41 Facts About Colin Barnett

Colin Barnett graduated from the University of Western Australia with an economics degree.

Colin Barnett resigned as leader after the unsuccessful 2005 election, but regained the position prior to the 2008 election, where he was elected premier.

Colin Barnett was sworn into office on 23 September 2008 by Ken Michael, the Governor of Western Australia at the time.

On 15 December 2017, Colin Barnett announced his intention to resign from politics, which he did on 5 February 2018.

Colin Barnett was born in Nedlands, an inner western suburb of Perth, on 15 July 1950.

Colin Barnett was educated at Nedlands Primary School and Hollywood Senior High School.

Colin Barnett began studying geology at the University of Western Australia, but switched to an economics course from which he graduated with an honours degree and later a master's degree.

Colin Barnett was later appointed their chief economist, and served with them until 1985, when he became the executive director of the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Colin Barnett had not previously been a member of the Liberal Party, only joining during the preselection process.

Colin Barnett added the fuel and energy portfolio in August 1991.

Colin Barnett retained responsibility for fuel and energy in the subsequent reshuffle of the shadow ministry, and was given the state development portfolio.

Colin Barnett was the Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly and remained deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

Colin Barnett was generally regarded as a competent and successful minister, and was associated with a number of important resource development projects.

Court had a somewhat frosty relationship with Colin Barnett and wanted to keep him from becoming leader of the opposition.

Under Court's plan, both he and Colin Barnett would have resigned from the state legislature.

Colin Barnett then took the leadership after defeating his only opponent Rod Sweetman.

At the 2005 state election, Colin Barnett proposed the construction of a canal from the rivers of the Kimberley Ranges in northern Western Australia to Perth to meet Perth's growing water supply problem.

Colin Barnett released the policy costings only a few days before the election, when a A$200 million error in the costings document was discovered.

On 4 August 2008, Troy Buswell resigned as Opposition Leader and two days later Colin Barnett was re-elected unopposed to the Liberal leadership despite the fact that he had previously announced his retirement and Deidre Willmott had been endorsed in his electorate.

Colin Barnett led the Liberal Party to the election, which saw a significant swing away from the incumbent Labor Party, leading to a hung parliament.

Carpenter resigned rather than face certain defeat on the floor of the Assembly, and Colin Barnett was sworn into office on 23 September 2008.

Colin Barnett was the sole state premier opposed to Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's key Health reform policy deal at the April 2010 COAG meeting.

Colin Barnett had already been angered that Western Australia was given a decreased 7.1 percent amount of the GST revenue while Western Australia is a state that will be heavily relied upon for the nation's economic growth due to its booming resource sector.

From 27 April 2010, Colin Barnett held the Treasury Portfolio after the resignation of former Treasurer Troy Buswell.

Colin Barnett returned to the treasury portfolio when Christian Porter suddenly decided to pursue a career in federal politics and resigned immediately from all his state ministerial portfolios on 12 June 2012.

Colin Barnett led the Liberals to victory in the 2013 state election, taking 31 seats on a swing of 8.8 points.

However, Colin Barnett said after the election that the coalition with the WA Nationals would be retained.

In October 2004, Colin Barnett led a campaign to raise the age of consent for homosexual acts from 16 to 18.

In October 2009, Colin Barnett announced a series of new policies relating to drug legislation including a repeal of the Cannabis Control Act 2003.

Colin Barnett has stated it is his intention to overturn these laws because of his beliefs and stated that the drug summit members made a mistake introducing them and that cannabis was a "gateway drug".

In June 2013, Colin Barnett said that Western Australia would not sign up to the Gillard government Gonski School Funding Reforms.

Colin Barnett said that he will not let the federal government govern schools.

In December 2013, Colin Barnett announced a controversial plan for great white sharks to be shot and disposed of at sea if they come within one kilometre of the coast of Western Australia, while acknowledging broad dissent in the community.

Colin Barnett claimed mining royalties were spent on "disability, mental health and other areas of social need".

Just prior to the 2013 election, Colin Barnett was nominated Better Premier with a 21-point lead on 52 percent, with an approval rating of 51 percent and a disapproval rating of 36 percent.

On 11 March 2017, Colin Barnett was swept from power in the largest defeat of a sitting government in Western Australia's history.

Colin Barnett was succeeded as WA Liberal leader by his former Treasurer, Mike Nahan.

On 15 December 2017, Colin Barnett announced his intention to retire from politics after Australia Day 2018.

Colin Barnett resigned on 5 February 2018, triggering a by-election in his seat of Cottesloe.

In December 2019, Colin Barnett criticised Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton for stating that the values of the Chinese Communist Party are "inconsistent" with Australian values.

Colin Barnett was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "eminent service to the people and Parliament of Western Australia, particularly as premier, to economic and infrastructure development, to social welfare reform, and to the Indigenous community".