Labour Relations
Minister assisting the Minister for Education with TAFE
Minister assisting the Minister for Public Sector Management

Gavan Troy, B Bus, FAIM, JP, MLA

Minister for Transport
Minister for Racing and Gaming
Minister for Tourism

Pam Beggs, JP, MLA

Minister for Agriculture
Minister for Water Resources
Minister for the North-West

Ernie Bridge, JP, MLA

Minister for Local Government
Minister for Fisheries
Minister for Sport and Recreation
Minister for Youth

Gordon Hill, JP, MLA

Minister for Police
Minister for Emergency Services
Minister for the Aged

Graham Edwards, MLC

Minister for Housing
Minister for Consumer Affairs

Yvonne Henderson, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA

Minister for Community Services
Minister for Justice
Minister for the South-West

David Smith, LL.B., JP, MLA

Minister for Works and Services
Minister for Regional Development (until 20 December 1990)
Minister assisting the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs

Pam Buchanan, JP, MLA

Minister for Education
Minister for Parliamentary and Electoral Reform
Minister assisting the Treasurer (from 20 December 1990)

Dr Geoff Gallop, BEc, MA, MPhil, D.Phil. (Oxon), MLA
1 On 5 April 1990, former Deputy Premier and Treasurer David Parker announced his imminent resignation from the Ministry and from Parliament. His former responsibilities were shared across three other ministers.

Second Ministry

On 5 February 1991, the Governor, Sir Francis Burt, reconstituted the Ministry. He designated 16 principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the ministers to their positions. The appointed members remained Ministers until the end of the Lawrence Ministry on 16 February 1993.

OfficeMinister

Premier and Treasurer

(until 7 September 1992:)

Minister for the Family
Minister for Women's Interests

(from 7 September 1992:)

Minister for Employment
Minister for Trade and Investment
Dr Carmen Lawrence, BPsych, PhD, MLA

Deputy Premier
Minister for Health (from 26 November 1992) [3]
Minister for State Development
Minister for the Goldfields (until 26 November 1992)
Minister for the Mid-West (7 September – 26 November 1992)

Ian Taylor, B.Econ (Hons), JP, MLA

Attorney-General
Minister for Corrective Services
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council

Joe Berinson, LL.B., QC, MLC

Minister for Education
Minister for Employment and Training (until 7 September 1992)
Minister for Training (from 7 September 1992)
Minister for the Arts
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council

Kay Hallahan, BSW, JP, MLC

Minister for the Environment
Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly

Bob Pearce, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA
(until 21 October 1992) [2]
Minister for Health Rev Keith Wilson, MLA
(until 13 November 1992) [3]

Minister for Transport
Minister for Racing and Gaming
Minister for Tourism

Pam Beggs, JP, MLA

Minister for Agriculture
Minister for Water Resources
Minister for the North-West

Ernie Bridge, JP, MLA

Minister for Mines
Minister for Small Business (from 7 September 1992)
Minister for Fisheries
Minister for Sport and Recreation (until 27 February 1991)
Minister for the Mid-West (until 7 September 1992)
Minister assisting the Minister for State Development (until 7 September 1992)
Minister assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment (from 7 September 1992)

Gordon Hill, JP, MLA

Minister for Police
Minister for Emergency Services
Minister for the Aged (until 27 February 1991)
Minister for Sport and Recreation (from 27 February 1991)

Graham Edwards, MLC

Minister for Productivity and Labour Relations
Minister for Consumer Affairs

Yvonne Henderson, BA, DipEd, JP, MLA

Minister for Lands
Minister for Planning
Minister for Justice
Minister for Local Government
Minister for the South-West

David Smith, LL.B., JP, MLA

Minister for Fuel and Energy
Minister for Microeconomic Reform
Minister for Parliamentary and Electoral Reform
Minister assisting the Treasurer

Dr Geoff Gallop, BEc, MA, MPhil, D.Phil. (Oxon), MLA

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs
Minister for Seniors (from 27 February 1991)
Minister assisting the Minister for Women's Interests (until 7 September 1992)
Minister for Women's Interests (from 7 September 1992)

Dr Judyth Watson, Cert.Nurs.Ed., BSc (Hons), PhD, JP, MLA

Minister for Community Services (until 7 September 1992)
Minister for Disability Services (from 20 August 1991)

(from 7 September 1992:)

Minister for the Family
Minister for Community Development
Minister for Youth Justice

Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly (from 26 October 1992) [2]

Eric Ripper, BA, DipEd, MLA

Minister for the Environment (from 26 October 1992) [2]
Minister for Housing
Minister for Construction
Minister for Services (until 26 November 1992)
Minister for Heritage

Jim McGinty, BA, BJuris, JP, MLA

Minister for Services
Minister for the Goldfields
Minister for the Mid-West

Tom Stephens, BA, MLC
(from 26 November 1992) [3]

Parliamentary Secretaries

(from 19 March 1991:) John Halden, MLC
Mark Nevill, BSc (Hons), MLC
Tom Stephens, BA, MLC

