Nick Greiner
Encyclopedia
Nicholas "Nick" Frank Hugo Greiner AC
, (born 27 April 1947) is an Australia
n businessman and former politician. He was the 37th Premier New South Wales
from 1988 to 1992. He was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 and Leader of the Opposition
from 1983 to 1988. He is married to Kathryn Greiner AO, a former Councillor in the Sydney City Council. The couple have one son and one daughter.
, Hungary
. His parents subsequently moved to Vienna
before arriving in Australia in the early 1950s. He was educated at a Sydney school, St Ignatius' College, Riverview
, before successfully completing a Bachelor of Economics honours degree (B.Ec. (Hons)) at the University of Sydney
. Later he attended Harvard Business School
. After briefly working for an Idaho
timber company, he returned to Australia, where he joined the timber company that his family owned. Greiner has also held the position of Australian chairman of British American Tobacco
.
, Greiner unsuccessfully sought to enter the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for the safe Liberal seat of Willoughby
in 1978. Although defeated in his first bid to enter the legislature by local bus driver, Eddie Britt, Greiner achieved his goal of entering Parliament by successfully contesting a 1980 by-election
for the electorate of Ku-ring-gai
.
In 1981 Greiner unsuccessfully ran for the Liberal leadership but was narrowly defeated by John Dowd
. Greiner subsequently succeeded Dowd as Opposition Leader in 1983. Highlighting allegations of corruption against the Australian Labor Party
government of Premier Neville Wran
during the 1984 election campaign, Greiner managed to reduce significantly the Wran government's previously overwhelming majority in the Legislative Assembly; and he placed his party within striking distance of winning the next state election. At this election (held in 1988), his Liberal
–National Party
Coalition
achieved a landslide victory over the Labor incumbent, Barrie Unsworth
. As a result, Greiner became Premier.
by establishing a commission to investigate allegations of branch stacking
and political corruption while they were in government. However the establishment of some form of independent corruption commission had been a longstanding policy of the Liberal Party while in opposition.
The Greiner government pursued a number of social and economic reforms. Most notable of these was a series of reforms to the education system, including the closure of schools, that provoked much controversy and brought his government into conflict with teachers. A series of strikes on the part of teachers and the growing unpopularity of Education Minister Terry Metherell
caused problems for the Greiner government during the latter stages of its first term. Metherell resigned from his position in 1990 but the disputes with teachers continued.
Regarded as a fiscal conservative, Greiner was still considered much further to the left than many of his fellow Liberals in terms of social policy
. He criticised then Federal Opposition Leader John Howard
's controversial comments on immigration policy
during the late 1980s, and was widely respected within the ethnic community.
Buoyed by his government's strong performance in the polls, Greiner called a snap election
for 25 May 1991. Despite widespread predictions by political and media commentators that Greiner would be easily re-elected to a second term, the outcome produced a hung Parliament
. Thus, Greiner was forced to form a minority government
with the support of four Independent MPs. His parliamentary majority was further eroded with the decision of Terry Metherell to become an Independent Member of the Legislative Assembly in late 1991, and with the loss of The Entrance
in a 1992 by-election.
Greiner was the first head of government in Australia at either federal or state level, born outside the Commonwealth of Nations
(apart from Chris Watson
).
an executive position in the Environmental Protection Authority. Metherell's decision to accept the position would create the need for him to resign his parliamentary seat, which the Liberal Party was confident of winning in a by-election. While Metherell initially agreed to the position, it sparked widespread controversy, and led to an investigation by the ICAC. In 1992 the ICAC ruled against Greiner and found that the job offer had been an act of corruption. Although Greiner was inclined to contest the rulings, the four Independent MPs whom he relied upon to form a government made it clear that they would no longer support the government if he continued in office. Accordingly, Greiner resigned, and was succeeded by John Fahey
.
