Trevor Kaine
Encyclopedia
Trevor Thomas Kaine an Australia
n politician
, was Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
from 1989 to 1991, and was elected a multi-member single electorate first unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
, from 1989 to 2001, initially as a member of the Liberal Party
and later as an independent
.
in Tasmania
, and was educated in Victoria
and Queensland
. He moved to Canberra
in the 1950s whilst stationed with the Royal Australian Air Force
.
from 1975 to 1977, and again from 1985 until that House was dissolved.
He was elected to the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
at the 1989 general election and, at the first sitting of the Assembly, became the first Leader of the Opposition of the ACT, leading the Liberal Party
. The life of the first Assembly was characterised by a hung parliament
and significant political instability.. Confidence was waning in the minority Follett
Labor
government. On 5 December 1989, Bernard Collaery
, leader of the Residents Rally
group (with four members in the Assembly) moved the following motion in the Assembly
The vote was resolved in affirmative (10 votes to 7 votes), and Kaine elected as the second Chief Minister
as leader of an Alliance Government, comprising members of both the Liberal Party and some (but not all) members of the Residents Rally in the Assembly. On 29 May 1991, Kaine announced to the Assemby that members of Residents Rally had met the previous evening and decided to dissolve the Alliance, due to an internal split in the Rally party, where two of the four members chose to align themselves with the Kaine government. The remaining two members choose to not align themselves with the Kaine government. On 6 June 1991, a motion of no confidence in Kaine, as Chief Minister, was passed. The Follett Labor government resumed power, and Kaine again became Leader of the Opposition.
The ACT Liberal Party lost the 1992 election
, again, with a hung parliament. Kaine continued as Leader of the Opposition. In 1993, Kate Carnell
took over leadership of the Liberal Party. Kaine stayed on with the Liberal Party after losing the leadership, and was appointed Urban Services Minister when the party won the 1995 election
under Carnell. At the 1995 election, three multi-member electorates were created, and Kaine was one of the five representatives of the Brindabella electorate
. Kaine was re-elected at the 1998 election
. However on 13 May 1998, he resigned from the Liberal Party, announced on 28 May 1998 his intention to form a party called Canberra Liberals, and on 30 July 1998 registed the United Canberra Party. The party was deregistered on 30 June 2001, and Kaine unsuccessfully contested the 2001 ACT election
as an independent candidate.
he had suffered four years earlier. He was the first ACT Chief Minister to die.
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 Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
The Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of party with the largest representation of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usually takes on the role...
from 1989 to 1991, and was elected a multi-member single electorate first unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory...
, from 1989 to 2001, initially as a member of 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...
and later as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Early career
Kaine was born in the town of PenguinPenguin, Tasmania
Penguin is a town in the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is located in the Central Coast Council Local Government Area on the Bass Highway, between Burnie and Ulverstone. At the 2006 census, Penguin had a population of 2,943....
in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, and was educated in 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 Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. He moved to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in the 1950s whilst stationed with the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
.
Political career
Kaine was a member of the ACT House of AssemblyAustralian Capital Territory House of Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly was the main elected representative body of the Australian Capital Territory between 1975 and 1986, when preparations began to be made for the granting of self-government to the Territory...
from 1975 to 1977, and again from 1985 until that House was dissolved.
He was elected to the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory...
at the 1989 general election and, at the first sitting of the Assembly, became the first Leader of the Opposition of the ACT, leading 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...
. The life of the first Assembly was characterised by a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
and significant political instability.. Confidence was waning in the minority Follett
Rosemary Follett
Rosemary Follett AO , Australian politician, was the first Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. She was the first woman to become head of government in an Australian state or territory....
Labor
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...
government. On 5 December 1989, Bernard Collaery
Bernard Collaery
Bernard Joseph Edward Collaery, a former Australian politician, and currently a barrister and lawyer, was a member of the first multi-member single electorate unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly for the Residents Rally party, from 1989 to 1992...
, leader of the Residents Rally
Residents Rally
Residents Rally was an Australian political party, with four candidates elected to the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly at the 1989 Australian Capital Territory general election. Residents Rally were led by Canberra human rights barrister and lawyer, Bernard Collaery....
group (with four members in the Assembly) moved the following motion in the Assembly
- That this Assembly no longer has confidence in the Chief Minister of the ACT and the minority Labor Government and has confidence in the ability of Mr Kaine to form a government.
The vote was resolved in affirmative (10 votes to 7 votes), and Kaine elected as the second Chief Minister
Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
The Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of party with the largest representation of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usually takes on the role...
as leader of an Alliance Government, comprising members of both the Liberal Party and some (but not all) members of the Residents Rally in the Assembly. On 29 May 1991, Kaine announced to the Assemby that members of Residents Rally had met the previous evening and decided to dissolve the Alliance, due to an internal split in the Rally party, where two of the four members chose to align themselves with the Kaine government. The remaining two members choose to not align themselves with the Kaine government. On 6 June 1991, a motion of no confidence in Kaine, as Chief Minister, was passed. The Follett Labor government resumed power, and Kaine again became Leader of the Opposition.
The ACT Liberal Party lost the 1992 election
Australian Capital Territory general election, 1992
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 15 February 1992. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, was challenged by the Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine. Candidates were elected to fill seats using a modified D'Hondt method for a...
, again, with a hung parliament. Kaine continued as Leader of the Opposition. In 1993, Kate Carnell
Kate Carnell
Anne Katherine Carnell AO was the third Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, serving from 1995 to 2000. She is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Food and Grocery Council.-Pharmacy career:...
took over leadership of the Liberal Party. Kaine stayed on with the Liberal Party after losing the leadership, and was appointed Urban Services Minister when the party won the 1995 election
Australian Capital Territory general election, 1995
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 18 February 1995. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, was challenged by the Liberal Party, led by Kate Carnell. For the first time, candidates were elected to fill three multi-member...
under Carnell. At the 1995 election, three multi-member electorates were created, and Kaine was one of the five representatives of the Brindabella electorate
Brindabella electorate
The Brindabella electorate is one of the three electorates for the unicameral 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. It has five seats, and is the largest of the electorates in geographic area.-History:...
. Kaine was re-elected at the 1998 election
Australian Capital Territory general election, 1998
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 21 February 1998. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Kate Carnell, was challenged by the Labor Party, led by Wayne Berry. Candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single...
. However on 13 May 1998, he resigned from the Liberal Party, announced on 28 May 1998 his intention to form a party called Canberra Liberals, and on 30 July 1998 registed the United Canberra Party. The party was deregistered on 30 June 2001, and Kaine unsuccessfully contested the 2001 ACT election
Australian Capital Territory general election, 2001
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 20 October 2001. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Gary Humphries, was challenged by the Labor Party, led by Jon Stanhope. candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single...
as an independent candidate.
Life after politics
Trevor Kaine died on 3 June 2008, aged 80, after a long illness following a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
he had suffered four years earlier. He was the first ACT Chief Minister to die.
External links
- ACT Proportional Representation (Hare-Clark) Entrenchment Act 1994 ACT. Accessed 2005-09-09