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Colin Barnett

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The Honourable
Colin Barnett
MLA
29th Premier of Western Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 September 2008[1]
GovernorKen Michael
Preceded byAlan Carpenter
ConstituencyCottesloe
Personal details
Born (1950-07-15) 15 July 1950 (age 74)
Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia
ProfessionEconomist

Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950), Australian politician, is the leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party and Premier of Western Australia since the 2008 election. He was sworn into office by Governor Ken Michael on 23 September 2008.[1] Prior to becoming Premier, he was head of the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a lecturer in economics at Curtin University, a Minister in the Court government (1993–2001) and Opposition Leader (2001–2005).

Biography

Barnett was born in Nedlands, an inner western suburb of Perth, on 15 July 1950. He was educated at Nedlands Primary School and Hollywood Senior High School—the same school attended by former federal Labor Leader Kim Beazley.[2] He began studying geology at the University of Western Australia, but switched to an economics course from which he graduated with an honours degree and later a masters degree. In 1973, he became a cadet research officer for the Australian Bureau of Statistics in Canberra, being promoted to senior research officer before returning to Perth in 1975 to become a lecturer in Economics at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (later renamed Curtin University of Technology).[3]

In 1981, he was seconded to the Confederation of Western Australian Industry, becoming the founding editor of their publication, Western Australian Economic Review. He was later appointed their chief economist, and served with them until 1985, when he became the executive director of the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[4] :)

Politics

Court government and Opposition Leader

In 1990, he was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Cottesloe, and was immediately promoted to the Opposition front bench. In 1992 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition.[[ After the 1993 state election which saw the Liberals take power under Richard Court, Barnett became Minister for Resources Development and Energy and later, Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism in the Court-Cowan Ministry. He was also the Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly and remained deputy leader of the Liberal Party. He was generally regarded as a competent and successful minister, and was associated with a number of important resource development projects.[5]

The Court government was defeated at the 2001 election. Outgoing Premier, Richard Court, attempted to install federal MP Julie Bishop as new leader of the opposition. After this effort failed, Barnett became leader of the Liberal Opposition.

He was regarded as a relatively moderate Liberal in a very conservative state branch of the party, and was systematically opposed by the right-wing faction associated with the Court family and with the former Senator, Noel Crichton-Browne.[citation needed]

At the 2005 state election, Barnett, proposed the construction of a canal from the rivers of the Kimberley Ranges in northern Western Australia to Perth to meet Perth's growing water supply problem. The proposal was costed by Barnett at AUD $2 billion, however it soon emerged that no feasibility study or detailed costings had been done.[6] Some experts put the cost as high as AUD $5 billion. The Prime Minister, John Howard, refused to commit federal funds to the project. He released the policy costings only a few days before the election, when a AUD $200 million error in the costings document was discovered.[7] When the Gallop government was returned with its majority intact, Barnett accepted responsibility for the defeat and resigned the Liberal leadership.[8] On 9 March 2005 Liberal MPs elected Matt Birney, the member for Kalgoorlie, as Barnett's successor.

Following his resignation as leader Barnett remained on the backbench and in November 2007 announced that he would retire from politics at the next state election, at that stage due by May 2009.[9]

Premier

On 4 August 2008, Troy Buswell resigned as Opposition Leader and two days later Barnett was re-elected unopposed to the Liberal leadership despite the fact that he had previously announced his retirement and another candidate had been endorsed in his electorate. On 7 August 2008, Premier Alan Carpenter called an early election for 6 September 2008. Barnett led the Liberal Party to the election, which saw a significant swing away from the incumbent Labor Party, leading to a hung parliament. On 14 September 2008, the National Party agreed to support the Liberal Party as a minority government,[10] and Barnett was sworn into office on 23 September 2008.

Controversial Policies

In February 2005, Colin Barnett led a campaign to recriminalise homosexuality for anyone under the age of 18. This policy was met with fierce criticism from the community and was unsuccessful in passing as new law[11].

In October 2009, Colin Barnett announced a series of new policies relating to drug legislation including a repeal of the 2003 Cannabis Control Act WA[12]. The previous laws were formulated by Geoff Gallops drug summit, taking input from experts such as academics, police, social workers, lawyers, medical professionals and members of the public[13]. Barnett has stated it is his intention to overturn these laws because of his beliefs and stated that the drug summit members made a mistake introducing them[14] and that cannabis was a "gateway drug"[15] despite much scientific evidence to the contrary[16]. This has become a divisive issue in the Perth community as it has the potential to destroy the lives of youths and hurt small businesses[17].

To help with the enforcement of this new draconian policy, Barnett has given police the power to search and seize property without any suspicion or belief that a crime has been commited[18]. A member of Barnett's party, [Peter Abetz], has voiced support for these laws in parliament by drawing reference to the great work Adolph Hitler did to bring security to Nazi Germany[19] [20]. Barnett has stood by Abetz's statements saying he was making a valid point[21].

Another new policy introduced during this period related to tackling violence in the Perth suburb of Northbridge. Colin Barnett has announced that a new lock-out policy will be instated that will force night club owners to keep out new visitors after 3:30am. This policy has been heavily criticized by Northbridge business owners and visitors[22].

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Barnett sworn in as WA's 29th Premier, The West Australian, 23 September 2008
  2. ^ Carpenter, Alan: New western suburbs college opened, Government of Western Australia, 26 October 2001.
  3. ^ Cameron, Eoin: Behind the names on the ballot sheet, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 August 2008.
  4. ^ Who's Who in Australia 2007. North Melbourne: Crown Content Pty Ltd. 2007. p. 198. ISBN 1-74095-130-1. 0810-8226.
  5. ^ Barrass, Tony: Burke and the boom give Barnett a shot, The Australian, 7 August 2008.
  6. ^ O'Donnell, Mick: WA super canal to cost more than $2 billion, The 7.30 Report (ABC), 3 February 2005.
  7. ^ Stanley, Warwick: How Colin Barnett has turned Liberal forturnes round, The Sunday Times, 4 September 2008.
  8. ^ Colin Barnett resigns as Opposition leader, AM (ABC Radio), 28 February 2005.
  9. ^ Barnett to quit politics, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 November 2007.
  10. ^ Nationals hand WA election win to the Liberals, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 14 September 2008.
  11. ^ http://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/world/australia/ausnews009.htm
  12. ^ http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,26194663-2761,00.html?from=public_rss
  13. ^ http://www.dao.health.wa.gov.au/Publications/tabid/99/DMXModule/427/Default.aspx?EntryId=41&Command=Core.Download
  14. ^ http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24170702-5017009,00.html
  15. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2005/s1294616.htm
  16. ^ http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/study-say-marijuana-no-gateway-drug-12116.html
  17. ^ http://www.mandurahmail.com.au/news/local/news/general/cannabis-laws-jeopardise-business/1655944.aspx
  18. ^ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/police-empowered-for-wests-drug-war/story-e6frg97x-1225785573459
  19. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/11/2740160.htm?site=local
  20. ^ http://westernpatriot.com.au/2009/11/peter-abetz-links-to-nazi-war-criminal-2942
  21. ^ http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/mp/6466211/wa-mp-under-fire-for-hitler-reference/
  22. ^ http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,26257196-2761,00.html
Parliament of Western Australia
Preceded by Member for Cottesloe
1990– present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition of Western Australia
2001– 2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition of Western Australia
2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Premier of Western Australia
2008– present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia (WA division)
2001– 2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia (WA division)
2008– present 		Incumbent


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