Tom Stephens
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gregory Stephens (born November 15, 1951) is a West Australian parliamentarian. He has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Parliament of Western Australia
since 1982, serving in the Legislative Council
from 1982 to 2004, and in the Legislative Assembly
since 2005. He served as a minister briefly in the Lawrence Labor Government from 1992 to 1993 and then in the Gallop
government from 2001 to 2004.
Stephens was first elected to the Legislative Council at a 1982 by-election for the seat of North Province, sparked by the resignation of Liberal MLC Bill Withers. He was re-elected in 1983, and moved to the new Mining and Pastoral electoral region
at the conclusion of that term in 1989. He was re-elected in Mining and Pastoral in 1993, 1996 and 2001.
Stephens had previously served as a parliamentary secretary and as a minister in the Lawrence
government in the 1990s; he was Leader of the Labor Opposition in the legislative Council until the 2001 election of a new Labor government under Geoff Gallop
, when he was elected into the ministry. He initially served as Minister for Housing and Works, and then later added Local Government and Regional Development to his portfolios. He also held the portfolios of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne, Regional Development and Heritage.
In late 2004, the Labor candidate for the rural seat of Kalgoorlie
for the 2004 federal election, Kevin Richards, died suddenly on the eve of the campaign. Stephens, who was already preselected for the Legislative Assembly seat of Central Kimberley-Pilbara, was drafted as a last-minute replacement candidate. He duly resigned from the Legislative Council, but was defeated by incumbent Liberal MP Barry Haase
. Stephens subsequently won his state seat of Central Kimberley Pilbara at the 2005 election. He Chaired the Education and Health Standing Committee until September 2008 and was elected as Member for Pilbara at the October 2008 elections and serves as a member of the Standing Committee on Community Development & Justice.
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...
member of the Parliament of Western Australia
Parliament of Western Australia
The Parliament of Western Australia consists of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly . The Parliament sits at Parliament House in Harvest Terrace, Perth....
since 1982, serving in the Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
from 1982 to 2004, and in 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....
since 2005. He served as a minister briefly in the Lawrence Labor Government from 1992 to 1993 and then in the 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:...
government from 2001 to 2004.
Stephens was first elected to the Legislative Council at a 1982 by-election for the seat of North Province, sparked by the resignation of Liberal MLC Bill Withers. He was re-elected in 1983, and moved to the new Mining and Pastoral electoral region
Electoral region of Mining and Pastoral
The electoral region of Mining and Pastoral is a multi-member electoral region of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the northern and eastern regions of the State. It was created by the Acts Amendment Act 1987, and became effective on 22 May 1989 with five members who had been...
at the conclusion of that term in 1989. He was re-elected in Mining and Pastoral in 1993, 1996 and 2001.
Stephens had previously served as a parliamentary secretary and as a minister in the Lawrence
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence is a retired Australian politician; a former Premier of Western Australia and the first woman to become Premier of a State of the Commonwealth of Australia....
government in the 1990s; he was Leader of the Labor Opposition in the legislative Council until the 2001 election of a new Labor government under 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:...
, when he was elected into the ministry. He initially served as Minister for Housing and Works, and then later added Local Government and Regional Development to his portfolios. He also held the portfolios of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne, Regional Development and Heritage.
In late 2004, the Labor candidate for the rural seat of Kalgoorlie
Division of Kalgoorlie
The Division of Kalgoorlie was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Western Australia, named after the city of Kalgoorlie. The Division, which was proclaimed in 1900 as one of the original 75 divisions to be contested at the first Federal election, covered most of the land area of...
for the 2004 federal election, Kevin Richards, died suddenly on the eve of the campaign. Stephens, who was already preselected for the Legislative Assembly seat of Central Kimberley-Pilbara, was drafted as a last-minute replacement candidate. He duly resigned from the Legislative Council, but was defeated by incumbent Liberal MP Barry Haase
Barry Haase
Barry Wayne Haase , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Kalgoorlie, the largest parliamentary constituency by area in the world, in Western Australia. In 2010 he moved to the new seat of Durack...
. Stephens subsequently won his state seat of Central Kimberley Pilbara at the 2005 election. He Chaired the Education and Health Standing Committee until September 2008 and was elected as Member for Pilbara at the October 2008 elections and serves as a member of the Standing Committee on Community Development & Justice.