Brian Burke
Encyclopedia
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia
from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988. Burke was imprisoned for seven months in 1994, after being convicted of "false pretence" regarding travel expenses.
In following decades, Burke continued to maintain his Labor party contacts and parliamentary influence, using them to further his career as a pro-business lobbyist. Burke worked both sides of politics in partnership with disgraced former ministerial colleague Julian Grill
and assisted by former senator, Noel Crichton-Browne
, to influence Liberal parliamentarians.
parliamentarian Tom Burke, Brian Burke started his career as a journalist, initially at the West Australian
newspaper and later in radio
and television
. He entered politics in 1973, winning the Legislative Assembly
seat of Balcatta
at a by-election. His elder brother Terry
held the seat of Perth
from 1968-1987.
In 1981, Brian Burke defeated Ron Davies
to become opposition leader
. At the February 1983 state election, he became the state's 23rd premier (and its third youngest after John Scaddan
and Newton Moore
), ending almost nine years of conservative coalition government which had commenced under Sir Charles Court
, and was completed by Ray O'Connor
(1982–1983). On 25 February 1983, Burke's 36th birthday, the governor commissioned the Burke ministry
.
The Burke government abolished capital punishment in Western Australia in 1984.
His premiership was characterised by very close associations with businessmen such as Laurie Connell
and Alan Bond
and arranging joint government and business deals. As a result of the 1987 stock market crash, major corporate collapses including that of Connell's merchant bank Rothwells unwound some of those deals which, in turn, caused major losses to the state. The corporate deals and the attempted government-sponsored rescue of Rothwells under subsequent premier Peter Dowding
were widely styled in media and civil society as "WA Inc
".
Burke resigned as premier and as member for Balga on 25 February 1988, on the fifth anniversary of his becoming premier and his own 41st birthday. A packed public gallery attended his resignation speech and both he and his deputy Mal Bryce
, who resigned on the same day, were given a rare standing ovation in the House. Burke was able to play the part of kingmaker, convincing party colleagues to support the Dowding-Parker ticket for the leadership. Burke then accepted an appointment as Australia's ambassador to Ireland
and the Holy See
.
As a result of the allegations, the WA Inc royal commission was established in 1991, and led to Burke being charged with various offences for which he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. He served seven months in jail in 1994 for travel expense rorts before being released on parole. In March 1997 he was sentenced to three years' jail for stealing $122,585 in campaign donations. He served six months before the convictions were quashed on appeal. He was stripped of his honour as a Companion of the Order of Australia
.
Burke has since been active as a consultant and lobbyist for Western Australian business interests. His continued involvement in state Labor branch politics has been a subject of controversy since before Labor returned to power in 2001. Former premier Geoff Gallop
banned cabinet ministers from contact with Burke, but this was lifted by his successor Alan Carpenter
when he took office in February 2006.
On 9 November 2006, Burke resigned from the Labor party after public criticism from Labor premier Alan Carpenter
, in part due to evidence provided to the Corruption and Crime Commission
(CCC). Norm Marlborough
MLA
, the Minister for Small Business and the South-West in the Carpenter Ministry
, was forced to resign from the Ministry and from the parliament on 10 November 2006 after the Corruption and Crime Commission revealed he had kept a "secret mobile phone" to stay in touch with Burke.
This triggered a by-election
for Marlborough's seat of Peel
, although Labor retained the seat. Burke subsequently stood trial on five charges of telling lies to the CCC inquiry and on 1 April 2010 was found guilty of deliberately giving false testimony. He was fined $25,000.
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988. Burke was imprisoned for seven months in 1994, after being convicted of "false pretence" regarding travel expenses.
In following decades, Burke continued to maintain his Labor party contacts and parliamentary influence, using them to further his career as a pro-business lobbyist. Burke worked both sides of politics in partnership with disgraced former ministerial colleague Julian Grill
Julian Grill
Julian Fletcher Grill is a former member of the Australian Labor Party and Member of the Parliament of Western Australia as the Member for Eyre....
and assisted by former senator, Noel Crichton-Browne
Noel Crichton-Browne
Noel Ashley Crichton-Browne is a former member of the Australian Senate and political lobbyist.He attended Scotch College, Perth....
, to influence Liberal parliamentarians.
Political career
The son of federal LaborAustralian 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...
parliamentarian Tom Burke, Brian Burke started his career as a journalist, initially at the West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
newspaper and later in radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. He entered politics in 1973, winning the Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
seat of Balcatta
Electoral district of Balcatta
The Electoral district of Balcatta is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district is based in Perth's northern suburbs. Politically, it has been considered a safe Labor seat throughout its history, although is presently marginal...
at a by-election. His elder brother Terry
Terry Burke
Terence Joseph "Terry" Burke is a former member for the seat of Perth in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly . He held the seat between 1968 and 1987....
held the seat of Perth
Electoral district of Perth
The Electoral district of Perth is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Perth is named for the capital city of Western Australia whose central business district falls within its borders. It is one of the oldest electorates in Western Australia, with its first member...
from 1968-1987.
In 1981, Brian Burke defeated Ron Davies
Ron Davies (Australian politician)
Ronald "Ron" Davies was an Australian politician. Born in Latrobe, Tasmania, he was educated at state schools and then the University of Tasmania, becoming a teacher. He served in the military 1942-1945. In 1958, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for...
to become opposition leader
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
. At the February 1983 state election, he became the state's 23rd premier (and its third youngest after John Scaddan
John Scaddan
John Scaddan, CMG , popularly known as "Happy Jack", was Premier of Western Australia from 7 October 1911 until 27 July 1916.- Biography :...
and Newton Moore
Newton Moore
Major-General Sir Newton James Moore KCMG , was the eighth Premier of Western Australia and a member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1932....
