Janine Haines
Encyclopedia
Janine Haines, AM
(8 May 1945 – 20 November 2004), Australia
n politician
, was the first female federal parliamentary leader of an Australian political party. An Australian Democrat
, she was also the first member of that party to enter the federal parliament
after the party's formation. She was pivotal in "shaping the Australian Democrats into a powerful political entity that held the balance of power in the Senate".
, South Australia
, to a schoolteacher mother and policeman father, and travelled around South Australia with her parents and younger brother, due to her father's job. They eventually settled in Adelaide and she attended Brighton High School. She married Ian Haines, whom she met at Adelaide University where they were both studying mathematics, in 1967. They had two daughters, Melanie and Bronwyn. She taught English part-time and commenced an MA thesis on the poet John Shaw Neilson but this was interrupted when she suffered a severe whiplash injury in a car accident.
She died in 2004, at age 59, from a degenerative neurological condition, and was honoured with a state funeral in Adelaide.
She became the assistant of Robin Millhouse
, an important player in the South Australian conservative party the Liberal and Country League
. Millhouse founded the Liberal Movement and the short-lived New LM
which merged into the Australian Democrats in 1977.
She was appointed to fill a casual vacancy in the Senate
by the Labor premier Don Dunstan
, on 14 December 1977. Dunstan was constitutionally obliged to appoint a senator from the same party as the resigning Senator Steele Hall
, who had been elected as a representative of the former Liberal Movement. Hall had in fact joined the Liberal Party
. Controversially, Dunstan chose a member of the Australian Democrats
, regarding it as the successor party to the Liberal Movement despite the fact that a majority of LM ex-members joined the Liberal Party. However, Haines had stood on the same Liberal Movement ticket from which Hall had been elected in 1975.
Haines did not contest the Australian federal election, 1977
, and her Senate term expired on 30 June 1978. She was elected for a six-year term at the Australian federal election, 1980
. On 14 August 1986, she was chosen by Democrats members as Senate leader on the retirement of inaugural leader Don Chipp
.
She remained Senate leader until resigning to contest the House of Representatives
seat of Kingston
in the March 1990 election, believing the Democrats needed a "high profile lower house presence". She was unsuccessful in the face of a negative campaign waged against her by both major parties swapping preferences. She was succeeded as interim Senate leader for several months by deputy Dr Michael Macklin
(Qld), pending the customary election of a new leader by party members, at which Janet Powell
was successful. In 2001, she supported her close friend Meg Lees
for leadership of the party against Natasha Stott Despoja
.
.
Haines was invested with membership of the Order of Australia
(AM) on 11 June 2001.
Janine Haines wrote a book Suffrage to Sufferance: One Hundred Years of Women in Politics (Allen and Unwin, North Sydney, 1992, ISBN 1-86373-365-5) which has been a prescribed text in universities and schools.
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"...
(8 May 1945 – 20 November 2004), Australia
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, was the first female federal parliamentary leader of an Australian political party. An Australian Democrat
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
, she was also the first member of that party to enter the federal parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
after the party's formation. She was pivotal in "shaping the Australian Democrats into a powerful political entity that held the balance of power in the Senate".
Life
She was born in TanundaTanunda, South Australia
Tanunda is a town situated in the Barossa Valley region of South Australia, 70 kilometres north east of the state capital, Adelaide. The town derives its name from an Aboriginal word meaning water hole. Town population is approximately 3500.-Settlement:...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, to a schoolteacher mother and policeman father, and travelled around South Australia with her parents and younger brother, due to her father's job. They eventually settled in Adelaide and she attended Brighton High School. She married Ian Haines, whom she met at Adelaide University where they were both studying mathematics, in 1967. They had two daughters, Melanie and Bronwyn. She taught English part-time and commenced an MA thesis on the poet John Shaw Neilson but this was interrupted when she suffered a severe whiplash injury in a car accident.
She died in 2004, at age 59, from a degenerative neurological condition, and was honoured with a state funeral in Adelaide.
