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Unsworth ministry

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Unsworth ministry

79th Cabinet of Government of New South Wales
Premier Barrie Unsworth
Date formed4 July 1986 (1986-07-04)
Date dissolved21 March 1988 (1988-03-21)
People and organisations
MonarchQueen Elizabeth II
GovernorSir James Rowland
PremierBarrie Unsworth
Deputy PremierRon Mulock
No. of ministers20
Member partyLabor
Status in legislatureMajority Labor Government
Opposition partiesLiberalNational coalition
Opposition leaderNick Greiner
History
Outgoing election1988 New South Wales state election
PredecessorEighth Wran ministry
SuccessorFirst Greiner–Murray ministry

The Unsworth ministry was the 79th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 36th Premier of New South Wales, Barrie Unsworth, representing the Labor Party.

After the surprise announcement in June 1986 that Neville Wran MP would retire as Premier, NSW Labor Leader, and from Parliament with effect from 4 July 1986,[1] Unsworth, then a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, was elected as the leader of the NSW Labor Party and thus became Premier. However, by parliamentary convention, Premiers are members of the Legislative Assembly. In order for Unsworth to move from the Legislative Council to the Legislative Assembly, Brian Bannon, the member for Rockdale, resigned to accept a role as Chairman of the Homebush States Sport Centre Trust,[2] and Unsworth contested the resulting by-election held on 2 August 1986. He narrowly won the seat, with a 17.1% decline in the primary vote and independent preferences giving him a margin of just 54 votes.[3] A by-election for Wran's safe Labor seat of Bass Hill was even worse, with a 22.2 per cent decline in the primary vote delivering a 103–vote victory to the Liberal candidate.[3]

The ministry covers the period from 4 July 1986 when Unsworth was elected by Labor caucus as the NSW Labor Leader until 21 March 1988 when Labor suffered a landslide defeat at the state election by the LiberalNational coalition, led by Nick Greiner and Wal Murray. Unsworth did not contest the 1991 election.

Composition of ministry

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Fifteen of the twenty ministers retained some or all of their portfolios from the eighth Wran ministry.[a] There were two minor rearrangements of the ministry, in November 1986 with a new portfolio of Forests[b] and in November 1987, when Laurie Brereton resigned from the ministry,[4] triggering a reshuffle.[5][c][d][e]

Portfolio Minister Party Term commence Term end Term of office
Premier Barrie Unsworth   Labor 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Minister for State Development
Minister for Ethnic Affairs
Deputy Premier Ron Mulock[a]
Minister for Transport[e] 26 November 1987 1 year, 145 days
Terry Sheahan 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 116 days
Attorney General[e] Terry Sheahan[a] 4 July 1986 26 November 1987 1 year, 145 days
Ron Mulock 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 116 days
Minister Assisting the Premier Terry Sheahan 4 July 1986 26 November 1987 1 year, 145 days
Minister for Housing[a] Frank Walker 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Minister for the Arts
Minister for Public Works and Ports Laurie Brereton[a][c] 26 November 1987 1 year, 145 days
Minister for Roads
Minister for Public Works Peter Cox[c] 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 116 days
Minister Assisting the Premier
Minister for Industrial Relations[a] Pat Hills 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Minister for Employment
Minister for Health
Minister for the Drug Offensive
Peter Anderson
Treasurer Ken Booth[a]
Minister for Industry and Small Business[a] Peter Cox[d] 26 November 1987 1 year, 145 days
Minister for Energy and Technology[a]
Minister for Agriculture[a] Jack Hallam, MLC 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Minister for Lands
Vice-President of the Executive Council
Leader of the Government in Legislative Council
Minister for Forests[b] 5 November 1986 1 year, 137 days
Minister for Education Rodney Cavalier[a] 4 July 1986 21 March 1988 1 year, 261 days
Minister for Sport and Recreation[a] Michael Cleary
Minister for Racing
Minister for Tourism[a]
Minister for Police and Emergency Services George Paciullo[a]
Minister for Local Government[a] Janice Crosio
Minister for Water Resources
Minister for Finance[a] Bob Debus
Minister for Co-operative Societies
Assistant Minister for Education
Minister for Corrective Services[a] John Akister
Assistant Minister for Transport  
Janice Crosio   26 November 1987 116 days
Minister for Planning and Environment[a] Bob Carr 4 July 1986 1 year, 261 days
Minister for Heritage
Minister for Youth and Community Services John Aquilina
Assistant Minister for Ethnic Affairs
Minister for Mineral Resources[a] Ken Gabb 26 November 1987 1 year, 145 days
Minister for Minerals and Energy[d] 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 116 days
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 4 July 1986 1 year, 261 days
Minister for Consumer Affairs Deirdre Grusovin, MLC
Minister for Small Business[d] 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 116 days
Assistant Minister for Health[d]

  Ministers are members of the Legislative Assembly unless otherwise noted.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Retained portfolios from the eighth Wran ministry.
  2. ^ a b In November 1986 Jack Hallam was appointed to the new portfolio of Forests.
  3. ^ a b c Laurie Brereton resigned in November 1987 and Peter Cox replaced him as Minister for Public Works. Brereton's portfolio of Roads was abolished.
  4. ^ a b c d e Peter Cox's portfolios were abolished, with Ken Gabb appointed as Minister for Minerals and Energy and Deirdre Grusovin becoming Minister for Small Business. Grusovin was also appointed Assistant Minister for Health.
  5. ^ a b c Ron Mulock and Terry Sheahan swapped portfolios, with Mulock becoming Attorney General and Sheahan becoming Minister for Transport. Janice Crosio was also appointed Assistant Minister for Transport.

References

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  1. ^ "After Wran, the Unsworth push". The Sydney Morning Herald. Google. 9 June 1986. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  2. ^ Green, Antony. "Rockdale by-election 1986". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b "By-election bloodbaths". Crikey. 27 November 2005. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  4. ^ Boylen, Louise (26 November 1987). "Brereton quits in demotion protest". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Part 6 Ministries since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 March 2022.

 

Preceded by Unsworth ministry
1986–1988
Succeeded by