Stephen Baker (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Baker was an Australia
n politician, representing the Liberal Party of Australia
in the electoral district of Waite
, formerly Mitcham
in the South Australian House of Assembly
. He served as Deputy Premier of South Australia
between 14 December 1993 and 27 November 1996 to Premier Dean Brown
.
Hailing from the moderate faction in his party, he won the seat of Mitcham at the 1982 state election
from Democrat
MP Heather Southcott
, the only single-member lower house seat anywhere in Australia to be held by a Democrat. Baker became Treasurer in the Dean Brown
Liberal government after the 1993 state election, but was deposed as deputy leader in favour of Graham Ingerson
when John Olsen
was successful in a November 1996 leadership coup. Baker announced his retirement two months before the 1997 state election, which some interpreted as an act of revenge. The hastily conducted preselection resulted in a win for the conservative faction, whose candidate Martin Hamilton-Smith
defeated moderate Robert Lawson, which prompted Brown to complain of interference by federal conservative MPs Nick Minchin
, Grant Chapman
and Andrew Southcott
.
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, representing 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...
in the electoral district of Waite
Electoral district of Waite
Waite is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after Peter Waite, a 19th entrepreneur and philanthropist in the current area of the electorate, it is a 30.6km² urban electorate in Adelaide's inner south-eastern suburbs, taking in the...
, formerly Mitcham
Electoral district of Mitcham (South Australia)
Mitcham was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1938 to 1993. The district was based in the south-eastern suburbs of Adelaide....
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 :...
. He served as Deputy Premier of South Australia
Deputy Premier of South Australia
The Deputy Premier of South Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of South Australia. The Deputy Premiership is a ministerial portfolio, and the Deputy Premier is appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Premier....
between 14 December 1993 and 27 November 1996 to Premier Dean Brown
Dean Brown
Dean Craig Brown, AO was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002 to Rob Kerin.-Political career:...
.
Hailing from the moderate faction in his party, he won the seat of Mitcham at the 1982 state election
South Australian state election, 1982
State elections were held in Australia on November 6, 1982. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Premier of South Australia David Tonkin was defeated by the Australian Labor Party led by Leader of the Opposition...
from Democrat
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
MP Heather Southcott
Heather Southcott
Heather Southcott was an Australian politician, representing the electoral district of Mitcham in the South Australian House of Assembly for the Australian Democrats....
, the only single-member lower house seat anywhere in Australia to be held by a Democrat. Baker became Treasurer in the Dean Brown
Dean Brown
Dean Craig Brown, AO was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002 to Rob Kerin.-Political career:...
Liberal government after the 1993 state election, but was deposed as deputy leader in favour of Graham Ingerson
Graham Ingerson
Graham Alexander Ingerson is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the South Australian House of Assembly between 1983 and 2002, Deputy Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 7 July 1998 to Premier John Olsen and represented the very safe...
when John Olsen
John Olsen
John Wayne Olsen, AO was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001.-Parliament:Olsen was a member of the Liberal Party and Member of Parliament for more than 20 years...
was successful in a November 1996 leadership coup. Baker announced his retirement two months before the 1997 state election, which some interpreted as an act of revenge. The hastily conducted preselection resulted in a win for the conservative faction, whose candidate Martin Hamilton-Smith
Martin Hamilton-Smith
Martin Leslie James Hamilton-Smith is the member for the electoral district of Waite in the South Australian House of Assembly since 1997...
defeated moderate Robert Lawson, which prompted Brown to complain of interference by federal conservative MPs Nick Minchin
Nick Minchin
Nicholas Hugh "Nick" Minchin is a former Australian politician, serving as a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing South Australia from July 1993 to June 2011, and a former cabinet minister in the Howard Government....
, Grant Chapman
Grant Chapman
Hedley Grant Pearson Chapman is an Australian politician.Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Chapman was educated at the University of Adelaide and worked as a marketing executive in the oil industry and a self-employed management consultant prior to gaining Liberal Party pre-selection for the...
and Andrew Southcott
Andrew Southcott
Andrew John Southcott MP is an Australian politician and medical practitioner. He has been the Liberal Party member for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Boothby, South Australia, since the 1996 election.-Early life:...
.