Gary Johns
Encyclopedia
Gary Thomas Johns is a former Australia
n politician.
Johns was born in Melbourne
, Victoria
and received a Bachelor of Economics
and a M.A.
from Monash University
. He was elected as the member for Petrie
in 1987, and held it for the Australian Labor Party
until his defeat in 1996. He served as Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations from December 1993 and Special Minister of State
and Vice-President of the Executive Council
from March 1994 until the defeat of the Keating
government in 1996, in which he lost his seat to Liberal
candidate Teresa Gambaro.
From 1997 to 2006, he was a senior fellow at the neo-liberal/conservative
think tank
the Institute of Public Affairs
(IPA). Within the IPA, he was head of the Non-Government Organisations unit. From 2006-2009 Johns worked with a consultancy firm, ACIL Tasman. In 2009 he was appointed Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Australian Catholic University's Public Policy Institute. He is president of the Bennelong Society
, an organisation that advocates the provision of welfare for Indigenous Australians under the same rules as for all other Australians. From 2002-2004 he was an appointed part-time Associate Commissioner of the Commonwealth Productivity Commission
, an Australian government policy research and advisory body,
with the responsibility for an inquiry into the national workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety framework.
He was awarded a PhD in political science in 2001 from the University of Queensland, in 2002 the Fulbright Professional Award in Australian-United States Alliance Studies, Georgetown University Washington DC and in 2003 the Centenary Medal for ‘service to Australian society through the advancement of economic, social and political issues’. He is columnist for The Australian newspaper, the author of numerous papers and two books, Waking up to Dreamtime: the illusion of Aboriginal self-determination, Media Masters (2001), and Aboriginal self-determination: the whiteman's dream, Connor Court (2011).
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.
Johns was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and received a Bachelor of Economics
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
. He was elected as the member for Petrie
Division of Petrie
The Division of Petrie is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and named after Andrew Petrie , a noted civil engineer, pioneer and explorer, and the first free settler in Brisbane ....
in 1987, and held it for the Australian Labor Party
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...
until his defeat in 1996. He served as Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations from December 1993 and Special Minister of State
Special Minister of State
The Special Minister of State , currently the Special Minister of State for the Public Service and Integrity is a ministerial portfolio in the Australian Government Department of Finance and Deregulation responsible for various parliamentary, electoral, financial and oversight affairs.Other areas...
and Vice-President of the Executive Council
Vice-President of the Executive Council
The Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council is a position in Australian federal governments, whose holder acts as presiding officer of the Federal Executive Council in the absence of the Governor-General....
from March 1994 until the defeat of the Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
government in 1996, in which he lost his seat to 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...
candidate Teresa Gambaro.
From 1997 to 2006, he was a senior fellow at the neo-liberal/conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
the Institute of Public Affairs
Institute of Public Affairs
The Institute of Public Affairs is a public policy think tank based in Melbourne, Australia. It advocates free market economic policies such as privatisation and deregulation of state-owned enterprises, trade liberalisation and deregulated workplaces, climate change skepticism , and the...
(IPA). Within the IPA, he was head of the Non-Government Organisations unit. From 2006-2009 Johns worked with a consultancy firm, ACIL Tasman. In 2009 he was appointed Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Australian Catholic University's Public Policy Institute. He is president of the Bennelong Society
Bennelong Society
The Bennelong Society is as a conservative think-tank dedicated to Indigenous Australian affairs. The society was named after the Eora man, Bennelong, who served as an interlocutor between the Indigenous Australian and British cultures, both in Sydney and in the United Kingdom almost from the start...
, an organisation that advocates the provision of welfare for Indigenous Australians under the same rules as for all other Australians. From 2002-2004 he was an appointed part-time Associate Commissioner of the Commonwealth Productivity Commission
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy and regulation. It is an independent statutory authority in the Treasury Portfolio and responds to references from the Treasurer...
, an Australian government policy research and advisory body,
with the responsibility for an inquiry into the national workers’ compensation and occupational health and safety framework.
He was awarded a PhD in political science in 2001 from the University of Queensland, in 2002 the Fulbright Professional Award in Australian-United States Alliance Studies, Georgetown University Washington DC and in 2003 the Centenary Medal for ‘service to Australian society through the advancement of economic, social and political issues’. He is columnist for The Australian newspaper, the author of numerous papers and two books, Waking up to Dreamtime: the illusion of Aboriginal self-determination, Media Masters (2001), and Aboriginal self-determination: the whiteman's dream, Connor Court (2011).