Doug Moppett
Encyclopedia
Douglas Frederick "Doug" Moppett (14 May 1940 – 18 June 2002) is a former Australia
n politician. He was a Country Party, later National Party
, member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
from 1976 to 1978 and again from 1991 up until 2002. He died from liver cancer a week after his announced his retirement from Parliament.
Moppett was born in Sydney
, and was a grazier and pastoralist before entering politics. On 13 October 1965 he married Helen Golsby, with whom he had two sons. He served thirteen years on Coonamble Shire Council
, including one year as Deputy President.
During the period of Doug Moppet's chairmanship, the National Party was faced with perhaps the greatest challenge in its history, the Joh for Canberra
campaign, which was akin to civil war within the National Party. In moving a motion of condolence in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, National Patry leader George Souris
quoted a couple of paragraphs from the book written by Paul Kelly
, The End of Certainty—Power, Politics and Business in Australia.
Souris, quoting Kelly, said:
in 1976, serving until 1978
. In June 1978, voters approved a referendum to introduce a directly elected Legislative Council - as previous appointments to the Council had been through party nomination. The 1978 general election was New South Wales' first elections to the New South Wales Legislative Council; that were held simultaneously with elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
. Moppett was not successful in retaining his seat in the Wranslide that saw a 8% swing to Labor under Premier Neville Wran
.
Moppett was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Australian Senate
at the 1983 federal election
. He was re-elected to the Legislative Council in 1991 in a pre-selection battle that saw sitting Councillor Judy Jakins
MLC lose National Party endorsement.
In 1997, Moppett was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Coonamble in which 38-year-old mother Beth Fleming was killed. Moppett was injured and hospitalised. Nearly four months after that accident Moppett was charged with a number of driving offences, some of them serious. In May 2000, Moppett announced his intention to resign from Parliament should he be proven guilty. A trial eventually proceeded and, in 2000, Moppett was found not guilty by a jury on the serious driving charges. The lesser charges were listing for hearing in the Local Court in May 2002, but the prosecution advised that it was unable to deal with certain matters put before the court and another hearing date was set for 18 June 2002 - the day that Moppett eventually died.
During his parliamentary career Moppett was renowned as a great orator and, in 1997, was appointed Deputy Opposition Whip. He retained this position until he announced his resignation from Parliament on 13 June 2002, passing away at his home in Quambone, west of Coonamble, New South Wales
a few days later on 18 June 2002.
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. He was a Country Party, later National Party
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...
, member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
from 1976 to 1978 and again from 1991 up until 2002. He died from liver cancer a week after his announced his retirement from Parliament.
Moppett was born in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and was a grazier and pastoralist before entering politics. On 13 October 1965 he married Helen Golsby, with whom he had two sons. He served thirteen years on Coonamble Shire Council
Coonamble Shire Council
Coonamble Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Castlereagh Highway and the Castlereagh River.Coonamble Shire includes Coonamble, Gulargambone and Quambone.- Council :...
, including one year as Deputy President.
National Party politics
Moppett was a member of the Country Party (later the National Party), and was on its Central Executive from 1971 to 1999, as Vice Chairman 1972–1986 and Chairman 1986–1991. He was also on the party's Federal Council 1978–1992.During the period of Doug Moppet's chairmanship, the National Party was faced with perhaps the greatest challenge in its history, the Joh for Canberra
Joh for Canberra
The Joh for Canberra or Joh for PM campaign was an attempt by the Queensland branch of the National Party of Australia to install Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen as Prime Minister of Australia....
campaign, which was akin to civil war within the National Party. In moving a motion of condolence in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
, National Patry leader George Souris
George Souris
George Souris JP MP is an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He is currently the Minister for Hospitality in the O'Farrell Liberal/National government. He was born at Gunnedah and was educated at The Armidale School and the University of New England...
quoted a couple of paragraphs from the book written by Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (journalist)
Paul John Kelly is an Australian political journalist and historian from Sydney. He has worked in a variety of roles, principally for The Australian newspaper, and is currently its Editor-at-large. He has written several books on political events since the 1970s including on the Australian...
