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Paul Whalan

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Not to be confused with Paul Whalen.

Paul Whalan
MLA
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
In office
4 March 1989 – 30 April 1990
Deputy Leader of the ACT Labor Party
In office
17 December 1988 – 30 April 1990
Succeeded byWayne Berry
Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
In office
11 May 1989 – 5 December 1989
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byBernard Collaery
Leader of the ACT Labor Party
In office
28 June 1985 – 30 June 1986
Preceded byMaurene Horder
Succeeded byRosemary Follett
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly for Canberra
In office
23 February 1977 – 30 June 1986
Preceded byGordon Walsh
Personal details
Born
Paul Russell Whalan

(1941-07-10) 10 July 1941 (age 83)
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor

Paul Russell Whalan (born 10 July 1941) is an Australian political lobbyist and former politician who was a member of the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. He served as the leader of the ACT Labor Party in the mid-1980s and was the leader of the party's Right faction.

Career

[edit]

Prior to entering politics, Whalan served as the ACT secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association and as a senaior advisor to five ministers in the Hawke federal government.[1][2]

In February 1977, Canberra MLA Gordon Walsh resigned from the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly (later known as the House of Assembly).[1] Walsh was appointed by Labor to fill the vacancy, and he was re-elected in his own right at the 1979 and 1982 elections. After the 1983 leadership spill that saw Maurene Horder defeat Ken Doyle, Labor MHAs elected Walsh as the party's caucus chairman.[3]

On 24 June 1985, Horder announced her resignation as leader and from the House of Assembly.[4] At a caucus meeting on 28 June, Walsh was one of at least three candidates to contest the leadership.[5] No candidate initially had a majority, but on the final ballot, Whalan emerged victorious and became Labor leader.[5]

Following the dissolution of the House of Assembly on 30 June 1986, Labor was left without a formal leader.[6][7] Ahead of the 1989 ACT election, the first under self-government, the party held a preselection to decide its 11 candidates.[8] Whalan was seen as a favourite for the leadership based on the strength of the Labor Right faction, although the majority of members did not belong to any faction.[9][10] However, Labor Left leader Rosemary Follett narrowly defeated Whalan by a margin of just 14 votes.[11][12] Whalan became Labor's deputy leader.[11]

Just days before the 1989 election, Whalan planned to challenge Follett for the leadership if enough Right faction members were elected, even if Labor won government.[13] However, he instead decided to let Follett handle the difficulties of the first term, after which he would mount a challenge in the lead up to the next election.[13]

Whalan was elected at the 1989 election and became the first deputy chief minister on 16 May 1989.[14] He also served as the first minister with responsibilities for industry, employment and education in the Follett government. He lost these positions in December 1989 when the Residents Rally successfully moved a no-confidence motion in Follett, which led to the creation of the Alliance government.[15][16]

Ultimately, Whalan never officially challenged Follett and resigned from the Legislative Assembly on 30 April 1990, citing a decision not to give pay rises to MLAs such as himself.[17][18] Outside of parliament, Whalan criticised Follett and Labor Left, and threatened to challenge sitting federal Labor MP John Langmore for his seat of Fraser.[19]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Union man gets Assembly post". The Canberra Times. 14 February 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Paul Whalan". Endeavour Consulting. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Labor Members change leader". The Canberra Times. 8 March 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  4. ^ Waterford, Jack (23 June 1985). "Horder tipped to resign". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Whalan new ALP leader in Assembly". The Canberra Times. 29 June 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  6. ^ Longhurst, Frank (18 June 1986). "The ACT's Assembly is laid to rest". The Canberra Times. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Whalan is appointed adviser on ACT". The Canberra Times. 30 July 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  8. ^ Campbell, Rod (19 December 1988). "ALP candidates accused of Left bias". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  9. ^ Fraser, Andrew (22 November 1988). "Whalan set to head ALP ticket". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  10. ^ Fraser, Andrew (22 November 1988). "Whalan set to head ALP ticket". The Canberra Times. p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b Fraser, Andrew (18 December 1988). "Follett leads Labor's ACT team". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  12. ^ Zakharov, Jeannie (27 December 1988). "Candidates discussing ACT coalition". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b Cumming, Fia (12 March 1989). "Whalan will not challenge now". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Chronological list of ministries" (PDF). ACT Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Hansard of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly" (PDF). hansard.act.gov.au. 5 December 1989. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  16. ^ "'Business-like' ministries". The Canberra Times. 8 December 1989. p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  17. ^ Mason, Leanne (6 April 1990). "Whalan resigns on 'pay principle'". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  18. ^ "MEMBERS OF THE ACT LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY" (PDF). ACT Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  19. ^ Bird, Megan (6 August 1990). "'Disgusted' with ACT Labor Left". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
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