Michael Atkinson
Encyclopedia
Michael John Atkinson an Australia
n politician
, was the South Australia
n Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Rann
Labor
Government. A day after the 2010 election, he stepped down as Attorney-General and resigned from the Cabinet. He will continue to represent the electorate of Croydon in the South Australian House of Assembly
until the 2014 election
.
Primary School and Unley High School
. He then studied at the Australian National University
and received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in history and also a Bachelor of Laws degree.
He worked as a sub-editor and journalist for the Adelaide Advertiser from 1982 to 1985, an adviser and press secretary to federal minister Chris Hurford
from 1985 to 1987, before becoming an advocate for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association
in 1989.
On 20 November 2009 he was awarded the 2009 Friend of the Armenian-Australian Community Award by the Armenian National Committee of Australia.
, Atkinson was first elected to Parliament at the 1989 election
and was a shadow minister in a range of portfolios before Labor won government at the 2002 election. He became Attorney-General, Minister for Justice
, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister for Multicultural Affairs. In a minor cabinet reshuffle in 2004, Atkinson lost his portfolio of Consumer Affairs. Following the death of Terry Roberts
he became Minister for Correctional Services in 2006.
He was re-elected in the 2006 election to the seat of Croydon with a two-party preferred vote of 76 percent. At the 2010 election Akinson was again re-elected, but with a 15.6% swing against him. This was significantly higher than the average swing of 7.8% against the Labor Party at that election. This is partially attributed to the Gamers 4 Croydon
Party, which received 3.7% of votes in his seat of Croydon. Following his re-election, he announced he would resign from the Rann ministry but remain on the backbench.
He withdrew his support for a discussion paper released for public consultation on the subject of an "R18+" rating. Unanimity from Atkinson and his fellow state and federal Attorneys-General is required for the introduction of the rating (or a change to that requirement). Australia's current rating system lacks a classification for games above MA15+. It therefore lacks not only an equivalent rating to the ESRB's AO (adults only) rating but also an equivalent to its Mature (17+) rating.
In 2009, Atkinson, in his role as Attorney-General of South Australia, introduced laws into parliament that made internet commentary on the upcoming 2010 election illegal unless the commenter provided their real name and postcode. The laws were passed, and came into effect on 6 January 2010. Following public criticism, Atkinson later promised to repeal the section following the 2010 South Australian election and indicated it would not be enforced during the electoral period.
On December 2008, the South Australian Police Commissioner petitioned Atksinson to declare the Finks Motorcycle Club a relevant organisation under the Serious and Organised Crime (Control) Act 2008 (SA). As required by legislation, Atkinson called for public submissions on whether he should exercise this legislative power. However, the Police Commissioner's application was based largely upon police intelligence that was not made available to the public during the consultation process. It is unknown whether public submissions were actually received or their contents taken into account. On 14 March 2009 Michael Atkinson acceded to the Police Commissioner's petition and declared the Finks Motorcycle Club a declared organisation. The declaration allowed South Australian magistrates to issue control orders against any of the 48 people named in the declaration, making it a criminal offence punishable by up to five years' imprisonment for those named in such orders to associate more than six times a year with fellow club members or others nominated by the Police Commissioner.
Orders pursuant to the declaration were made, and the making of those orders was appealed to the Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia. On 24 September 2009, the Full Court ruled the orders void, and found the relevant section of the legislation invalid on the basis that it violated a "fundamental proposition" of law that accused people should be informed of the case against them and be given "an opportunity to answer that case".
Atkinson called the ruling a "minor setback" and indicated he and his government intended to appeal the ruling or amend the legislation. In response to the ruling, he said, "As a government we were always aware of the vulnerability of our legislation, because as a government we are willing to test the constitutional boundaries and are willing to take the fight to the outlaw motorcycle gangs," Mr Atkinson said.
Atkinson's treatment of the Finks has drawn opposition from other bikie groups including the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club. The Gypsy Jokers website has run pictures of Atksinson sporting a swastika
and has announced plans for a protest drive aimed against Atkinson and South Australian Premier Mike Rann, scheduled for the day of the 2010 South Australian election.
Atkinson is a member of the Traditional Anglican Communion
, and was formerly its chancellor.
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 the South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
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. A day after the 2010 election, he stepped down as Attorney-General and resigned from the Cabinet. He will continue to represent the electorate of Croydon in the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
until the 2014 election
South Australian state election, 2014
The 2014 South Australian state election will elect members to the 53rd Parliament of South Australia on 15 March 2014. All seats in the House of Assembly or lower house, whose current members were elected at the 2010 election, and half the seats in the Legislative Council or upper house, last...
.
Early life
Atkinson attended GlenelgGlenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
Primary School and Unley High School
Unley High School
Unley High School, located in Netherby, is one of the largest public high schools in South Australia. In recent years the number of students enrolled typically ranges from 1,100 to 1,300, but in the early 1960s the school had a peak enrolment of 2,000 students.The school currently has 30...
. He then studied at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
and received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in history and also a Bachelor of Laws degree.
He worked as a sub-editor and journalist for the Adelaide Advertiser from 1982 to 1985, an adviser and press secretary to federal minister Chris Hurford
Chris Hurford
Christopher John "Chris" Hurford, AO, was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide from 1969 to 1987...
from 1985 to 1987, before becoming an advocate for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association is the largest trade union in Australia with more than 230,000 members and branches in every state and one in the Newcastle, Hunter Valley and Central Coast region. The SDA is the union for retail and fast-food workers, but does have other...
in 1989.
