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Death Of John Bourchier, Former Liberal MP, Announced To House

Sep 05, 2017

The death of John Bourchier, a former member for Bendigo, was announced to the House of Representatives today.

BourchierThe Speaker, Tony Smith, announced that Bourchier died on August 31. He was 87.

Bourchier represented the Victorian division of Bendigo for the Liberal Party for five terms from 1972 until 1983. He was a backbencher throughout.

Bourchier’s arrival in the House coincided with the election of the Whitlam government. Bourchier defeated David Kennedy, who had held the seat for the ALP since 1969. A campaign against Kennedy over the abortion issue is widely regarded as contributing to his defeat. Whilst Kennedy topped the primary vote with 47.7% to Bourchier’s 26.7%, Bourchier was elected with the aid of Country Party (17.3%) and DLP (8.4%) preferences. He defeated Kennedy by 165 votes (50.2%). [Read more…]

Filed Under: House of Reps, Liberal Party, Members, Obituaries, Political History, Video Tagged With: , , , , ,

John Brumby Appointed To Chair COAG Reform Council

Dec 07, 2012

The former Victorian Labor Premier, John Brumby, has been appointed to chair the COAG Reform Council for the next three years.

John BrumbyBrumby will replace businessman Paul McClintock when he takes up the position in January.

The seven-member council “assists the Council of Australian Governments with its reform agenda”.

It reports to COAG and provides reports on the performance of Australian governments in achieving benchmarks set out in national agreements and partnership arrangements.

A former teacher and teachers’ union official, Brumby, 59, held the federal seat of Bendigo for the ALP from 1983-90. He became Chief of Staff to federal minister Alan Griffiths before being elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1993. Later that year he was elected to the Legislative Assembly district of Broadmeadows, replacing the former Labor leader Jim Kennan.

As Opposition Leader, and with Julia Gillard as his Chief of Staff, Brumby lost the 1996 election and was replaced by Steve Bracks in 1999. After the ALP defeated Jeff Kennett’s coalition government later that year, Brumby became Finance Minister before taking over as Treasurer in May 2000. He held that position until Steve Bracks retired in July 2007. Brumby then served as Premier until November 2010 when he was narrowly defeated by Ted Baillieu.

Text of a media release from Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

New Chair Of COAG Reform Council

The Hon John Brumby has been appointed to chair the COAG Reform Council for the next three years.

The COAG Reform Council assists the Council of Australian Governments with its reform agenda. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federalism, Gillard, VIC Tagged With: ,

Andrews Shadow Ministry – Victoria – 2010

Dec 06, 2010

The Liberal-Nationals coalition won the Victorian election on November 27, 2010, defeating the ALP by 45 seats to 43 in the Legislative Assembly.

Following the resignation of John Brumby, Daniel Andrews was elected leader of the ALP on December 3, 2010.

The shadow ministry was announced on December 6, 2010. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Ministries - State, VIC Tagged With: , ,

The March of Political Time

Dec 02, 2010

“For the times ahead” was the Victorian ALP’s slogan for last Saturday’s election. This week, if John Brumby is to be believed, the march of time defeated the 11-year-old government he led for the last three.

The March Of Political TimeIt’s odd to hear politicians and commentators talk now of the natural inevitability of a 10-year cycle for governments. True, there is a pattern of sorts since the 1980s where governments struggle to survive into a second decade. But the vast bulk of Australia’s political life since Federation is characterised by governments of remarkable longevity.

For example, on this day, December 2, in 1972, Gough Whitlam brought to an end twenty-three years of coalition rule in Canberra. Seventeen years later, in 1989, and also on December 2, Wayne Goss defeated the National Party government which had ruled Queensland with brutal certainty for thirty-two years.

The coalition’s long dominance federally between 1949 and 1972 is the most remembered example of political staying power. But the Liberals in Victoria ruled for an even longer 27 years until 1982, bookended by Labor governments led by John Cain snr and John Cain jnr. Labor has governed Victoria for 21 of the past 28 years. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2010 Federal Election, A.L.P., Electoral Behaviour, Gillard, Greens, Liberal Party, Opinion, Political History, VIC Tagged With: , ,
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