Victor Garland

Sir Ransley Victor Garland KBE (born 5 May 1934), usually known as Victor Garland or as Vic Garland, was an Australian politician. A former Liberal Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, he represented the Division of Curtin in Western Australia from April 1969 to January 1981. He was subsequently a high-ranking diplomat.

Born in Western Australia and raised in Perth, Garland was educated at the Hale School and the University of Western Australia, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts majoring in economics. He became an accountant like his father, before becoming involved in community affairs and serving on the Town of Claremont council. As Vice-President of the Liberal and Country League of Western Australia (the West Australian branch of the Liberal Party), he was elected to the House of Representatives in a by-election for the Curtin electorate, following the appointment of Sir Paul Hasluck in 1969 as Governor-General of Australia.

Garland held a number of ministerial roles during the William McMahon and Malcolm Fraser governments, starting as Minister for Supply (1971–1972) under McMahon until the Coalition's defeat by the Australian Labor Party in 1972. He served as Opposition Whip from June 1974 to March 1975.

When the Coalition regained power under Fraser's leadership, after the dismissal of the Whitlam government in 1975, Garland was made Minister for Post and Telecommunications (replacing the former Postmaster-General of Australia). Garland was forced to resign the ministry in 1976 after he was accused of committing electoral bribery offences [Hamer, David: [http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/pubs/hamer/chap04.htm Can Responsible Government Survive In Australia?] , Australian Senate, 2001.] , although the Chief Magistrate of the ACT dismissed the charges. For several months Garland remained a backbencher before being appointed Minister for Veterans' Affairs (1977–1978) [Fraser's initial choice was Senator Glenister Sheil. However, after Sheil publicly professed his support for the South African apartheid regime, which was very much at odds with the Fraser government’s position, Fraser decided not to proceed with Sheil’s appointment to the Ministry, and his appointment as an Executive Councillor was terminated. Garland was appointed in his place.] , Minister for Special Trade Representations (1978–1979) and Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs (1979–1980).

Garland resigned from parliament on 22 January 1981 – there had been a federal election in October of the previous year, at which the Fraser government had been returned to office despite a strong swing against it – and he served as Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1983. In 1982, he became a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE). Following his departure from the High Commissioner's post, he stayed in London, working as a director of several investment trusts. [ [http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms4989 Papers of Sir Ransley Victor Garland (1934- )] , National Library of Australia.]

References

Persondata
NAME=Garland, Victor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Garland, Ransley Victor
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH=5 May 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH=Western Australia, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=living
PLACE OF DEATH=