Greiner successfully appealed against the finding in the NSW Supreme Court, Court of Appeal. The court found that ICAC had "exceeded its jurisdiction" and granted "declaratory relief that the Commission's report was wrong in law".
He went on to hold directorships with many of Australia's leading companies. In 2011, he was Chairman of Bradken, Citigroup Australia, The Nuance Group, QBE Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance, Blue Star Print Group and Playup; and Deputy Chairman of CHAMP Private Equity. After Barry O'Farrell
was elected Premier in that year he appointed Greiner chairman of Infrastructure NSW
.
Order 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"...
, (born 27 April 1947) is an Australia
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 businessman and former politician. He was the 37th Premier New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
from 1988 to 1992. He was Leader of the New South Wales Division of the Liberal Party from 1983 to 1992 and Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales)
The role of the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in New South Wales is a title held by the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly...
from 1983 to 1988. He is married to Kathryn Greiner AO, a former Councillor in the Sydney City Council. The couple have one son and one daughter.
Early life
Greiner was born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. His parents subsequently moved to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
before arriving in Australia in the early 1950s. He was educated at a Sydney school, St Ignatius' College, Riverview
St Ignatius' College, Riverview
Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Riverview, a small suburb situated on the Lane Cove River on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, before successfully completing a Bachelor of Economics honours degree (B.Ec. (Hons)) at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. Later he attended Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. After briefly working for an Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
timber company, he returned to Australia, where he joined the timber company that his family owned. Greiner has also held the position of Australian chairman of British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
.
Political career
A member of the Liberal Party of AustraliaLiberal 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...
, Greiner unsuccessfully sought to enter the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for the safe Liberal seat of Willoughby
Electoral district of Willoughby
Willoughby is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Gladys Berejiklian of the Liberal Party of Australia.-History:...
in 1978. Although defeated in his first bid to enter the legislature by local bus driver, Eddie Britt, Greiner achieved his goal of entering Parliament by successfully contesting a 1980 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for the electorate of Ku-ring-gai
Electoral district of Ku-ring-gai
Ku-ring-gai is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by the current Premier of New South Wales, Barry O'Farrell of the Liberal Party of Australia, since 1999.-Electorate History:...
.
In 1981 Greiner unsuccessfully ran for the Liberal leadership but was narrowly defeated by John Dowd
John Dowd (politician)
John Robert Arthur Dowd AO QC , a former Australian politician and jurist, is the Chancellor of Southern Cross University and the President of ActionAid Australia, an international aid organisation.-Early years and background:...
. Greiner subsequently succeeded Dowd as Opposition Leader in 1983. Highlighting allegations of corruption against the Australian Labor Party
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 Premier Neville Wran
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
during the 1984 election campaign, Greiner managed to reduce significantly the Wran government's previously overwhelming majority in the Legislative Assembly; and he placed his party within striking distance of winning the next state election. At this election (held in 1988), his Liberal
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...
–National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
achieved a landslide victory over the Labor incumbent, Barrie Unsworth
Barrie Unsworth
Barrie John Unsworth was an Australian politician, representing the Australian Labor Party in the Parliament of New South Wales from 1978 to 1991. He served as the 36th Premier from July 1986 to March 1988.-Early years:...
. As a result, Greiner became Premier.
As Premier
In one of the first acts of his premiership, Greiner established the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to investigate allegations of corruption and graft against the government and within the state. Some critics have alleged that ICAC was established for an expressly political purpose, that Greiner was trying to embarrass the 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...
by establishing a commission to investigate allegations of branch stacking
Branch stacking
Branch stacking is the act of recruiting members for a branch of a political party for the principal purpose of influencing the outcome of internal preselections of candidates for public office...
and political corruption while they were in government. However the establishment of some form of independent corruption commission had been a longstanding policy of the Liberal Party while in opposition.
