John Olsen
Encyclopedia
John Wayne Olsen, AO (born 7 June 1945) was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001.
and Member of Parliament for more than 20 years. His political career was marked by a bitter rivalry with Dean Brown
, the two representing the conservative and moderate wings of the South Australian Liberal Party respectively. After the 1982 election
and the electoral defeat and retirement of David Tonkin
, Olsen defeated Brown for the State Liberal Party leadership and became Leader of the Opposition
. Up against the Labor premier John Bannon
, Olsen lost the 1985
and 1989 elections
. He moved to the Australian Senate
between 1990 and 1992, before returning to state politics at the 1992 Kavel by-election
, on the same day as Dean Brown at the 1992 Alexandra by-election
. This time, Brown defeated Olsen in the leadership ballot, who became premier when the Liberal Party won the 1993 election in a landslide where the Liberals won 37 of the 47 seats available.
with the SA Nationals
and independent MPs.
), partly to improve the government's parlous financial situation due to the State Bank
disaster and partly in response to the introduction of the Australian National Electricity Market, despite promising not to do so at the 1997 election. The fiscal arguments for privatisation were vigorously criticised by a number of economists. Sharp increases in the retail price of electricity, a consequence of the working of the National Electricity Market, contributed to the growing unpopularity of the government.
The management of the state's water supply was privatised in 1996 with a $1.5bn 15-year contract being awarded to United Water, a subsidiary of Veolia.
Olsen steered water management and conservation projects, including the recycling of water from Adelaide's Bolivar Water Treatment Plant to the Northern Adelaide Plains. He also endorsed and facilitated the Barossa Water Project, a water distribution scheme from the River Murray to the Barossa Valley floor, alleviating the Barossa Valley winegrowers' water irrigation problems and boosting annual production by $30 million.
While in office, he negotiated a $850 million ‘smart-city' redevelopment of Adelaide's northern suburban area (Mawson Lakes) and facilitated the contract negotiations and construction of the Adelaide-Darwin Rail line.
He pursued a vigorous program of economic reform through the corporatisation and privatisation of government services which included the single largest public outsourcing project of its kind at the time in the world - the outsourcing of the State's water industry, a contract which included the establishment of a private sector water industry.
, which revealed that Olsen had misled parliament, as well as representations made by Olsen to Chief Magistrate Jim Cramond labeled "misleading and inaccurate", "dishonest" and had "no factual basis".
Since leaving South Australian politics, Olsen was appointed by the John Howard
federal Liberal government as Australian Consul-General to Los Angeles. On 7 December 2005, his Liberal Party colleague and fellow South Australian, the then Australian Foreign Minister
, Alexander Downer
announced that Olsen would become the new Australian Consul-General in New York. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 2007.
Most recently, Olsen was appointed as Deputy Chairman/CEO of the American Australian Association Ltd and has also been appointed as a South Australian Football Commissioner
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Parliament
Olsen was a member of the Liberal PartyLiberal 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 Member of Parliament for more than 20 years. His political career was marked by a bitter rivalry with Dean Brown
Dean Brown
Dean Craig Brown, AO was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002 to Rob Kerin.-Political career:...
, the two representing the conservative and moderate wings of the South Australian Liberal Party respectively. After the 1982 election
South Australian state election, 1982
State elections were held in Australia on November 6, 1982. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Premier of South Australia David Tonkin was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition...
and the electoral defeat and retirement of David Tonkin
David Tonkin
Dr David Oliver Tonkin AO was the 38th Premier of South Australia, serving from 18 September 1979 to 10 November 1982. He was elected to the House of Assembly seat of Bragg at the 1970 election, serving until 1983. He became the leader of the South Australian division of the Liberal Party of...
, Olsen defeated Brown for the State Liberal Party leadership and became Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (South Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in South Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties, known as the Opposition, in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the House of Assembly...
. Up against the Labor premier John Bannon
John Bannon
John Charles Bannon AO is a former Australian politician. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Labor Party to government at the 1982 election. The Bannon Labor government was re-elected at the 1985 election and the 1989 election...
, Olsen lost the 1985
South Australian state election, 1985
State elections were held in Australia on December 7, 1985. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John...
and 1989 elections
South Australian state election, 1989
State elections were held in Australia on November 25, 1989. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John...
