Gordon Hill (politician)

Gordon Leslie Hill (born 16 May 1951) is a former Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1982 to 1994. He served as a minister in the governments of Brian Burke, Peter Dowding, and Carmen Lawrence.


Gordon Hill
Member of the Legislative Assembly
of Western Australia
In office
13 March 1982  19 February 1983
Preceded byJohn Skidmore
Succeeded byNone (abolished)
ConstituencySwan
In office
19 February 1983  4 August 1994
Preceded byNone (new creation)
Succeeded byRhonda Parker
ConstituencyHelena
Personal details
Born (1951-05-16) 16 May 1951
Collie, Western Australia
Political partyLabor
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia
Murdoch University

Early life

Hill was born in Collie, in Western Australia's South West region. He attended Collie Senior High School before going on to Claremont Teachers College and the University of Western Australia, where he trained as a schoolteacher. Hill left the teaching profession in 1975 to work as a research officer with the Federal Minister for the Environment, Joe Berinson. He had joined the Labor Party in 1967. He served as State campaign coordinator in 1976/77 and assistant state secretary in Western Australia from 1977 to 1983. He was also a member of the Federated Miscellaneous Workers' Union.[1]

Politics

Hill was elected to parliament at the 1982 Swan by-election, necessitated by the resignation of the sitting member, John Skidmore. He transferred to the new seat of Helena at the 1983 state election, which he would hold for the rest of his time in parliament.[2] Hill was made a government whip after the 1983 election. After the 1986 election he was initially chairman of the Public Accounts and Expenditure Review Committee before being elevated to the ministry as Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs. After Peter Dowding became premier in 1988, he lost the police portfolio to Ian Taylor and was instead made Minister for Employment and Training.[1] He retained Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs and also gained Technical and Further Education.

In a cabinet reshuffle after the 1989 state election, Hill lost the employment and training portfolio and instead became Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Fisheries. He again switched portfolios when Carmen Lawrence became premier in February 1990, with his titles being Minister for Fisheries, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Youth, and Minister for Sport and Recreation. Hill lost all but the fisheries, trade and investment portfolios in a February 1991 reshuffle, but was additionally made Minister for Mines. He held the mines, fisheries and trade and investment portfolios until Labor's defeat at the 1993 state election, and was also Minister for the Mid-West from February 1991 to September 1992.[1]

Hill continued on in the shadow ministry until August 1994, when he resigned from parliament.[1] He had only narrowly defeated the Liberal candidate, Rhonda Parker, at the 1993 election, and Parker went on to win Helena at the resulting by-election, defeating Labor's Joe Bullock.[2]

Later life

After his retirement, Hill gained a law degree from Murdoch University and established a legal practice in Dunsborough.[1] He taught Law at Notre Dame University. He was a director of Firepower International for six months, chairman and director of Goldstar Resources, New Standard Exploration and Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd.

References

  1. Gordon Leslie Hill – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  2. Black, David; Prescott, Valerie (1997). Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996. Perth, [W.A.]: Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission. ISBN 0730984095.
Parliament of Western Australia
Preceded by
John Skidmore
Member for Swan
1982–1983
Abolished
New creation Member for Helena
1983–1994
Succeeded by
Rhonda Parker
Political offices
Preceded by
Bob Pearce
Minister for Police and Emergency Services
1986–1988
Succeeded by
Ian Taylor
Preceded by
Kay Hallahan
Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs
1986–1990
Succeeded by
Carmen Lawrence
Preceded by
Peter Dowding
Minister for Employment and Training
1988–1989
Succeeded by
Gavan Troy
Preceded by
Jeff Carr
Minister for Regional Development
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Pam Buchanan
Preceded by
Julian Grill
Minister for Fisheries
1989–1993
Succeeded by
Monty House
Preceded by
Kay Hallahan
Minister for Local Government
1990–1991
Succeeded by
David Smith
Preceded by
Graham Edwards
Minister for Youth
1990–1991
Abolished
Preceded by
Graham Edwards
Minister for Sport and Recreation
1990–1991
Succeeded by
Graham Edwards
Preceded by
Jeff Carr
Minister for Mines
1991–1993
Succeeded by
George Cash
Preceded by
Jeff Carr
Minister for the Mid-West
1991–1992
Succeeded by
Ian Taylor
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