Stephen Philip Bracks (better known as Steve Bracks) (born 15 October 1954) is a former
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n politician, and the 44th
Premier of VictoriaBefore the 1890s, there was no formal party system in Victoria. Party labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. From the 1880s, until after Federation in 1901, Victorian politics were dominated by Protectionist Liberals, who were opposed by Free Trade Conservatives...
, holding the position for eight years, from 1999 to 2007.
Bracks was the first
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
Labor Premier of Victoria since 1932.
Early Life
Bracks was born in
BallaratBallarat is a city in Victoria, Australia, and Victoria's largest inland city. It is well-known for its history and heritage and is a major regional centre in the Goldfields region of Victoria....
, where his family owns a fashion business. A
Lebanese AustralianLebanese Australian refers to Lebanese people who are citizens or residents of Australia.Lebanon has been a source of immigrants to Australia over several decades, with 181,751 Australians claiming a Lebanese ancestry either alone or in combination with one other ancestry...
, Steve's paternal grandfather, whose family name was Barakat, came to Australia as a child from
ZahleZahlé is the capital of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 130,000 inhabitants, which makes it the 3rd largest city in Lebanon. The population of the city is almost entirely Christian, and in particular Greek Catholic. Zahle is called the bride of the Bekaa Valley...
in the
Beqaa ValleyBeqaa is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. The Romans considered the Beqaa Valley to be a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region.-Geography:The Beqaa is a fertile valley in Lebanon, located about 30 km east of Beirut...
of
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
in the
1890sThe 1890s were sometimes referred to as the "Mauve Decade," because William Henry Perkin's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the "Gay Nineties", under the then-current usage of the word "gay" which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no...
.
He was educated at
St Patrick's CollegeSt Patrick's College, sometimes referred to colloquially as St Pat's or SPC was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1893. It is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school, located in Ballarat, Australia. It provides education for boys from year 7 to year 12, with an emphasis on sporting and academic...
, Williamstown High School and
Ballarat College of Advanced EducationThe University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...
(now the
University of BallaratThe University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...
), where he graduated in business studies and education. He became a keen follower of
Australian rules footballAustralian football, also commonly referred to as Australian rules football, football, or Aussie rules, colloquially as footy, and historically as Australasian football or Victorian football, is a variant of football played between two teams of 18 players, plus four interchange players, outdoors on...
, supporting the
Geelong Football ClubGeelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, are a professional Australian rules football club named after and based in the city of Greater Geelong....
.
Pre-politics
From 1976 to 1981 Bracks was a school commerce teacher. During the 1980s he worked in local government in Ballarat and then as Executive Director of the Ballarat Education Centre. While in these positions he twice (1985 and 1988) contested the seat of Ballarat North in the
Victorian Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of Victoria in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne....
for the
Australian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party.Known as the ALP for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the 2007 federal election...
.
In 1989 Bracks was appointed statewide manager of Victorian state government employment programs, under the Labor government of
John CainJohn Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
. He then became an advisor to Cain, and to Cain's successor as Premier,
Joan KirnerJoan Elizabeth Kirner AM , Australian politician, was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, the first woman to hold the position, which she held for two years prior to a landslide election defeat.-Biography:...
. Here he was able to witness from the inside the collapse of the Labor government following the economic and budgetary crisis which began in 1988. This experience gave Bracks a very conservative and cautious view of economic management in government.
Following the defeat of the Kirner government by the
LiberalThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
leader
Jeff KennettHon Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of the Hawthorn Football Club. He was the founding Chairman, and now a Director, of beyondblue, a National Depression Initiative.- Early life :Kennett was...
in late 1992, Bracks became Executive Director of the Victorian Printing Industry Training Board. He quit this post in 1994 when Kirner resigned from Parliament and Bracks was elected for Kirner's seat of Williamstown in the western suburbs of Melbourne, where he now lives with his wife Terry and their three children.
Early days
Bracks was immediately elected to Labor's front bench, as Shadow Minister for Employment, Industrial Relations and Tourism. In 1996, after Labor under
John BrumbyJohn Mansfield Brumby, MLA , Australian Labor Party politician, is the 45th Premier of Victoria, assuming office on 30 July 2007 after the resignation of Steve Bracks...
was again defeated, he became Shadow Treasurer. In March 1999, when it became apparent that Labor was headed for another defeat under Brumby's leadership, Brumby resigned and Bracks was elected Opposition Leader.
