Peter Anderson (politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Thomas Anderson a former Australia
n politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Nepean
between 1978 and 1981, Penrith
between 1981 and 1988, and Liverpool
between 1989 and 1995 for the Australian Labor Party
. During his parliamentary career, Anderson held a range of portfolios including Minister for Health
, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
, Minister for Youth and Community Services, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Police and Emergency Services
between 1981 and 1988.
, the son of Keith Anderson
, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Paddington-Waverley between 1961 and 1962, and Kath Anderson
, who was a member of the Legislative Council
between 1973 and 1981.
Anderson was educated at Woollahra Public School and Sydney Boys High School
and joined the Labor party at age 16. He served in the New South Wales Police Force from 1967 until 1977 and eventually became a Police prosecutor
. He subsequently worked in the office of the Minister for Justice Ron Mulock
. Anderson was an alderman on the Penrith City Council from 1977 until 1983 and the Deputy Mayor in 1977-79.
, Anderson won Labor Paty pre-selection for the seat of Nepean. At the subsequent election, which was a landslide victory for the Labor, Anderson defeated the sitting Liberal Party
member, Ron Rofe. However, he represented the electorate for only one term as it was abolished in a redistribution before the 1981 election
. Anderson then represented the seat of Penrith replacing the previous member, Mulock, who moved to the seat of St Marys
. In a shock result, Anderson lost the previously safe Labor seat at the 1988 election
to the Liberal's Guy Matheson
.
Anderson's exile from state parliament was short lived. In February 1989 the member for Liverpool, George Paciullo
resigned after losing a caucus ballot for leadership of Labor and Leader of the opposition
. This resulted in a bitter pre-selection struggle among local party members for the ensuing by-election. Support was divided between Mark Latham
from Labor's Centre Unity
faction and the left's Paul Lynch
. Intervention from the party's central office resulted in Anderson being imposed as the Labor candidate. Anderson was victorious at the by-election and the 1991 election
. However, he failed to cement support amongst his local party members and lost party pre-selection to Lynch prior to the 1995 election
. By this time Anderson was seen as an ambitious and divisive threat to Labor leader Bob Carr
and the party central office declined to intervene on his behalf or nominate him for the Legislative Council
. Anderson's public political career ended at the 1995 election but he was subsequently appointed Chairman of the New South Wales Tow Truck Authority.
In parliament Anderson was a prominent member of the right faction. His leadership aspirations became clear when he was the only declared challenger to Barrie Unsworth's
succession to Neville Wran
as Premier of New South Wales. He held prominent ministerial posts in the Wran and Unsworth Governments. He was the Minister for Police and Emergency Services from 1982 until 1986 and Minister for Corrective Services from 1983 until 1984. In 1986 he was the Minister for Local Government, Youth and Community Services and Aboriginal Affairs. In the Unsworth Government (1986–1988) he was the Minister for Health.
Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. In July 2010, the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioned an independent investigation into a number of complaints by nine of twelve staff alleging bullying, victimisation and inappropriate recruitment practices. The investigation concluded "the practice of relying on direct appointments and short-term appointments and making ad hoc appointments in the absence of any planned approach to staffing has led to justifiable perceptions that the processes of recruitment and selection are corrupt." The report found evidence of bullying, victimisation and conflicts of interest by Anderson.
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, was a member of 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...
representing Nepean
Electoral district of Nepean (New South Wales)
Nepean was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859, and named after the Nepean River. It was abolished in 1904 with the downsizing of the Assembly after Federation. Nepean was recreated in 1927 and abolished again in...
between 1978 and 1981, Penrith
Electoral district of Penrith
Penrith is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It has been represented by Stuart Ayres of the Liberal Party of Australia since the 2010 by-election...
between 1981 and 1988, and Liverpool
Electoral district of Liverpool
Liverpool is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's West. It is currently represented by Paul Lynch of the Australian Labor Party....
between 1989 and 1995 for 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...
. During his parliamentary career, Anderson held a range of portfolios including Minister for Health
Minister for Health (New South Wales)
The New South Wales Minister for Health has responsibilities which includes all hospitals and health services in NSW.The current Minister for Health is Jillian Skinner. She administers her portfolio through the Department of Health.-List of Ministers:...
, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs
The New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs is a department of the Government of New South Wales that is responsible for administering legislation in relation to NSW's policies that support indigenous Australians and advising the Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal...
, Minister for Youth and Community Services, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Police and Emergency Services
Minister for Police and Emergency Services (New South Wales)
The New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services has responsibilities which includes bus and ferry policy, contracting and regulation, rail policy, fares and concessions, and taxi and hire car policy and regulation...
between 1981 and 1988.
Early years and background
Anderson was born in Bondi JunctionBondi Junction, New South Wales
Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Junction is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Waverley....
, the son of Keith Anderson
Keith Anderson (Australian politician)
Keith Anderson was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1961 until 1962. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party....
