Brian Howe (politician)
Encyclopedia
Brian Leslie Howe, AO (born 23 January 1936), Australian politician, was Deputy Prime Minister
in the Labor
government of Paul Keating
from 1991 to 1995.
Howe was born in Melbourne (he spent his early childhood in the suburb of Malvern), and was educated at Melbourne High School and the University of Melbourne. He later studied theology in Chicago 1967–69, and then returned to Australia. Having served as a Methodist
minister, he afterwards became a Uniting Church
minister in various parts of Victoria – Morwell, Eltham, and Fitzroy
.
He was elected for the northern Melbourne metropolitan electoral Division of Batman
to the House of Representatives
in 1977
. Howe had defeated the incumbent Horace Garrick
for Labor preselection
in a hard-fought contest. A member of the Socialist Left faction of the Labor Party, he was Minister for Defence Support
in the government of Bob Hawke
from 1983. In 1984 he became Minister for Social Security
, and carried out in this role various radical reforms to Australia's welfare system.
After the 1990 election Howe acquired the post of Minister for Community Services and Health. When Paul Keating
resigned from Cabinet in 1991, Howe succeeded him as Deputy Prime Minister
. He became Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services in the Keating government in December 1991, dropping the Health part of the portfolio in 1993. In June 1995 he resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and was succeeded by Kim Beazley
. At the 1996 election he left parliament altogether. Brian is a member of the Patrons Council of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria
.
in January 2001, and promoted to Officer level (AO) in January 2008.
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Australia. The Deputy Prime Ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1968, and the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime...
in the 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 of Paul 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...
from 1991 to 1995.
Howe was born in Melbourne (he spent his early childhood in the suburb of Malvern), and was educated at Melbourne High School and the University of Melbourne. He later studied theology in Chicago 1967–69, and then returned to Australia. Having served as a Methodist
Methodist Church of Australasia
The Methodist Church of Australasia was a Methodist denomination based in Australia.It ceased to exist in 1977 when most of its congregations joined with the many congregations of the Congregational Union of Australia and the Presbyterian Church of Australia to form the Uniting Church in...
minister, he afterwards became a Uniting Church
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
minister in various parts of Victoria – Morwell, Eltham, and Fitzroy
Fitzroy
Fitzroy or FitzRoy is an Anglo-Norman name originally meaning "son of the king". In several cases, this surname was used by an illegitimate son of a king and is still borne by his descendants...
.
He was elected for the northern Melbourne metropolitan electoral Division of Batman
Division of Batman
The Division of Batman is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1906 , and is named after John Batman, one of the founders of the city of Melbourne. When it was created it covered the inner suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy, but successive boundary changes have...
to 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....
in 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....
. Howe had defeated the incumbent Horace Garrick
Horace Garrick
Horace James Garrick was an Australian politician. Born in Melbourne, he attended state schools and then Swinburne Technical College before becoming a mechanical engineer. Having sat on Collingwood City Council, he was Mayor from 1960 to 1961 and from 1968 to 1969...
for Labor preselection
Preselection
Preselection is the process by which a candidate is selected, usually by a political party, to contest an election for political office. It is also referred to as candidate selection. It is a fundamental function of political parties...
in a hard-fought contest. A member of the Socialist Left faction of the Labor Party, he was Minister for Defence Support
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
in the government of Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
from 1983. In 1984 he became Minister for Social Security
Minister for Human Services (Australia)
The position of Minister for Human Services within Australian politics is currently held by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP. The Minister is responsible for a number of welfare agencies and administers her portfolio through the Department of Human Services and its component bodies:* Child Support...
, and carried out in this role various radical reforms to Australia's welfare system.
After the 1990 election Howe acquired the post of Minister for Community Services and Health. When Paul 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...
resigned from Cabinet in 1991, Howe succeeded him as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Australia. The Deputy Prime Ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1968, and the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime...
. He became Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services in the Keating government in December 1991, dropping the Health part of the portfolio in 1993. In June 1995 he resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and was succeeded by Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
. At the 1996 election he left parliament altogether. Brian is a member of the Patrons Council of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria
Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria
The Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria is an Australian charity that was formed by a group of concerned parents in May 1964 to provide support and information to all Victorians affected by epilepsy...
.
Honours
He was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of AustraliaOrder 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"...
in January 2001, and promoted to Officer level (AO) in January 2008.