First term as Premier
Political observers were almost unanimous that Bracks had no chance of defeating Liberal premier
Jeff KennettHon Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of the Hawthorn Football Club. He was the founding Chairman, and now a Director, of beyondblue, a National Depression Initiative.- Early life :Kennett was...
at the November 1999 election: polls gave Kennett a 60% popularity rating. Bracks and his senior colleagues (particularly Brumby, who comes from
BendigoBendigo is a regional city in central Victoria, Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. It is approximately 131 kilometres from the state capital of Melbourne. With a steadily growing urban population estimated at 88,031 Bendigo is currently the fourth most populous city in Victoria...
) campaigned heavily in regional areas, accusing Kennett of ignoring regional communities. In response, voters in regional areas deserted the Kennett government and Labor increased their seats from 29 to 42, with the Liberals and their
National PartyThe National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982...
allies retaining 43, and three falling to rural independents. With no party having a clear majority, the independents agreed to support a minority Labor government.
Former leader Brumby, appointed Treasurer, was regarded as a major part of the government's success. He and the Deputy Premier,
John ThwaitesJohn Thwaites may refer to:*John Thwaites *John Thwaites *John Anthony Thwaites , British art critic and author*Jack Thwaites, British-Australian conservationist...
, and the Attorney-General,
Rob HullsRobert Justin Hulls is the Deputy Premier of Victoria. He has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1996, representing the electorate of Niddrie...
, were regarded as the key ministers in the Bracks government.
Following a pre-1999 election commitment to consider the feasibility of introducing fast rail services to regional centres, in 2000 the government approved funding for the
Regional Fast Rail projectThe Regional Fast Rail project was a State Government initiative in Victoria, Australia, to decrease travel times on parts of the Victorian regional railway network...
, upgrading rail lines between Melbourne and Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Traralgon. However, in 2006 the Victorian Auditor General noted that in spite of $750 million spent, "We found that the delivery of more frequent fast rail services in the Geelong, Ballarat, and Bendigo corridors by the agreed dates was not achieved. In total, the journey time outcomes will be more modest than we would have expected with only a minority of travellers likely to benefit from significant journey time improvements. These outcomes occur because giving some passengers full express services means bypassing often large numbers of passengers at intermediate stations along the corridors."
On 14 December 2000, Steve Bracks released a document outlining his government's intent to introduce the
Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 was implemented by the Steve Bracks' Labor government in the state of Victoria, Australia. It was effective from 1 January 2002.-The Act:The explicit purposes of the Act are to;...
.
The major criticism of Bracks's first government was that their insistence on consultation stood in the way of effective, proactive government. Bracks, according to critics, achieved little, and lost the excitement of constant change that was characteristic of the Kennett years. The talents of some of the more junior ministers in the government were also questioned. Nevertheless Bracks got through his first term without major mishaps, and his popularity undiminished.
Second term as Premier
Labor won the 2002 election in a landslide, taking 62 seats out of 88 in the Legislative Assembly, and for the first time in Victorian history, a slim but clear majority in the
Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. It serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to its federal counterpart, the...
as well. While this was the greatest victory Labor had ever had in a Victorian state election, it brought with it considerable risks. With majorities in both houses Bracks could no longer cite his weak parliamentary position as an excuse for inaction. The trade unions, who traditionally feel a strong sense of ownership of Labor state governments, began to be more assertive and inflexible during 2003 and 2004.
On 28 August 2002, Bracks in conjunction with his then
New South Wales counterpartBefore the 1890s, there was no formal party system in New South Wales. Party labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. In the 1860s and 1870s, there was a fairly coherent "liberal" tendency, led first by Charles Cowper and then by Henry Parkes. Liberals generally favoured land...
Bob CarrRobert John Carr , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as Premier of New South Wales...
, opened the Mowamba
aqueductAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
between Jindabyne and
DalgetyDalgety may refer to:*Dalgety, New South Wales, a town in the Monaro Region of New South Wales, Australia*Dalgety Bay, a town in Fife, Scotland*Dalgety plc, a former British trading company...
, to divert 38 gigalitres of water a year from
Lake EucumbeneLake Eucumbene is a man-made lake on the Eucumbene River in the Snowy Mountains of Southern New South Wales in Australia. The lake was created by the damming of the river as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The dam was built between 1956 and 1958.Eucumbene Dam is an earthfill dam 116 metres...
to the Snowy and Murray rivers. The ten year plan cost AU$300million with
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
and NSW splitting the costs.
