Peter Keaston Reith, former Australian politician, was a Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and then a senior Cabinet minister in the first two terms of the Howard Government

Howard Government

The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...

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Reith was born in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 and educated at Brighton Grammar School

Brighton Grammar School

Brighton Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day school for boys, located in Brighton, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

 and Monash University

Monash University

Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....

 where he graduated with degrees in law and economics. He practised as a solicitor in Cowes

Cowes, Victoria

Cowes is the main township on Phillip Island in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It is less than 2 hours drive from Melbourne and can also be reached by ferry from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula. Cowes is located on the northern side of Phillip Island and faces towards French...

, a small town on Phillip Island, south east of Melbourne. He was first elected as a Councillor on Phillip Island Shire from 1976–1981 and was Shire President from 1980-1981.
Reith joined the 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...

 in a by-election in December 1982

Flinders by-election, 1982

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Flinders on 4 December 1982. This was triggered by the resignation of Liberal Party MP Phillip Lynch.The by-election was won by Liberal Party candidate Peter Reith...

, caused by the resignation of Sir Phillip Lynch

Phillip Lynch

Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch KCMG was an Australian Liberal politician.Lynch held the House of Representatives seat of Flinders from 1966 to 1982. Between 1968 and 1972, he served variously as Minister for the Army, Minister for Immigration, and Minister for Labour and National Service, under Prime...

, he was elected to 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....

 to represent the seat of Flinders

Division of Flinders

The Division of Flinders is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...

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