Alan Carpenter

Infobox_President | name =Hon. Alan Carpenter, MLA
nationality =Australian
order =28th Premier of Western Australia
term_start =25 January 2006
term_end =23 September 2008
deputy =
predecessor =Geoff Gallop
successor =Colin Barnett

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caption =Alan Carpenter delivering a speech at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Baton Relay, Kings Park.
birth_date =Birth date and age|1957|1|4|df=y
birth_place =Albany, Western Australia
death_date =
death_place =
constituency =Willagee
party =Australian Labor Party
spouse =Annmarie de Costa
profession =Journalist
religion =


footnotes =

Alan John Carpenter (born 4 January 1957), Australian politician, was the 28th Premier of Western Australia from 26 January 2006 until 23 September 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop. His government was defeated at the 2008 election and on 14 September 2008, he conceded defeat and announced that he would resign as leader of the Labor Party. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/14/2364032.htm] He was succeeded by he leader of the Liberal Party, Colin Barnett, on 23 September 2008. [ [http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=99212 Barnett sworn in as WA's 29th Premier] , The West Australian, 23 September 2008]

Carpenter represents the Electoral district of Willagee in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly and prior to becoming Premier of the Government of Western Australia he was Minister for State Development and Minister for Energy (2005-2006), Minister for Education and Training (2003-2005) and Minister for Education and Indigenous Affairs (2001-2003).

Education

Carpenter was born in Albany, Western Australia, then moving to Perth, and was educated at Claremont Primary School. After graduating in 1974, he travelled Australia, working a variety of different jobs before returning in 1977 to study political science at the University of Western Australia and graduated in 1979.

Media career

Carpenter began working for the "Albany Advertiser" as a journalist. In 1982 he travelled overseas, spending 11 months in Asia and then moving to Europe, where he worked in various jobs for three years. He returned to Australia in 1986, and began working for the Perth television station TVW-7 as a reporter on politics within the state. In 1990 Carpenter moved to the ABC, continuing his role as state political reporter in his new job. He moved up through the ranks in the ABC, acting as the Western Australian presenter of "The 7.30 Report" in 1992, and moving on to become the first presenter of "Stateline" in 1996.

Politics

He resigned from the ABC in 1996 to begin a career in politics, and was preselected by the ALP to run for the new seat of Willagee, which he won. During his time in parliament he has held many portfolios, including (as Shadow Minister) Disability Services, Sport & Recreation, Family & Children's Services, Education, Drugs, and (as Government Minister) Education, Sport & Recreation, Indigenous Affairs, Education and Training, State Development, and Energy.

Carpenter was a cabinet minister in the Gallop government, and when Gallop resigned as a result of depression in January 2006, he instantly emerged as a leading candidate to succeed him. With the decisions of potential rivals Jim McGinty and Michelle Roberts to withdraw from the race, he was elected unopposed as Premier by the Labor caucus on 24 January.

Since November 2006, he removed three cabinet ministers in four months for impropriety exposed by the Corruption and Crime Commission involving former WA Premier Brian Burke. Nevertheless, Carpenter's "no-nonsense" approach in dealing with this issue found support with the Western Australian public, based on his 60% approval rating in late March 2007 (making him one of Australia's most popular state leaders, along with South Australian Premier Mike Rann). [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21466173-5006789,00.html Carpenter builds support | The Australian ] ] Late 2007 saw dissatisfaction rise with satisfaction falling, however the Preferred Premier figure stayed reletively the same on 63-13, compared to Omodei's dissatisfaction rising but a stagnant low satisfaction rate. Two party preferred polling of 49 percent for Labor saw a swing against them. [ [http://www.newspoll.com.au/image_uploads/1206%20wa%207-1-08.pdf Newspoll 07/01/08:Quarterly reading of Western Australia voting intention and leaders’ ratings] ]

Carpenter called a state election the day after Opposition Leader Troy Buswell stood aside for Colin Barnett, following a number of scandals involving Buswell. This election was set for for 6 September 2008, five months earlier than was due [ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/07/2327923.htm, http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=89714] .

During the election campaign, Alan Carpenter promised a ban on uranium mining in Western Australia if elected, reversing previous ALP policy - the ALP having rejected a Greens-initiated bill to ban uranium mining in April 2008. However, the Socialist Alliance candidate Julie Gray argued that the lack of ALP influence in the Upper House would make such a promise hard to implement. [cite news |author=Michael Rowney |title=WA ALP promises uranium ban |url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/765/39500 |work=greenleft.org.au |date=2008-08-30 |accessdate=2008-08-31 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ]

The election saw a substantial swing in most seats away from Carpenter's Labor Party, towards the Liberal and Green Parties, resulting in a hung Parliament. Under pressure to resign as Parliamentary Labor leader, Carpenter began negotiations with the National Party with a view to forming a minority government, however the Nationals ultimately decided to support the Liberals in forming a minority government. As a result, Alan Carpenter will be succeeded by Colin Barnett as Western Australian Premier. He stood down as State Parliamentary leader of the Labor Party following this announcement by the Nationals.

Personal

Carpenter is married to Annmarie de Costa, and has four daughters, Grace, Claudia, Isabelle and Ava.

References