Alan Brown (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Alan John Brown Australia
n politician, was a Liberal
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
and Leader of the Opposition
from 1989 to 1991.
A local businessman before entering politics, Brown entered the Legislative Assembly at the 1979 election as the Liberal member for the now abolished seat of Westernport
, easily defeating Doug Jennings
who had been expelled from the Liberal Party in 1977. Brown served on the backbench during the Hamer
and Thompson
governments.
After the Liberals lost government at the 1982 election Brown was promoted to the shadow ministry
were he served as Shadow Minister for Youth, Sport and Education, Shadow Minister for Housing and Aboriginal Affairs and Shadow Minister for Transport under the leadership of Jeff Kennett
. However after the Liberals were narrowly defeated at the 1988 election many Liberals became unhappy with Kennett's leadership, and those opposed to him in the party room managed to install Brown as leader. While Brown failed to take full advantage of the various crisis involving the Labor
government and was defeated by Kennett another party room coup in 1991 he did successfully negotiate a Coalition agreement
with the Nationals
with whom relations were traditionally poor in Victoria. The two parties remained in Coalition until the defeat of the Kennett government in 1999.
After the Liberals were returned to power after the 1992 election Brown served as Minister for Public Transport. In late 1996 the Kennett Government appointed him as Agent General
for Victoria. The resulting by-election
in his safe seat of Gippsland West
(Westernport having been renamed in 1985) was won by Independent
Labor candidate Susan Davies
who would go on to play an decisive role in defeating the Kennett government.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician, was a Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
and Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Victoria)
The Leader of the Opposition in Victoria is the leader of the largest political party in parliament but not in government. He or she is always a member of the Legislative Assembly...
from 1989 to 1991.
A local businessman before entering politics, Brown entered the Legislative Assembly at the 1979 election as the Liberal member for the now abolished seat of Westernport
Electoral district of Westernport
The Electoral district of Westernport was an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Members for Westernport:-See also:*Parliaments of the Australian states and territories*List of members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly...
, easily defeating Doug Jennings
Doug Jennings (Australian politician)
Douglas Bernard Jennings was an Australian politician and businessman.Born in Melbourne to Albert Victor Jennings, founder of A.V. Jennings, he left Melbourne Grammar School to join his father's company in 1947, and worked in several areas of the company...
who had been expelled from the Liberal Party in 1977. Brown served on the backbench during the Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
and Thompson
Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO, CMG , Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982...
governments.
After the Liberals lost government at the 1982 election Brown was promoted to the shadow ministry
Ministry (collective executive)
A ministry refers to a collective body of government ministers headed by a prime minister or premier. Although the term "cabinet" can in some circumstances be a synonym, a ministry can be a broader concept which might include office-holders that do not participate in cabinet meetings...
were he served as Shadow Minister for Youth, Sport and Education, Shadow Minister for Housing and Aboriginal Affairs and Shadow Minister for Transport under the leadership of Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
. However after the Liberals were narrowly defeated at the 1988 election many Liberals became unhappy with Kennett's leadership, and those opposed to him in the party room managed to install Brown as leader. While Brown failed to take full advantage of the various crisis involving the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government and was defeated by Kennett another party room coup in 1991 he did successfully negotiate a Coalition agreement
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
with the Nationals
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
with whom relations were traditionally poor in Victoria. The two parties remained in Coalition until the defeat of the Kennett government in 1999.
After the Liberals were returned to power after the 1992 election Brown served as Minister for Public Transport. In late 1996 the Kennett Government appointed him as Agent General
Agent General
An Agent-General was the representative in the United Kingdom of the government of a British colony in Nigeria, Canada, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand and subsequently, of a Nigerian Region, Canadian Province or an Australian State in the United Kingdom...
for Victoria. The resulting by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in his safe seat of Gippsland West
Electoral district of Gippsland West
ĦThe electoral district of Gippsland West was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria.-Members for Gippsland West:-External links:...
(Westernport having been renamed in 1985) was won by Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Labor candidate Susan Davies
Susan Davies
Susan Margaret Davies is a former Australian politician.She was born in Mirboo North, Victoria, to parents Richard Llewellyn and Jean Margaret Davies . She attended Leongatha High School and Watsonia High School in 1971, when she completed her Higher School Certificate...
who would go on to play an decisive role in defeating the Kennett government.