Bevan Lawrence
Bevan Ernest Lawrence, a retired Western Australian barrister and Liberal[1] political campaigner, is the older brother of Carmen Lawrence, a former Labor premier of Western Australia. In the 1980s he was a convenor of two notable lobby groups that influenced the course of government at federal and state levels.
Education and profession
[edit]Lawrence attended Aquinas College and studied law at the University of Western Australia, graduating in 1966. He commenced practising in 1968, specialising in insurance law.
Political activism
[edit]In 1987, he was a spokesperson for People Against the Australia Card, a lobby group he founded with Professor Martyn Webb, which organised a public rally of over 40,000 people through the centre of Perth in September 1987 in a synchronised national protest that led to abandonment of the relevant legislation by the Hawke government. The issue had been a trigger for the 1987 double-dissolution election.[2]
People for Fair and Open Government (PFOG) was established by Lawrence in 1989[3] shortly after the re-election of a Labor state government led by Peter Dowding earlier that year. Group members included Paddy O'Brien,[4] who was a celebrated public figure of the group.[5]
The group was formed after earlier Labor governments, led by Brian Burke, had made questionable deals with business groups, a situation commonly referred to as WA Inc. By early 1990 Carmen Lawrence had replaced Dowding as premier[6] and the terms of reference for an inquiry into the dealings were delivered to her by PFOG in mid-1990; a Royal Commission of Inquiry was announced in November the same year.[7]
The public stances by the brother and sister over issues created a trail of news stories about them.[8][9]
In 1991 Lawrence published what he regarded as a conservative itemisation of the government's actual losses. The total he estimated as A$877 million.[10]: p389
Lawrence also wrote reviews of books about corruption and government at the time, in other Australian states such as Queensland.[11]
Lawrence was regularly mentioned in federal politicians' comments about the Royal Commission, as well as political overviews of the era.[12][13][14]
As a long term resident of Nedlands he has been instrumental in supporting sport in his area as well as being a councillor of the City of Nedlands.[15][16] He also kept up public arguments with the status quo well into the late stages of his career.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Lawrence, Bevan (30 April 2022). The Party Member or the Independent. Post Newspapers, p. 12
- ^ Nolan, Tanya (9 June 2003). "Constitutional and electoral experts concerned over proposed Senate reforms". The World Today. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ "Lawyers will try to defeat WA Government". The Canberra Times. 21 October 1989. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ Lawrence, Bevan (2002), "Paddy's vision and the campaign to expose and combat WA Inc", Power and Freedom in Modern Politics: 89–104, 231, 243–248, ISBN 978-1-876268-79-4
- ^ Moon, Jeremy; Stone, Bruce, 1953- (2002), Power and freedom in modern politics, University of Western Australia Press, ISBN 978-1-876268-79-4
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Dowding returns for showdown WA Premier begins battle to save his job". The Canberra Times. Vol. 64, no. 20, 026. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 February 1990. p. 2. Retrieved 30 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.—noting the article cites Bevan Lawrence as leads an anti-government lobby group
- ^ Lawrence, Bevan. "W.A. Inc.: Why Didn't We Hear The Alarm Bells?". Samuel Griffith Society. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ Thompson, Glenda (12 June 1990), "Feud in the west: Lawrence v Lawrence", Bulletin (Sydney) (12 June 1990): 98–101, ISSN 1440-7485
- ^ "Siblings wrestle WA constitution". The Canberra Times. Vol. 64, no. 20, 113. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 7 May 1990. p. 4. Retrieved 30 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ O'Brien P. and Webb M. The Executive State--WA Inc & The Constitution, Constitutional Press (Perth) 1991. ISBN 0-646-04875-9;
- ^ Lawrence, Bevan (1 June 1991), "Corruption and Reform: The Fitzgerald Vision", University of Western Australia Law Review, 21 (n1), University of Western Australia (Australia): 201–204, ISSN 0042-0328 of the book Queensland. Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct; Prasser, Scott (ed.); Prasser, Scott, 1954-; Nethercote, J. R. (John Raymond); Wear, Rae, 1950- (1990), Corruption and reform : the Fitzgerald vision, University of Queensland Press, ISBN 978-0-7022-2234-4
{{citation}}:|author2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ The Lawrence Government: Perspective by David Black at john.curtin.edu.au
- ^ Western Australia. Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters; Wilson, Roland Darling, Sir; Kennedy, G. A; Brinsden, Peter Frederick; Government of Western Australia (1992), Report of the Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and other Matters, Government Printer, retrieved 30 October 2016
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Stone, Bruce (1993), "Accountability reform in Australia: the WA Inc Royal Commission in context", Australian Quarterly, 65 (2): 17–30, doi:10.2307/20635717, ISSN 0005-0091, JSTOR 20635717
- ^ Bevan protecting his turf Western Suburbs Weekly at Pressreader, 17 November 2015
- ^ Bevan Lawrence—a sense of belonging through sport at City of Nedlands website
- ^ Sunday Trade Is a Health Hazard at The West Australian, 9 August 2011