. He moved to the Australian 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,...
between 1990 and 1992, before returning to state politics at the 1992 Kavel by-election
Kavel state by-election, 1992
A by-election was held for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Kavel on 9 May 1992. This was triggered by the resignation of former state Liberal MHA Eric Roger Goldsworthy. The seat had been retained by the Liberals since it was created and first contested at the 1970 state election...
, on the same day as Dean Brown at the 1992 Alexandra by-election
Alexandra state by-election, 1992
A by-election was held for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Alexandra on 9 May 1992. This was triggered by the resignation of former state Liberal MHA Ted Chapman. The seat had been retained by the Liberals since it was created and first contested at the 1973 state election...
. This time, Brown defeated Olsen in the leadership ballot, who became premier when the Liberal Party won the 1993 election in a landslide where the Liberals won 37 of the 47 seats available.
Premier
In 1996 however, Olsen again challenged for the party leadership, this time succeeding and subsequently became South Australian Premier, the first time a Leader of the Opposition became Premier without winning an election first. The Liberal Party narrowly won the subsequent 1997 election, forming a minority governmentMinority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
with the SA Nationals
The Nationals South Australia
The Nationals SA are a sub-division of the National Party of Australia. First contesting the 1965 state election, the party has only held two seats at alternating periods; Peter Blacker in Flinders and Karlene Maywald in Chaffey....
and independent MPs.
Policies
Among a number of controversial policies, Olsen's government undertook the privatisation of the state-owned electricity industry (ETSAElectricity Trust of South Australia
The Electricity Trust of South Australia was the South Australian Government-owned monopoly vertically integrated electricity provider...
), partly to improve the government's parlous financial situation due to the State Bank
State Bank of South Australia
The State Bank of South Australia was a bank owned by the Government of South Australia. Its collapse in 1991 was a major political event in South Australia...
disaster and partly in response to the introduction of the Australian National Electricity Market, despite promising not to do so at the 1997 election. The fiscal arguments for privatisation were vigorously criticised by a number of economists. Sharp increases in the retail price of electricity, a consequence of the working of the National Electricity Market, contributed to the growing unpopularity of the government.
The management of the state's water supply was privatised in 1996 with a $1.5bn 15-year contract being awarded to United Water, a subsidiary of Veolia.
Olsen steered water management and conservation projects, including the recycling of water from Adelaide's Bolivar Water Treatment Plant to the Northern Adelaide Plains. He also endorsed and facilitated the Barossa Water Project, a water distribution scheme from the River Murray to the Barossa Valley floor, alleviating the Barossa Valley winegrowers' water irrigation problems and boosting annual production by $30 million.
While in office, he negotiated a $850 million ‘smart-city' redevelopment of Adelaide's northern suburban area (Mawson Lakes) and facilitated the contract negotiations and construction of the Adelaide-Darwin Rail line.
He pursued a vigorous program of economic reform through the corporatisation and privatisation of government services which included the single largest public outsourcing project of its kind at the time in the world - the outsourcing of the State's water industry, a contract which included the establishment of a private sector water industry.
Resignation
Olsen resigned as Premier following an adverse report from an inquiry into his questionable dealings with the Motorola company in 2001, known as the Motorola affairMotorola affair
The Motorola affair was an incident which resulted in the resignation of South Australian Premier John Olsen on 21 October, 2001. His resignation came after the release of the Clayton Report, which stated that he had given "misleading, inaccurate and dishonest evidence to a judicial inquiry"...
, which revealed that Olsen had misled parliament, as well as representations made by Olsen to Chief Magistrate Jim Cramond labeled "misleading and inaccurate", "dishonest" and had "no factual basis".
Since leaving South Australian politics, Olsen was appointed by the John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
federal Liberal government as Australian Consul-General to Los Angeles. On 7 December 2005, his Liberal Party colleague and fellow South Australian, the then Australian Foreign Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing the international diplomacy section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In common with international practice, the office is often informally referred to as Foreign Minister...
, Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
announced that Olsen would become the new Australian Consul-General in New York. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 2007.
Most recently, Olsen was appointed as Deputy Chairman/CEO of the American Australian Association Ltd and has also been appointed as a South Australian Football Commissioner
External links
- SA Parliament past premier John Olsen
- Diplomatic Appointment of John Olsen to Australian Consul-General in New York .
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