Peter Howson (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Howson, CMG
(22 May 1919 – 1 February 2009) was an Australian politician.
, and was educated at Stowe School
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. During World War II, he served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a pilot from 1940 to 1946, and was Mentioned in Despatches for his service.
Howson was the Liberal Party of Australia
member for the House of Representatives
seat of Fawkner
from his defeat of William Bourke at the 1955 election
until its abolition before the 1969 election
. He was then elected as the member for Casey
. He was appointed Minister for Air
in June 1964 in Robert Menzies
' last ministry
.
In 1967, Harold Holt
's government was attacked over allegations that it had misused the VIP aircraft fleet
for ministers' private purposes. When asked to table records on the fleet's movements, Holt and Howson refused and implied that they did not exist, but Senator John Gorton
later found that the records did exist and tabled them in the Senate
. When Gorton became Prime Minister
, on 10 January 1968, he retained Howson in his ministry
, but after he won a seat in the House of Representatives he carried out a Cabinet
reshuffle on 28 February 1968 and dropped Howson from the ministry.
Expecting to be rewarded for his support of McMahon during Gorton's ministry, Howson was disappointed when he was appointed in March 1971 to a portfolio no one in the McMahon Ministry
wanted, Australia's first Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts
and was controversially reported as commenting: "The little bastard
(McMahon) gave me trees, boongs and pooftas
". Howson was defeated by Labor
's Race Mathews
at the 1972 election
.
Howson is one of the few Australian politicians to have written and published a diary recording the events during his period as a parliamentarian and as a Minister.
Howson was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1980 for services to Parliament. He was also awarded the Centenary Medal
in 2001 for long and devoted service to improving conditions for Indigenous people.
Howson was active as a commentator on Australia's indigenous people
, strongly supporting their Cultural assimilation
and deriding the Stolen Generations as a "silly fairy tale".
Howson died in Geelong
after suffering complications from a fall.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(22 May 1919 – 1 February 2009) was an Australian politician.
Biography
Howson was born in London, England in 1919 to Jessie and George Arthur HowsonGeorge Arthur Howson
Major George Arthur Howson MC was an officer in the British Army in the First World War, and later the founder and chairman of the Royal British Legion Poppy Factory.-Early life:...
, and was educated at Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. During World War II, he served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a pilot from 1940 to 1946, and was Mentioned in Despatches for his service.
Howson was the Liberal Party of Australia
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 for 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....
seat of Fawkner
Division of Fawkner
The Division of Fawkner was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1906 , and was abolished itself in 1969. It was named for John Pascoe Fawkner, one of the founders of Melbourne. It was located in the inner southern suburbs of Melbourne, including at various...
from his defeat of William Bourke at the 1955 election
Australian federal election, 1955
Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 December 1955. All 122 seats in the House of Representatives, and 30 of the 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies with coalition partner the Country Party...
until its abolition before the 1969 election
Australian federal election, 1969
Federal elections were held in Australia on 25 October 1969. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia John Gorton with coalition partner the Country Party led by John McEwen defeated the Australian...
. He was then elected as the member for Casey
Division of Casey
The Division of Casey is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1969 and is named for Richard Casey, who was Governor-General of Australia 1965-69. It is located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and includes the suburbs of Croydon, Montrose and Olinda...
. He was appointed Minister for Air
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 June 1964 in Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
' last ministry
Tenth Menzies Ministry
The Tenth Menzies Ministry was the forty-first Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 18 December 1963 to 21 January 1966.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:...
.
In 1967, Harold Holt
Harold Holt
Harold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
's government was attacked over allegations that it had misused the VIP aircraft fleet
Royal Australian Air Force VIP aircraft
The Royal Australian Air Force has operated a number of specialised aircraft to transport members of the Royal Family, the Governor General of Australia, senior members of the Australian government, and other dignitaries....
for ministers' private purposes. When asked to table records on the fleet's movements, Holt and Howson refused and implied that they did not exist, but Senator John Gorton
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
later found that the records did exist and tabled them in the 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,...
. When Gorton became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, on 10 January 1968, he retained Howson in his ministry
First Gorton Ministry
The First Gorton Ministry was the forty-fifth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 10 January 1968 to 12 November 1969.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon John Gorton, MP: Prime Minister...
, but after he won a seat in the House of Representatives he carried out a Cabinet
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
reshuffle on 28 February 1968 and dropped Howson from the ministry.
Expecting to be rewarded for his support of McMahon during Gorton's ministry, Howson was disappointed when he was appointed in March 1971 to a portfolio no one in the McMahon Ministry
McMahon Ministry
The McMahon Ministry was the forty-seventh Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 10 March 1971 to 5 December 1972.Liberal Party of Australia–Australian Country Party Coalition-Cabinet:*Rt Hon William McMahon, MP: Prime Minister...
wanted, Australia's first Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is Tony Burke, who took over from Peter Garrett . The Minister and department change took effect in the Second Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010...
and was controversially reported as commenting: "The little bastard
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
(McMahon) gave me trees, boongs and pooftas
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
". Howson was defeated by 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...
's Race Mathews
Race Mathews
Charles Race Thorson Mathews, always known as Race Mathews is a Co-operative economist, and former member of Victoria's State Parliament and Australia's Federal Parliament for the Australian Labor Party...
at the 1972 election
Australian federal election, 1972
Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 December 1972. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The Liberal Party of Australia had been in power since 1949, under Prime Minister of Australia William McMahon since March 1971 with coalition partner the Country Party...
.
Howson is one of the few Australian politicians to have written and published a diary recording the events during his period as a parliamentarian and as a Minister.
Howson was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1980 for services to Parliament. He was also awarded the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
in 2001 for long and devoted service to improving conditions for Indigenous people.
Howson was active as a commentator on Australia's indigenous people
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, strongly supporting their Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
and deriding the Stolen Generations as a "silly fairy tale".
Howson died in Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
after suffering complications from a fall.