), ending almost nine years of conservative coalition government which had commenced under Sir Charles Court
Charles Court
Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, was a Western Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia and member for the seat of Nedlands for the Liberal Party for nearly 30 years.-Early life:...
, and was completed by Ray O'Connor
Ray O'Connor
Raymond James "Ray" O'Connor was the 22nd Premier of Western Australia.-Pre-political life:He was born in Perth and attended schools in towns of Narrogin and York, and St Patrick's Boys' School in Perth...
(1982–1983). On 25 February 1983, Burke's 36th birthday, the governor commissioned the Burke ministry
Burke Ministry (Western Australia)
The Burke Ministry was the 29th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, led by Labor Premier Brian Burke and deputy Mal Bryce. It commenced on 25 February 1983, six days after the O'Connor ministry, led by Premier Ray O'Connor of the Liberal Party, was defeated at the 1983 election...
.
The Burke government abolished capital punishment in Western Australia in 1984.
His premiership was characterised by very close associations with businessmen such as Laurie Connell
Laurie Connell
Laurie Connell was a Western Australian business entrepreneur. He was well known for his dealings with the Government of Western Australia and his close relationship with the then Premier of Western Australia, Brian Burke, during the WA Inc period in the mid to late 1980s as chairman of the...
and Alan Bond
Alan Bond (businessman)
Alan Bond is an Australian businessman noted for his criminal convictions and high-profile business dealings, including what was at the time the biggest corporate collapse in Australian history. Bond was born in the Hammersmith district of London, England, and emigrated to Australia with his...
and arranging joint government and business deals. As a result of the 1987 stock market crash, major corporate collapses including that of Connell's merchant bank Rothwells unwound some of those deals which, in turn, caused major losses to the state. The corporate deals and the attempted government-sponsored rescue of Rothwells under subsequent premier Peter Dowding
Peter Dowding
Peter McCallum Dowding SC was the 24th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 after an internal party dispute....
were widely styled in media and civil society as "WA Inc
WA Inc
WA Inc was a political scandal in Western Australia. In the 1980s, the state government, which was led for much of the period by premier Brian Burke, engaged in business dealings with several prominent businessmen, including Alan Bond, Laurie Connell and Warren Anderson...
".
Burke resigned as premier and as member for Balga on 25 February 1988, on the fifth anniversary of his becoming premier and his own 41st birthday. A packed public gallery attended his resignation speech and both he and his deputy Mal Bryce
Mal Bryce
Malcolm John "Mal" Bryce AO was the Labor member for Ascot in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1971 to 1988. He was Deputy Premier to Brian Burke from 1983 to 1988.-References:...
, who resigned on the same day, were given a rare standing ovation in the House. Burke was able to play the part of kingmaker, convincing party colleagues to support the Dowding-Parker ticket for the leadership. Burke then accepted an appointment as Australia's ambassador to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
As a result of the allegations, the WA Inc royal commission was established in 1991, and led to Burke being charged with various offences for which he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. He served seven months in jail in 1994 for travel expense rorts before being released on parole. In March 1997 he was sentenced to three years' jail for stealing $122,585 in campaign donations. He served six months before the convictions were quashed on appeal. He was stripped of his honour as a Companion of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
.
Burke has since been active as a consultant and lobbyist for Western Australian business interests. His continued involvement in state Labor branch politics has been a subject of controversy since before Labor returned to power in 2001. Former premier Geoff Gallop
Geoff Gallop
Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:...
banned cabinet ministers from contact with Burke, but this was lifted by his successor Alan Carpenter
Alan Carpenter
Alan John Carpenter is a former Australian politician. He was the 28th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop...
when he took office in February 2006.
On 9 November 2006, Burke resigned from the Labor party after public criticism from Labor premier Alan Carpenter
Alan Carpenter
Alan John Carpenter is a former Australian politician. He was the 28th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop...
, in part due to evidence provided to the Corruption and Crime Commission
Corruption and Crime Commission
The Corruption and Crime Commission is a permanent investigative commission established by the Government of Western Australia in 2003, largely as a result of the findings of a Royal Commission into the state's police service. Its role is to investigate public corruption...
(CCC). Norm Marlborough
Norm Marlborough
Norman "Norm" Richard Marlborough was a Western Australian state politician.Marlborough was born in Yorkshire, England and arrived in Western Australia in 1963. Before he entered parliament he was a fitter and turner and later a union official...
MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
, the Minister for Small Business and the South-West in the Carpenter Ministry
Carpenter Ministry
The Carpenter Ministry was the 34th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, and was led by Labor Premier Alan Carpenter and his deputy Eric Ripper...
, was forced to resign from the Ministry and from the parliament on 10 November 2006 after the Corruption and Crime Commission revealed he had kept a "secret mobile phone" to stay in touch with Burke.
This triggered a by-election
Peel state by-election, 2007
A by-election for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly district of Peel was held on 3 February 2007.The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labor MP Norm Marlborough...
for Marlborough's seat of Peel
Electoral district of Peel
Peel was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1989 to 2008.The district was based in the south-western suburbs of Perth.Peel was at all times a safe Labor seat.-History:...
, although Labor retained the seat. Burke subsequently stood trial on five charges of telling lies to the CCC inquiry and on 1 April 2010 was found guilty of deliberately giving false testimony. He was fined $25,000.