On 20 November 2009 he was awarded the 2009 Friend of the Armenian-Australian Community Award by the Armenian National Committee of Australia.
Parliamentary career
A founding member of the Labor Unity faction of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian 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...
, Atkinson was first elected to Parliament at the 1989 election
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...
and was a shadow minister in a range of portfolios before Labor won government at the 2002 election. He became Attorney-General, Minister for Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister for Multicultural Affairs. In a minor cabinet reshuffle in 2004, Atkinson lost his portfolio of Consumer Affairs. Following the death of Terry Roberts
Terry Roberts
The Hon Terry Roberts was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council between 1985 and 2006. At the time of his death, he was a Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation and Correctional Services in the South Australian government.Roberts was born and educated in Millicent, South...
he became Minister for Correctional Services in 2006.
He was re-elected in the 2006 election to the seat of Croydon with a two-party preferred vote of 76 percent. At the 2010 election Akinson was again re-elected, but with a 15.6% swing against him. This was significantly higher than the average swing of 7.8% against the Labor Party at that election. This is partially attributed to the Gamers 4 Croydon
Gamers 4 Croydon
Gamers 4 Croydon is a minor political party in South Australia which contested the 2010 state election.-History:The party has a strong anti-censorship message, particularly relating to the lack of an R18+ classification for video games in Australia...
Party, which received 3.7% of votes in his seat of Croydon. Following his re-election, he announced he would resign from the Rann ministry but remain on the backbench.
Media classification and censorship
Atkinson has blocked attempts to introduce a R18+ for video games in Australia. In a letter on the subject, Atkinson stated, "I don't support the introduction of an R18+ rating for electronic games, chiefly because it will greatly increase the risk of children and vulnerable adults being exposed to damaging images and messages."He withdrew his support for a discussion paper released for public consultation on the subject of an "R18+" rating. Unanimity from Atkinson and his fellow state and federal Attorneys-General is required for the introduction of the rating (or a change to that requirement). Australia's current rating system lacks a classification for games above MA15+. It therefore lacks not only an equivalent rating to the ESRB's AO (adults only) rating but also an equivalent to its Mature (17+) rating.
In 2009, Atkinson, in his role as Attorney-General of South Australia, introduced laws into parliament that made internet commentary on the upcoming 2010 election illegal unless the commenter provided their real name and postcode. The laws were passed, and came into effect on 6 January 2010. Following public criticism, Atkinson later promised to repeal the section following the 2010 South Australian election and indicated it would not be enforced during the electoral period.
Victims' rights
In 2008, Atkinson introduced legislation aimed at increasing the rights of victims of crime. The legislation purported to allow victims to suggest a suitable sentence for the offender and made it compulsory for judges to consider imposing a restraining order on convicted sex offenders.Organised crime non-association legislation
In his role as Attorney-General, Atkinson has been a proponent of non-association legislation which makes association with declared organisations a criminal offence. The goal of this legislation is to prevent and control the activities of organised crime.On December 2008, the South Australian Police Commissioner petitioned Atksinson to declare the Finks Motorcycle Club a relevant organisation under the Serious and Organised Crime (Control) Act 2008 (SA). As required by legislation, Atkinson called for public submissions on whether he should exercise this legislative power. However, the Police Commissioner's application was based largely upon police intelligence that was not made available to the public during the consultation process. It is unknown whether public submissions were actually received or their contents taken into account. On 14 March 2009 Michael Atkinson acceded to the Police Commissioner's petition and declared the Finks Motorcycle Club a declared organisation. The declaration allowed South Australian magistrates to issue control orders against any of the 48 people named in the declaration, making it a criminal offence punishable by up to five years' imprisonment for those named in such orders to associate more than six times a year with fellow club members or others nominated by the Police Commissioner.
Orders pursuant to the declaration were made, and the making of those orders was appealed to the Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia. On 24 September 2009, the Full Court ruled the orders void, and found the relevant section of the legislation invalid on the basis that it violated a "fundamental proposition" of law that accused people should be informed of the case against them and be given "an opportunity to answer that case".
Atkinson called the ruling a "minor setback" and indicated he and his government intended to appeal the ruling or amend the legislation. In response to the ruling, he said, "As a government we were always aware of the vulnerability of our legislation, because as a government we are willing to test the constitutional boundaries and are willing to take the fight to the outlaw motorcycle gangs," Mr Atkinson said.
Atkinson's treatment of the Finks has drawn opposition from other bikie groups including the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club. The Gypsy Jokers website has run pictures of Atksinson sporting a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
and has announced plans for a protest drive aimed against Atkinson and South Australian Premier Mike Rann, scheduled for the day of the 2010 South Australian election.
Personal life
Atkinson is separated from his wife, Joan (née Phyland), who he married in 1986 and with whom he has three sons and a daughter.Atkinson is a member of the Traditional Anglican Communion
Traditional Anglican Communion
The Traditional Anglican Communion is an international communion of churches in the continuing Anglican movement independent of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The TAC upholds the theological doctrines of the Affirmation of St. Louis and an Anglo-Catholic interpretation of...
, and was formerly its chancellor.