Melbourne WaterMelbourne Water is a government run organisation that controls much of the water system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia including the reservoirs, and the sewerage and drainage system that services the city.- Overview :...
has stated that within 50 years there will be 20 percent less water going into Victorian reservoirs.
In May 2003 Bracks broke an election promise and announced that the proposed Scoresby Freeway in Melbourne's eastern suburbs would be a tollway rather than a freeway, as promised at the 2002 elections. As well as risking a loss of support in marginal seats in eastern Melbourne, this decision brought about a strong response from the
HowardJohn Winston Howard, AC was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He is the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
Federal government, which cut off federal funding for the project on the grounds that the Bracks government had reneged on the terms of the federal-state funding agreement. The decision seems to have been on the recommendation of Brumby, who was concerned with the state's budgetary position. Also opposing the decision was the Federal Labor Opposition, which feared anti-Labor reaction at the 2004 Federal election. The then Opposition Leader
Mark LathamMark William Latham , a former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
described a meeting with Bracks and Federal shadow ministers, writing:
This backflip, whilst seen by many as an opportunity for the Liberals to make ground, saw the then leader of the Liberals,
Robert DoyleRobert Keith Bennett Doyle is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008...
, adopt a much-criticised policy of half tolls, which was later overturned by his successor,
Ted BaillieuEdward Norman Baillieu is an Australian politician. He is currently the Opposition Leader of Victoria, and a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Early history:...
.
In 2005, Bracks announced that Victorian cattlemen would be banned from using Victoria's "High Plains" to graze cattle, ending a 170 year tradition. Stockmen had been fearing this decision since 1984, when a Labor government excised land to create the
Alpine National ParkThe Alpine National Park is a national park in Victoria , northeast of Melbourne. It covers much of the higher areas of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, including Victoria's highest point, Mount Bogong and the associated subalpine woodland and grassland of the Bogong High Plains...
. 300 cattlemen rode horses down Bourke street in protest. Victorian National Party leader
Peter RyanPeter Ryan may refer to:*Peter Ryan , Formula One race driver from Canada*Peter Ryan , Commissioner of the New South Wales Police from 1996 until 2002...
was quoted as saying that Bracks had
"killed the man from Snowy River", a reference to the
Banjo PatersonAndrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was a famous Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his childhood...
poem "The Man from Snowy River."
Bracks's second government achieved one of Victorian Labor's longest-held goals with a complete reform of the state's system for electing its upper house. It saw the introduction of
proportional representationProportional representation , sometimes referred to as full representation, is a category of electoral formula aimed at securing a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive...
, with eight five-member regions replacing the current single-member constituencies. This system increases the opportunity for minor parties such as the
GreensAustralian Greens Victoria, also called the Victorian Greens, is a Green Party located in Victoria, a member of the federation of the Australian Greens party.- Electoral history :...
and
DLPThe Democratic Labour Party is a name used by many political parties:* Democratic Labour Party * Democratic Labour Party * Estonian Left Party* Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania* Democratic Labour Party...
to win seats in the Legislative Council, giving them a greater chance of holding the balance of power. Illustrating the historic importance Labor assigns to the changes, in a speech to a conference celebrating the 150th anniversary of the
Eureka StockadeThe rebellion at the Eureka Stockade was prompted by grievances over heavily priced mining items, the expense of a Miner's Licence, taxation without representation and the actions of the government and its agents...
, Bracks said it was "another victory for the aspirations of Eureka", and has described the changes as "his proudest achievement".
The staging of the
2006 Commonwealth GamesThe 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
, generally viewed as a success (albeit an expensive one) was viewed as a plus for Bracks and the government. With times reasonably good, a perception arguably reinforced by an extensive government advertising campaign selling the virtues of Victoria to Victorians, polls indicated little interest in change, although towards the end of the election campaign polling indicated that the Liberals under Baillieu were closing the gap.