, a member of 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...
representing Paddington-Waverley between 1961 and 1962, and Kath Anderson
Kath Anderson
Kathleen Harris "Kath" Anderson AM, née Hough was an Australian politician. She was a Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1973 to 1981...
, who was a member of the Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
between 1973 and 1981.
Anderson was educated at Woollahra Public School and Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective public secondary school for boys, located in the City of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with 1,180 students, from years 7 to 12...
and joined the Labor party at age 16. He served in the New South Wales Police Force from 1967 until 1977 and eventually became a Police prosecutor
Police prosecutor
In the judicial system of New Zealand, a police prosecutor is a lawyer employed by the police to present cases in district court, as the counsel for the prosecution. This may be a sworn member of the police or, in larger courts, a civilian lawyer employed as a non-sworn member of the police...
. He subsequently worked in the office of the Minister for Justice Ron Mulock
Ron Mulock
Ronald Joseph "Ron" Mulock was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.-Early years:...
. Anderson was an alderman on the Penrith City Council from 1977 until 1983 and the Deputy Mayor in 1977-79.
Political career
Prior to the 1978 electionNew South Wales state election, 1978
A general election was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 7 October 1978. The result was the "Wranslide": a landslide victory for the Australian Labor Party under Neville Wran....
, Anderson won Labor Paty pre-selection for the seat of Nepean. At the subsequent election, which was a landslide victory for the Labor, Anderson defeated the sitting Liberal Party
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...
member, Ron Rofe. However, he represented the electorate for only one term as it was abolished in a redistribution before the 1981 election
New South Wales state election, 1981
Elections were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 19 September 1981. The result was a second "Wranslide": a landslide victory for the Australian Labor Party under Neville Wran, in which the government increased its already sizeable majority.The Liberals suffered the double...
. Anderson then represented the seat of Penrith replacing the previous member, Mulock, who moved to the seat of St Marys
Electoral district of St Marys
St Marys was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1981 to 1988 and 1991 to 1999, which included the suburb of St Marys and replaced Mount Druitt. It was abolished in 1999.-Members for St Marys:...
. In a shock result, Anderson lost the previously safe Labor seat at the 1988 election
New South Wales state election, 1988
Elections to the 49th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 19 March 1988. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
to the Liberal's Guy Matheson
Guy Matheson
Guy Matheson was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 until 1991. He was a member of the Liberal Party....
.
Anderson's exile from state parliament was short lived. In February 1989 the member for Liverpool, George Paciullo
George Paciullo
George Paciullo, OAM is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Liverpool in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1971 to 1989, and served as a minister from 1984 to 1988....
resigned after losing a caucus ballot for leadership of Labor 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...
. This resulted in a bitter pre-selection struggle among local party members for the ensuing by-election. Support was divided between Mark Latham
Mark Latham
Mark William Latham , an author and former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
from Labor's Centre Unity
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
faction and the left's Paul Lynch
Paul Lynch (politician)
Paul Gerard Lynch MP, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Liverpool since 1995 for the Australian Labor Party.-Early career and background:...
. Intervention from the party's central office resulted in Anderson being imposed as the Labor candidate. Anderson was victorious at the by-election and the 1991 election
New South Wales state election, 1991
Elections to the 50th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 May 1991. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
. However, he failed to cement support amongst his local party members and lost party pre-selection to Lynch prior to the 1995 election
New South Wales state election, 1995
Elections to the 51st Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 March 1995. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election. The minority Liberal Party of Australia-led Coalition government of Premier John Fahey was defeated by...
. By this time Anderson was seen as an ambitious and divisive threat to Labor leader Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
and the party central office declined to intervene on his behalf or nominate him for the Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. Anderson's public political career ended at the 1995 election but he was subsequently appointed Chairman of the New South Wales Tow Truck Authority.
In parliament Anderson was a prominent member of the right faction. His leadership aspirations became clear when he was the only declared challenger to Barrie Unsworth's
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:...
succession to 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...
as Premier of New South Wales. He held prominent ministerial posts in the Wran and Unsworth Governments. He was the Minister for Police and Emergency Services from 1982 until 1986 and Minister for Corrective Services from 1983 until 1984. In 1986 he was the Minister for Local Government, Youth and Community Services and Aboriginal Affairs. In the Unsworth Government (1986–1988) he was the Minister for Health.
Career after politics
In 2006, Anderson was appointed the Director of the Macquarie UniversityMacquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. In July 2010, the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioned an independent investigation into a number of complaints by nine of twelve staff alleging bullying, victimisation and inappropriate recruitment practices. The investigation concluded "the practice of relying on direct appointments and short-term appointments and making ad hoc appointments in the absence of any planned approach to staffing has led to justifiable perceptions that the processes of recruitment and selection are corrupt." The report found evidence of bullying, victimisation and conflicts of interest by Anderson.