John Tonkin
John Trezise Tonkin AC (2 February 1902 – 20 October 1995) was an Australian politician who was the premier of Western Australia from 3 March 1971 to 8 April 1974.After its longest period in opposition ever, the Labor Party won the 1971 state election to defeat David Brand and make Tonkin premier.The Tonkin government's achievements included reforms in industrial relations and employment, and the passing of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972.His parents were engine driver John Trezise Tonkin and Julia, née Carrigan, both of whom were born in Australia[1][4] and had Cornish ancestry.He then taught at several small schools in the South West[1][4] until 1930, including in Yallingup, Nuralingup, Margaret River, Kulin, Picton, Karnup, Hamel and Palgarup.[1][10] The party's state congress appointed Tonkin to a committee to assess C. H. Douglas's social credit theory that the government could help the ongoing economic crisis by "[taking] over the control and issue of all money" from the banking system.[11] Tonkin narrowly won the Labor Party's endorsement for the marginal Legislative Assembly seat of North-East Fremantle for the 1933 state election.[1][13] The Labor caucus elected Wise to the ministry in 1935 and Hawke in 1936, but Tonkin had to wait until 1943 due to his lack of union or religious connections.In 1940, he was granted leave from parliament to enlist in the Citizen Military Forces (now the Australian Army Reserve) to fight in World War II.[1] He enlisted with the 25th Light Horse Regiment in October 1940, became a qualified signaller in January 1941, and joined the 11th Battalion in May 1941 upon being promoted to corporal.[1] He was asked to contest the 1945 Fremantle by-election after the death of Curtin,[25][26] but he declined, wanting to remain involved in education in Western Australia.[27][28] When Willcock resigned and Wise became premier in July 1945, Tonkin retained his ministry portfolios and took on the additional role of minister for agriculture.[43][44] He had been in the role unofficially since the 1953 state election,[45] and had been acting premier from May to July 1953 whilst Hawke was attending the coronation of Elizabeth II.[1][60] Tonkin managed to gain the support of mining entrepreneurs Lang Hancock and Peter Wright amidst a dispute between them and the minister for industrial development, Charles Court.[1][78] A Liberal supporter,[63] West was active in the local community,[79][80] and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1982 New Year Honours.To replace the lost revenue, licensing costs on heavy vehicles were increased and 42 staff at the State Transport Commission were made redundant.The resignation of Attorney-General and Minister for Railways Ron Bertram on 30 September 1971 due to ill health necessitated Tonkin's first cabinet reshuffle.He took the opportunity to appoint himself treasurer and give away the portfolios of education to Evans and environmental protection to Ron Davies, leaving himself with cultural affairs.[83][84] On 8 October 1971, Speaker Merv Toms collapsed on the floor of parliament and later died, necessitating a by-election in the seat of Ascot.Deciding that he should not risk being defeated in a motion of no confidence, Tonkin had Governor Kendrew prorogue parliament, which meant there would be no sittings until after the by-election.The company challenged this decision in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, but the Tonkin government passed an amendment to the mining act, changing the relevant law to ensure that Hanwright would lose.This move was widely supported, including by the opposition and by the media,[61][62] and has been compared to the 2021 case Mineralogy v Western Australia, where mining businessman Clive Palmer unsuccessfully sued the state government in the High Court for passing legislation to prevent Palmer from suing in the Supreme Court for up to $30 billion in lost revenue.[87] In 1971, the Tonkin government established a consumer protection bureau and the Parliamentary Inspector of Administrative Investigations, more commonly known as the ombudsman, the first of its kind in Australia.In 1972, the Tonkin government established the Environmental Protection Authority and significantly increased the number and size of national parks and reserves.[92] The close result caused Opposition Leader Charles Court to request the Legislative Council to block spending bills to force an early election.[99] The Labor Party campaigned in the March 1974 state election under the slogan "Trust Tonkin", highlighting his trustworthiness and reputation for integrity and stability.[102] Another unpopular action by the Whitlam government was the blocking of an Alwest joint venture for an aluminium refinery near Bunbury due to its majority foreign ownership and environmental concerns.[1][107] Liberal turned independent MP Ian Thompson said that Whitlam was a bigger factor in Labor's defeat than the work done by Court as opposition leader.On the other hand, Deputy Premier Don Taylor said that Court had led the Liberals to victory by "good generalship" and that Whitlam had not been a big factor.[1][114] In the 1977 Queen's Birthday Honours, Tonkin was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia "for eminent and meritorious service to politics and government".
John Tonkin (New South Wales politician)The HonourablePremier of Western AustraliaElizabeth IISir Douglas KendrewSir Hughie EdwardsDeputyHerb GrahamDon TaylorSir David BrandSir Charles CourtDeputy Premier of Western AustraliaBert HawkeArthur WattsLeader of the OppositionColin JamiesonWestern Australian Labor PartyWestern Australian Legislative AssemblyBarry HodgeMelvilleHubert ParkerNorth-East FremantleBoulder, Western AustraliaSouth Perth, Western AustraliaLabor PartyJohn WillcockFrank WiseParliament of Western AustraliaGoldfieldsEastern Goldfields High SchoolClaremont Teachers Collegesmall schools1933 state electionportfolioseducation1947 state electionelectoral district of Melville1953 state electionminister for worksminister for water suppliesact of parliament1959 state election1971 state electionDavid Brandby-electionAboriginal Heritage Act 19721974 state electionCharles CourtCompanion of the Order of AustraliaTonkin HighwayBoulderKalgoorlieWestern AustraliaCornish ancestryMethodistCatholicVictoriaSouth AustraliaGwaliaAustralian Labor Partymonitorrelief teacherEdjudinaSouth WestYallingupNuralingupMargaret RiverPictonKarnupPalgarupWest PerthNorth PerthNorth FremantleForest Grovelower houseSussexMurray-WellingtonC. H. Douglassocial crediteconomic crisisprime minister of AustraliaJohn Curtinmarginalminister for educationPhilip Collierbackbench1936 state election1939 state electionMay HolmanCitizen Military ForcesWorld War IILight Horse Regiment11th Battalioncorporalsergeantcabineteastern statesFremantleAustralian House of Representativesintroduce conscriptionnext state electionminister for social services1945 Fremantle by-electionminister for agricultureone-teacher schoolssegregationAboriginalLiberalCountryCoalition1950 state electionredistributionadministrator of the Northern TerritoryEast Fremantle Football ClubHawke ministrydeputy premieractingcoronation of Elizabeth IILand reclamationNarrows Bridgecontrolled-access highwayKwinanaKwinana FreewaySwan RiverSouth PerthCanning Highway