2 On 20 October 1992, the six-volume Part One of the WA Inc Royal Commission was tabled in Parliament. A confidential appendix to the Director of Public Prosecutions concerned matters which may lead to prosecution. The following day, the Premier announced that Environment Minister Bob Pearce would stand down from the Ministry and vacate his seat at the next election. The ministry reduced to 15 members, with Jim McGinty assuming the Environment portfolio.
3 On 13 November 1992, Keith Wilson, the Minister for Health, resigned from the Ministry over a range of objections to the Government. Factional disputes over who should replace him resulted in a non-factional MLC, Tom Stephens, being selected ahead of the factions' preferred candidates, Nick Catania and Judy Edwards.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Lawrence</span> Australian politician and academic

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Dowding</span> Australian politician

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Greiner</span> Australian politician

Nicholas Frank Hugo Greiner (;) is an Australian politician who served as the 37th Premier of New South Wales from 1988 to 1992. Greiner was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 and Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1988. Greiner had served as the Federal President of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2017 to 2020. He is the current Consul-General in the United States of America, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Victorian state election</span>

The 1992 Victorian state election, held on Saturday, 3 October 1992, was for the 52nd Parliament of Victoria. It was held in the Australian state of Victoria to elect all 88 members of the state's Legislative Assembly and 22 members of the 44-member Legislative Council.

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.

This is a list of members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1989 to 1993:

The Gallop Ministry was the 33rd Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, and was led by Labor Premier Geoff Gallop and his deputy, Eric Ripper. It succeeded the Court–Cowan Ministry on 16 February 2001, following the defeat of the Liberal-National coalition government at the 2001 election six days earlier. The Ministry was reconstituted on 10 March 2005 following the February 2005 election. It was succeeded by the Carpenter Ministry on 3 February 2006 due to the retirement of Dr Geoff Gallop from politics on 25 January.

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 Court–Cowan Ministry was the 32nd Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, and was led by Liberal Premier Richard Court and his deputy, the Nationals' Hendy Cowan. It succeeded the Lawrence Ministry on 16 February 1993, following the defeat of the Labor government at the 1993 election ten days earlier. The Ministry was reconstituted on 9 January 1997 following the December 1996 election, due in part to the retirement and resignation of several ministers—Richard Lewis, Kevin Minson, Roger Nicholls and Bob Wiese. The ministry was followed by the Gallop Ministry on 16 February 2001 after the Coalition lost government at the state election held on 16 February.

The Court–McPharlin Ministry was the 26th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, and was led by Liberal Premier Sir Charles Court and his deputy, National Country Party leader Ray McPharlin. It succeeded the Tonkin ministry on 8 April 1974, following the defeat of the Labor government at the 1974 election nine days earlier. The Ministry collapsed when McPharlin led the National Country Party out of the Coalition on 20 May 1975, and was reconstituted on 5 June 1975 as the Court Ministry.

The Court Ministry was the 27th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, led by Liberal Premier Sir Charles Court and deputy Des O'Neil. It commenced on 5 June 1975, following the Court–McPharlin Ministry, 15 months after the Coalition's electoral defeat of the Tonkin Labor government. It was followed by the O'Connor Ministry upon Court's retirement as Premier on 25 January 1982.

The Burke Ministry was the 29th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, led by Labor Premier Brian Burke and deputy Mal Bryce. It commenced on 25 February 1983, six days after the O'Connor ministry, led by Premier Ray O'Connor of the Liberal Party, was defeated at the 1983 election. It was followed by the Dowding Ministry upon Burke's retirement as Premier on 25 February 1988.

Robert Clive Fordham is an Australian former politician, who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing the state seat of Footscray for the Labor Party from 1970 to 1992. He was Deputy Premier of Victoria in John Cain's government from 1982 to 1989.

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.

Ian Frederick Taylor is a former Australian politician and Western Australian Deputy Premier and Opposition Leader.

Pamela Ann Buchanan was an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia between 1983 and 1992. She represented the Labor Party for the majority of her time in parliament, and was a minister in the Lawrence government, but resigned to sit as an independent in 1991.

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.

The Burke Ministry was the ministry of the sixth Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Denis Burke. It was sworn in on 9 February 1999, following the resignation of former Chief Minister Shane Stone the previous day. While Stone told the media that his resignation was "pretty much" of his own timing and he wished to give the new CLP leader sufficient time to prepare for the 2001 election, it followed a meeting of backbenchers and some cabinet ministers advocating his removal. Burke was elected unopposed as leader. It was in office until 26 August 2001, when the Burke government lost the 2001 election to Clare Martin's Labor Party.

The Bjelke-Petersen Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who led the Country Party and its successor, the National Party. It succeeded the Chalk Ministry on 8 August 1968 as part of a series of events following the death of former Premier Jack Pizzey on 31 July. It was succeeded by the Ahern Ministry on 1 December 1987 following Bjelke-Petersen's resignation as Premier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch) leadership spill</span>

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.

References

Preceded by Lawrence Ministry
1990-1993
Succeeded by