Political career
Robin Millhouse
Robin Rhodes Millhouse QC has been, at various times, the South Australian Attorney-General, the first Australian Democrats parliamentarian, and the Chief Justice of both Kiribati and Nauru....
, an important player in the South Australian conservative party the Liberal and Country League
Liberal and Country League
The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
. Millhouse founded the Liberal Movement and the short-lived New LM
New LM
The New Liberal Movement was a South Australian political party that had parliamentary representation during the mid-1970s.Formed by Robin Millhouse on 6 May 1976 following the dissolution of the Liberal Movement, the New LM sought to be the true liberal party in South Australia, arguing that the...
which merged into the Australian Democrats in 1977.
She was appointed to fill a casual vacancy in the 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,...
by the Labor premier Don Dunstan
Don Dunstan
Donald Allan "Don" Dunstan, AC, QC was a South Australian politician. He entered politics as the Member for Norwood in 1953, became state Labor leader in 1967, and was Premier of South Australia between June 1967 and April 1968, and again between June 1970 and February 1979.The son of a business...
, on 14 December 1977. Dunstan was constitutionally obliged to appoint a senator from the same party as the resigning Senator Steele Hall
Steele Hall
Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
, who had been elected as a representative of the former Liberal Movement. Hall had in fact joined the Liberal Party
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...
. Controversially, Dunstan chose a member of the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
, regarding it as the successor party to the Liberal Movement despite the fact that a majority of LM ex-members joined the Liberal Party. However, Haines had stood on the same Liberal Movement ticket from which Hall had been elected in 1975.
Haines did not contest the Australian federal election, 1977
Australian federal election, 1977
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1977. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election....
, and her Senate term expired on 30 June 1978. She was elected for a six-year term at the Australian federal election, 1980
Australian federal election, 1980
Federal elections were held in Australia on 18 October 1980. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and 34 of the 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Malcolm Fraser with coalition partner the National Country Party led by Doug...
. On 14 August 1986, she was chosen by Democrats members as Senate leader on the retirement of inaugural leader Don Chipp
Don Chipp
Donald Leslie Chipp, AO was an Australian politician, and the inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats.-Early life:...
.
She remained Senate leader until resigning to contest the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat of Kingston
Division of Kingston
The Division of Kingston is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia covering the far-south metropolitan area of Adelaide. The division was first proclaimed in 1949....
in the March 1990 election, believing the Democrats needed a "high profile lower house presence". She was unsuccessful in the face of a negative campaign waged against her by both major parties swapping preferences. She was succeeded as interim Senate leader for several months by deputy Dr Michael Macklin
Michael Macklin
Michael John Macklin is a former Australian Franciscan friar, educator and fundraiser who was an Australian Democrats senator for Queensland,...
(Qld), pending the customary election of a new leader by party members, at which Janet Powell
Janet Powell
Janet Frances Powell in Nhill, Victoria, is an Australian politician.She was appointed a senator for Victoria, representing the Australian Democrats, upon the resignation of the party's founder, Don Chipp, in 1986. She was elected the following year. She became the third leader of the party, from...
was successful. In 2001, she supported her close friend Meg Lees
Meg Lees
Meg Heather Lees was a member of the Australian Senate from 1990 to 2005, representing the state of South Australia. She represented the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 2002, and was an independent senator between 2002 and 2005, adopting the party designation Australian Progressive Alliance from...
for leadership of the party against Natasha Stott Despoja
Natasha Stott Despoja
Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja AM is an Australian former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats. She was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008...
.
Later career
After leaving parliament she worked in a number of public positions including being president of the Australia Privacy Charter Council and deputy chancellor of the University of AdelaideUniversity of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
.
Haines was invested with membership 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"...
(AM) on 11 June 2001.
Janine Haines wrote a book Suffrage to Sufferance: One Hundred Years of Women in Politics (Allen and Unwin, North Sydney, 1992, ISBN 1-86373-365-5) which has been a prescribed text in universities and schools.