Third term as Premier
The election campaign was a relatively low-key affair, with the Government and Bracks largely running on their record, as well as their plans to tackle infrastructure issues in their third term. Bracks' image loomed large in Labor's election advertising. Liberal attacks concentrated on the slow process of infrastructure development under Bracks (notably on water supply issues relating to the severe drought affecting Victoria in the election leadup), and new Liberal leader
Ted BaillieuEdward Norman Baillieu is an Australian politician. He is currently the Opposition Leader of Victoria, and a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Early history:...
promised to start construction on a range of new infrastructure initiatives, including a new dam on the
Maribyrnong RiverThe Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne, Victoria , near Mount Macedon. It flows generally southward and combines with the Yarra River to flow into Port Phillip....
and a desalination plant. Labor's broken election promise on Eastlink was also expected to be a factor in some seats in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
On 25 November 2006, Steve Bracks won his third election, comfortably defeating Baillieu to secure a third term, with a slightly reduced majority in the Lower House. This marked only the second time that the Victorian Labor Party had won a third term in office. His third term Cabinet was sworn in on 1 December 2006 with Bracks also holding the portfolio of Veterans' Affairs and Multicultural Affairs.
Resignation
Bracks announced his resignation as Premier on 27 July 2007, saying this was in order to spend more time with his family. He stepped down on 30 July 2007. According to the
ABCThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC", is Australia's national public broadcaster. With a total budget of AUD$1.13 Billion annually, the corporation provides television, radio, online and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, as well as...
Bracks had been under political and personal pressure in the weeks before his resignation. Alone among State Premiers he had refused to agree to the Federal Government's $10 billion
Murray-Darling BasinThe Murray-Darling Basin is a geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, which spans parts of the states of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is 3,375 km in length , drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most...
water conservation plan, and his son had been involved in an accident involving a charge of drunk driving. Bracks told a media conference he could no longer give a 100 per cent commitment to politics:
Bracks' deputy
John ThwaitesJohnstone William "John" Thwaites , Australian politician, was Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria from 1999 to 2007.-Early life and political career:...
announced his resignation on the same day. News of the resignations caused surprise to the general community as well as to politicians. It was revealed that then Federal Labor Leader
Kevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is the 26th and current Prime Minister of Australia and federal leader of the centre-left Australian Labor Party . Under Rudd's leadership, the Labor Party won the 2007 federal election on 24 November against the incumbent centre-right Liberal/National coalition government led...
, was informed only minutes before the announcement, and tried to talk Bracks out of his decision. Bracks' Treasurer
John BrumbyJohn Mansfield Brumby, MLA , Australian Labor Party politician, is the 45th Premier of Victoria, assuming office on 30 July 2007 after the resignation of Steve Bracks...
was elected unopposed by the Victorian Labor
CaucusA caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States. The exact definition varies among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
as Bracks' successor, while Attorney-General
Rob HullsRobert Justin Hulls is the Deputy Premier of Victoria. He has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1996, representing the electorate of Niddrie...
was elected Deputy Premier.
After politics
In August 2007, following his resignation as Premier, Bracks announced he would provide a short-term
pro bonoPro bono publico is a phrase derived from Latin meaning "for the public good". The term is generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and...
advising role in
East TimorEast Timor, also known as Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
working alongside the newly elected Prime Minister
Xanana GusmãoKay Rala Xanana Gusmão
GCL is a former militant who was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007...
. Bracks will spend a year travelling between
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
and
DiliDili , spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital and largest city of East Timor. It lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Dili is the chief port and commercial centre for East Timor, and has approximately 150,000 inhabitants...
helping with the establishment of Gusmão's administration, the key departments that will need to be involved, how they'll be accountable and reportable to the legislature. Bracks started his new role in September 2007.
In addition to his role advising Gusmão, Bracks also joined several company advisory boards:
KPMGKPMG is one of the largest professional services firms in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with PricewaterhouseCoopers , Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and Ernst & Young . Its global headquarters are located in Amstelveen, Netherlands.KPMG employs over 136,500 people in a global network...
, insurance firm
Jardine Lloyd Thompson GroupJardine Lloyd Thompson Group is a leading British-based insurance and re-insurance business. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, the AIMS Financial Group and the
NABNational Australia Bank is one of the largest financial institutions and banks in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation, it held total assets of A$657 billion as of 30 September 2008 and its...
. The KPMG appointment was controversial, as the Victorian government had awarded the firm over 100 contracts during Bracks' time as Premier. On 14 February 2008, the Federal Labor Government appointed Bracks to head an inquiry into the ongoing viability of the Australian car industry.