Wran ministry (1983–1984) explained

Cabinet Name:Fifth Wran ministry
Cabinet Number:75th
Jurisdiction:Government of New South Wales
Flag:Flag of New South Wales.svg
Flag Border:true
Government Head:Neville Wran
Government Head Title:Premier
Deputy Government Head:Jack Ferguson
Deputy Government Head Title:Deputy Premier
State Head:Queen Elizabeth II
State Head Title:Monarch
Governor:Sir James Rowland
Members Number:20
Political Party:Labor
Opposition Parties:Liberal National coalition
Opposition Leader:Nick Greiner
Previous:Fourth Wran ministry
Successor:Sixth Wran ministry

The Wran ministry (1983–1984) or Fifth Wran ministry was the 75th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 35th Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran, representing the Labor Party. It was the fifth of eight consecutive occasions when Wran was Premier.

Background

Wran had been elected to the Legislative Council of New South Wales by a joint sitting of the New South Wales Parliament on 12 March 1970.[1] He was Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council from 22 February 1972. He resigned from the council on 19 October 1973 to switch to the Legislative Assembly, successfully contesting the election for Bass Hill, which he would hold until his retirement in 1986.[2] Wran successfully challenged Pat Hills to become Leader of Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 3 December 1973 and became Premier following a narrow one seat victory at the 1976 election.[3]

Labor retained government at the 1981 election, gaining an additional 6 seats despite a 2% swing against Labor, giving a majority of 19 seats in the Legislative Assembly and two seats in the Legislative Council.

During the course of this ministry, Wran stood aside for two months from May 1983 while Sir Laurence Street conducted a Royal Commission into claims made by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs show Four Corners that Chief Magistrate Murray Farquhar had said that Wran wanted charges against Kevin Humphreys to be dismissed. After two months of hearings the Royal Commission found that Farquhar had attempted to pervert the course of justice, but Wran was exonerated and resumed the office of Premier.[4] [5] During this time allegations were made that Rex Jackson, the Minister for Corrective Services, was accepting bribes connected with an early-release scheme, with Wran demanding Jackson's resignation in October 1983.[4] [6]

Composition of ministry

The ministry covers the period from 1 February 1983 when Wran reconfigured his ministry. There were two minor rearrangements of the ministry, with Jackson resigning in October 1983, and George Paciullo was promoted to the ministry in November 1983. The ministry ended on 10 February 1984 when Jack Ferguson, who had been Wran's deputy since 1973, resigned as Deputy Premier announcing that he would not be contesting the next election,[7] [8] and the Sixth Wran ministry was formed.

Portfolio Minister Party Term commence Term end Term of office
Premier 1 February 198310 February 1984
Deputy Premier
Minister for Public Works
Minister for Ports
Minister for Transport
Minister for Youth and Community Services
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Minister for Housing
Minister for Industrial Relations
Minister for Technology
Attorney General
Minister for Justice
Minister for Consumer Affairs
Vice-President of the Executive Council
Leader of the Government in Legislative Council
, MLC
Treasurer
Minister for Industrial Development
Minister for Decentralisation
Minister for Corrective Servicesalign=center 27 October 1983align=right
align=center 27 October 1983align=center 10 February 1984align=right
Minister for Roadsalign=center 1 February 1983align=center 27 October 1983align=right
align=center 27 October 1983align=center 10 November 1983align=right
align=center 10 November 1983align=center 10 February 1984align=right
Minister for Planning and Environment1 February 198310 February 1984
Minister for Mineral Resources
Minister for Education
Minister for Local Government
Minister for Lands
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, MLC
Minister for Energy
Minister for Finance
Minister for Health
Minister for Police and Emergency Services
Minister for Leisure, Sport and Tourism
Minister for Water Resources
Minister for Forests
 Ministers are members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.

See also

References

 

Notes and References

  1. News: Candidates declared to be elected Members of the Legislative Council. . . 36–37 . 13 March 1970 . 3 December 2020 . 849 . Trove.
  2. Elections for the District of Bass Hill . DistrictIndexes . BassHill . 3 September 2019.
  3. The Hon. Neville Kenneth Wran (1926–2014) . 1860 . Yes . 10 May 2019.
  4. Web site: Tiffen . Rodney . 2021-08-31 . Was Neville Wran corrupt? . 2022-03-14 . Inside Story . en.
  5. Web site: Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Committal Proceedings against K.E. Humphreys . State Archives and Records . . 28 July 1983 . 22 January 2019 .
  6. News: 2 January 2012 . Time runs out for disgraced prisons minister . The Sydney Morning Herald . 2 January 2012.
  7. 1840. Yes. 13 May 2019. The Hon. (Jack) Laurie John Ferguson (1924–2002).
  8. Web site: Cavalier . Rodney . Rodney Cavalier . 18 September 2002 . Ferguson, Laurie John (Jack) (1924–2002) . 2021-11-03 . Australian . Obituaries Australia.