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11 Facts About Bob Pearce

1.

Robert John Pearce was born on 24 February 1946 and is a former Australian politician, who was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1977 until 1993 representing the seats of Gosnells and Armadale.

2.

Bob Pearce then completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia, and a Diploma of Education at Claremont Teachers' College, graduating in 1969.

3.

Bob Pearce then became a secondary school teacher, teaching at Eastern Goldfields Senior High School in Kalgoorlie ; Bentley High School and Lynwood Senior High School, where he became Senior Master in English.

4.

Bob Pearce subsequently joined the State School Teachers Union of Western Australia, and was elected vice-president in 1976, and whilst in Kalgoorlie and Lynwood he served as secretary of local Labor party branches, serving on the party's State Executive in 1973.

5.

Bob Pearce was preselected for the new seat of Gosnells ahead of the 1977 state election, beating Nick Clarke, a telecommunications technician, and narrowly won the seat, beating his Liberal rival by 238 votes.

6.

Bob Pearce was appointed Deputy Opposition Whip in 1977, and in June 1978, was commissioned to write a report into improving Labor's prospects at the 1980 election.

7.

Bob Pearce recommended that the party concentrate its energies on "middle class" seats.

8.

When Peter Dowding became premier in February 1988, in a cabinet reshuffle designed to move ministers from portfolios in which they had been controversial, Bob Pearce moved to the Transport portfolio and took on the Parliamentary and Electoral Reform portfolio, overseeing the implementation of the Acts Amendment Act 1987 which had been steered through by former deputy premier Mal Bryce.

9.

When Carmen Lawrence became premier in February 1990, Bob Pearce lost all roles except Environment and Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly, but increased in seniority within the Cabinet.

10.

Bob Pearce was accused of acting improperly in making information public about the Liberal Party president's fund withdrawals from the Teachers' Credit Society, which failed in 1987.

11.

Bob Pearce denied the allegations, but stated that Westminster conventions meant he was required to resign anyway.