The Greiner government pursued a number of social and economic reforms. Most notable of these was a series of reforms to the education system, including the closure of schools, that provoked much controversy and brought his government into conflict with teachers. A series of strikes on the part of teachers and the growing unpopularity of Education Minister Terry Metherell
Terry Metherell
Terry Alan Metherell is a former Australian politician who represented the Electoral district of Davidson in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1981 to 1992. When the Liberal Party won the 1988 election, Premier Nick Greiner appointed him Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, a...
caused problems for the Greiner government during the latter stages of its first term. Metherell resigned from his position in 1990 but the disputes with teachers continued.
Regarded as a fiscal conservative, Greiner was still considered much further to the left than many of his fellow Liberals in terms of social policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
. He criticised then Federal Opposition Leader 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....
's controversial comments on immigration policy
Immigration policy
An immigration policy is any policy of a state that deals with the transit of persons across its borders into the country, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. Immigration policies can range from allowing no migration at all to allowing most types of migration,...
during the late 1980s, and was widely respected within the ethnic community.
Buoyed by his government's strong performance in the polls, Greiner called a snap election
Snap election
A snap election is an election called earlier than expected. Generally it refers to an election in a parliamentary system called when not required , usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or to decide a pressing issue...
for 25 May 1991. Despite widespread predictions by political and media commentators that Greiner would be easily re-elected to a second term, the outcome produced 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...
. Thus, Greiner was forced to form a minority government
Minority 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 support of four Independent MPs. His parliamentary majority was further eroded with the decision of Terry Metherell to become an Independent Member of the Legislative Assembly in late 1991, and with the loss of The Entrance
Electoral district of The Entrance
The Entrance is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is represented by Chris Spence of the Liberal Party of Australia who defeated Labor candidate David Mehan at the State Election in 2011...
in a 1992 by-election.
Greiner was the first head of government in Australia at either federal or state level, born outside the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
(apart from Chris Watson
Chris Watson
John Christian Watson , commonly known as Chris Watson, Australian politician, was the third Prime Minister of Australia...
).
ICAC investigation and resignation
Greiner and Environment Minister Tim Moore decided to offer Terry MetherellTerry Metherell
Terry Alan Metherell is a former Australian politician who represented the Electoral district of Davidson in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1981 to 1992. When the Liberal Party won the 1988 election, Premier Nick Greiner appointed him Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, a...
an executive position in the Environmental Protection Authority. Metherell's decision to accept the position would create the need for him to resign his parliamentary seat, which the Liberal Party was confident of winning in a by-election. While Metherell initially agreed to the position, it sparked widespread controversy, and led to an investigation by the ICAC. In 1992 the ICAC ruled against Greiner and found that the job offer had been an act of corruption. Although Greiner was inclined to contest the rulings, the four Independent MPs whom he relied upon to form a government made it clear that they would no longer support the government if he continued in office. Accordingly, Greiner resigned, and was succeeded by John Fahey
John Fahey (politician)
John Joseph Fahey, AC is a former Premier of New South Wales and Federal Minister for Finance in Australia. John Fahey is currently the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1984 to 1996 and the federal House of Representatives...
.
Greiner successfully appealed against the finding in the NSW Supreme Court, Court of Appeal. The court found that ICAC had "exceeded its jurisdiction" and granted "declaratory relief that the Commission's report was wrong in law".
Subsequent career
In 1994 Nick Greiner was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday honours list "For service to public sector reform and management and to the community".He went on to hold directorships with many of Australia's leading companies. In 2011, he was Chairman of Bradken, Citigroup Australia, The Nuance Group, QBE Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance, Blue Star Print Group and Playup; and Deputy Chairman of CHAMP Private Equity. After Barry O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
was elected Premier in that year he appointed Greiner chairman of Infrastructure NSW
Infrastructure NSW
Infrastructure NSW was created by incoming New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell in 2011. The aim of the agency is to manage the delivery of state infrastructure projects. In May, O'Farrell appointed former Liberal Premier Nick Greiner as Chairman, and in June, Paul Broad was appointed as the...
.