Peter Walsh (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Alexander Walsh AO
(born 11 March 1935) is a former Australia
n senator
and Labor
politician from 1974 to 1993.
Walsh grew up in Doodlakine
, Western Australia
, where he was a wheat and sheep farmer. He was elected to the Australian Senate
in 1974, and served as Minister for Resources and Energy
from 1983 to 1984 and Finance Minister from 1984 to 1990. He was noted for his pro-free market
views.
In his 1995 memoir
s, Confessions of a Failed Finance Minister, Walsh was critical of his colleagues and of political processes in general for failing to curb what he saw as wasteful government expenditure, and unnecessary government intervention.
After leaving politics, he was a columnist for the Australian Financial Review and was particularly critical of environmentalism
. He was one of the founders of the Lavoisier Group
which opposes the Kyoto protocol
on global warming
. In a speech given in Adelaide
on 20 February 2006, Clive Hamilton
(director of The Australia Institute
) identifies Walsh as one of his list of Australia's climate change "dirty dozen", a group of climate change sceptics with considerable influence over Australian Government policy. Walsh has also expressed criticism over Rudd's National Broadband Network scheme.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 11 March 1935) is a former Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
and Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
politician from 1974 to 1993.
Walsh grew up in Doodlakine
Doodlakine, Western Australia
Doodlakine is located 220 km ENE of Perth, Western Australia. It is situated within the Shire of Kellerberrin along the Great Eastern Highway. The town also contains a crossing loop for trains on the Perth to Kalgoorlie railway, and serves as a stop on the Avonlink rural train service.The area...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, where he was a wheat and sheep farmer. He was elected to the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in 1974, and served as Minister for Resources and Energy
Minister for Resources and Energy (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Resources and Energy is Martin Ferguson, appointed on 3 December 2007. The Minister administers his portfolios through the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.-List of Ministers for Resources:...
from 1983 to 1984 and Finance Minister from 1984 to 1990. He was noted for his pro-free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
views.
In his 1995 memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s, Confessions of a Failed Finance Minister, Walsh was critical of his colleagues and of political processes in general for failing to curb what he saw as wasteful government expenditure, and unnecessary government intervention.
After leaving politics, he was a columnist for the Australian Financial Review and was particularly critical of environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
. He was one of the founders of the Lavoisier Group
Lavoisier Group
The Lavoisier Group is an organisation based in Australia that promotes scepticism of current scientific consensus on global warming. The organisation questions the fears of the effects of global warming, the idea that human activity causes it, and the wisdom of policies designed to curtail it...
which opposes the Kyoto protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. In a speech given in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
on 20 February 2006, Clive Hamilton
Clive Hamilton
Clive Charles Hamilton AM FRSA is an Australian public intellectual and Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics and the Vice-Chancellor's Chair in Public Ethics at Charles Sturt University. He is the Founder and former Executive Director of the The...
(director of The Australia Institute
The Australia Institute
The Australia Institute is a left wing Australian think tank conducting public policy research, funded by grants from philanthropic trusts, memberships and commissioned research....
) identifies Walsh as one of his list of Australia's climate change "dirty dozen", a group of climate change sceptics with considerable influence over Australian Government policy. Walsh has also expressed criticism over Rudd's National Broadband Network scheme.