, The End of Certainty—Power, Politics and Business in Australia.
Souris, quoting Kelly, said:
- The Joh-for-Canberra push split the Nationals at their base. The Joh war was conducted state-by-state. Joh's real opposition was the NSW National Party, which had no intention of falling for Joh-power and was appalled by his tactics. The NSW party was (Ian) Sinclair's power base, the home of a successful state level coalition which aspired to win the next state election and had a firm and competent state chairman, Doug Moppett.
- From the start Moppett spoke for the NSW party in saying that coalition unity was essential, that outside pressure on the party would be resisted, that proper constitutional process would be followed in preselection, and that NSW would not tolerate Queensland disruption of the federal coalition. In the war that would engulf the National Party, the attack of the Queenslanders would be met with an equally determined defence in NSW. This would prove fundamental in breaking the Joh push. Moppett was backed by National Party federal president then Shirley McKerrow.
- The NSW National Party central executive supported Sinclair'sIan SinclairIan McCahon Sinclair AC , is an Australian politician and former leader of the National Party of Australia.Sinclair was born in Sydney, the son of a suburban accountant. He was educated at Knox Grammar School and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in arts and law...
leadership, the federal coalition, and the independence of the federal National Party. It was the NSW party which would eventually smash Joh.
- ... Joh's weakness was induced partly by a secret deal struck in Howard'sJohn HowardJohn Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
office between the NSW National and LiberalLiberal Party of AustraliaThe 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...
Parties, and formally embodied in a two-page signed document. Its effect was to lock Joh out of the biggest state.
New South Wales state political biography
Following the death of Thomas Gleeson MLC, Moppett filled a casual vacancy in the New South Wales Legislative CouncilNew South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
in 1976, serving until 1978
New South Wales state election, 1978
A general election was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 7 October 1978. The result was the "Wranslide": a landslide victory for the Australian Labor Party under Neville Wran....
. In June 1978, voters approved a referendum to introduce a directly elected Legislative Council - as previous appointments to the Council had been through party nomination. The 1978 general election was New South Wales' first elections to the New South Wales Legislative Council; that were held simultaneously with elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
. Moppett was not successful in retaining his seat in the Wranslide that saw a 8% swing to Labor under Premier Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
.
Moppett was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
at the 1983 federal election
Australian federal election, 1983
Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 March 1983. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election, following a double dissolution...
. He was re-elected to the Legislative Council in 1991 in a pre-selection battle that saw sitting Councillor Judy Jakins
Judy Jakins
Judith Helen "Judy" Jakins, née Penzer is a former Australian politician. She was a National Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1984 to 1991....
MLC lose National Party endorsement.
In 1997, Moppett was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Coonamble in which 38-year-old mother Beth Fleming was killed. Moppett was injured and hospitalised. Nearly four months after that accident Moppett was charged with a number of driving offences, some of them serious. In May 2000, Moppett announced his intention to resign from Parliament should he be proven guilty. A trial eventually proceeded and, in 2000, Moppett was found not guilty by a jury on the serious driving charges. The lesser charges were listing for hearing in the Local Court in May 2002, but the prosecution advised that it was unable to deal with certain matters put before the court and another hearing date was set for 18 June 2002 - the day that Moppett eventually died.
During his parliamentary career Moppett was renowned as a great orator and, in 1997, was appointed Deputy Opposition Whip. He retained this position until he announced his resignation from Parliament on 13 June 2002, passing away at his home in Quambone, west of Coonamble, New South Wales
Coonamble, New South Wales
Coonamble is a town on the central-western plains of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Castlereagh Highway north-west of Gilgandra. At the 2006 census, Coonamble had a population of 2,549...
a few days later on 18 June 2002.