Laurie Brereton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Laurie Brereton in 2016. Photo by Rob Keating | |
| Australian Minister for Transport | |
| In office 24 December 1993 – 11 March 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Keating |
| Preceded by | Bob Collins |
| Succeeded by | John Sharp |
| Australian Minister for Industrial Relations | |
| In office 24 March 1993 – 11 March 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Keating |
| Preceded by | Peter Cook |
| Succeeded by | Peter Reith |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forKingsford-Smith | |
| In office 24 March 1990 – 31 August 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Lionel Bowen |
| Succeeded by | Peter Garrett |
| NSW Minister for Public Works andPorts | |
| In office 10 February 1984 – 26 November 1987 | |
| Premier | Neville Wran Barrie Unsworth |
| Preceded by | Laurie Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | Peter Cox |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-05-29)29 May 1946 (age 78) Kensington, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse | Tricia Kavanagh |
| Relations | Deirdre Grusovin(sister) |
| Occupation | Electrician |
Laurence John Brereton (born 29 May 1946) is an Australian former politician who was a state minister, a federal member of cabinet, andkingmaker in the election of severalAustralian Labor Party leaders, includingPaul Keating andMark Latham. He was a Labor member of theAustralian House of Representatives from March 1990 to October 2004, representing theDivision of Kingsford Smith, New South Wales. He is credited with building Sydney's controversialmonorail.[1]
Brereton was born in the Sydney suburb ofKensington, and was educated at De La Salle Catholic College, Coogee, now defunct. He was apprenticed and worked as an electrical tradesman to theSydney County Council, a former council-owned retailer of electricity in inner Sydney.[2]
Brereton served in theNew South Wales Legislative Assembly as member forRandwick 1970–71 andHeffron 1973–90. He survived the political controversy of theBotany Council affair in the mid-'70s when he was accused of attempting to influence ALP aldermen who were considering an application to rezone a block of land. He and Geoffrey Cahill, then Labor's NSW general secretary (and grandson of former PremierJoseph Cahill), appeared in court on bribery and conspiracy charges but after 17 days of hearings and evidence from high-powered witnesses, includingRupert Murdoch, all charges were thrown out.[3]
In the governments led byNeville Wran and (from 1986)Barrie Unsworth, Brereton was Minister for Health 1981–84, Minister for Roads 1983–84 and 1984–87, Minister for Public Works 1984–87 and Minister for Employment 1984.[2]
Upon switching to the federal Parliament, Brereton was Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister 1991–93,Minister for Industrial Relations 1993–96,Minister for Transport 1993–96, and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Public Service Matters 1993. In March 1996, the ALP government lost office toJohn Howard.[4]
Brereton was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996–2001 serving as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.[4] Assisted by his adviser, DrPhilip Dorling, Brereton was instrumental in revising Federal Labor policy to support self-determination and independence forEast Timor. Brereton was a vocal critic of Howard, who supported East Timor's continued integration in Indonesia. He was also strongly critical of the performance of past Labor Governments, in particular Prime MinisterGough Whitlam who acquiesced to Indonesia's intentions to invade East Timor in 1975.[citation needed],During 1998 and 1999 Brereton highlighted evidence of the Indonesian military's involvement in pro-integrationist violence in East Timor and was a strident advocate ofUnited Nations peacekeeping to supportEast Timor's independence ballot. Brereton was a member of the Australian Parliamentary observer mission that witnessed the conduct of the ballot.
Brereton's break from previous Australian bipartisanship on East Timor policy was an important factor in the Howard Government's eventual decision to change Australian policy and intervene in East Timor in September 1999. According to historian and former Australian Army officerClinton Fernandes, "The ALP's change of policy – and the resulting pressure of the [Australian] Government – was a critical factor in the independence of East Timor."[5] Brereton's activism on the East Timor issue was strongly opposed by senior Labor political figures, notably Whitlam and former Foreign MinisterGareth Evans and found little support from Federal Labor leaderKim Beazley. However Beazley was reluctant to challenge Brereton's handling of the issue and eventually accepted the change in Labor policy. Following controversy in 1999, over leaked Australian intelligence reports relating to East Timor and the Indonesian military,Australian Federal Police and Defence Security agents raided Dr Dorling's home in September 2000, but no classified material was found.[citation needed]
Taking into account his service in the New South Wales Parliament, Brereton had the longest period of parliamentary service of any member of the Parliament elected in 2001. In June 2004 he announced his retirement from politics at the2004 federal election. He helped engineer the candidacy of the rock singerPeter Garrett as his successor in the seat.[citation needed]
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His wife, Justice Tricia Kavanagh, was a Judge on theIndustrial Relations Commission of New South Wales. They have two sons. Brereton is the younger brother ofDeirdre Grusovin.
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forRandwick 1970–1971 | Succeeded by Seat abolished |
| Preceded by New seat | Member forHeffron 1973–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | NSW Minister for Health 1981–1984 | Succeeded by |
| New title | NSW Minister for Employment 1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NSW Minister for Public Works andPorts 1984–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NSW Minister for Roads 1984–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member forKingsford Smith 1990–2004 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Industrial Relations 1993–1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Transport 1993–1996 | Succeeded by |
First Keating ministry (1991–93) | ||
|---|---|---|
Prime Minister:Paul Keating | ||
| Cabinet |  | |
| Outer Ministry | ||
| Parliamentary Secretaries | ||
| International | |
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| People | |
