42 Facts About Peter Dowding

Peter McCallum Dowding SC was born on 6 October 1943 and is an Australian lawyer and former politician who was the premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 due to a leadership spill.

Peter Dowding was a member of the Parliament of Western Australia from 1980 to 1990 and a member of the Labor Party.

Peter Dowding entered the Burke ministry when Labor won the 1983 state election and changed portfolios several times over the ensuing years due to cabinet reshuffles.

At the 1986 state election, Peter Dowding transferred to the Legislative Assembly, the parliament's lower house, winning the safe seat of Maylands.

Peter Dowding's popularity plunged following controversy caused by WA Inc On 12 February 1990, he resigned as premier and leader of the Labor Party ahead of almost certain defeat in a Labor Party leadership spill.

Peter Dowding soon resigned from parliament, and went back to practising law.

The royal commission into WA Inc was scathing of Peter Dowding, saying that he "presided over a disastrous series of decisions".

Peter Dowding was born on 6 October 1943 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Peter Dowding's parents were Keith McCallum Dowding, a high-profile Presbyterian minister and left-wing political activist, and Marjorie Stuart D'Arcey, who died of suicide when Peter was eight.

Keith Peter Dowding was a member of the Labor Party and had attempted to enter Federal Parliament several times, but he was expelled in the early 1960s for his opposition to the White Australia policy.

Peter Dowding earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Australia in 1964, and was admitted to the bar in December 1966.

In 1970, Peter Dowding married his first wife, with whom he had two sons.

Peter Dowding represented protesters who had been arrested at the Naval Communication Station Harold E Holt, a US-operated naval base in Exmouth.

In 1968, Peter Dowding entered into partnership as Paterson and Peter Dowding, where he concentrated on family law, soon becoming the best divorce lawyer in Perth according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Peter Dowding became a senior partner in 1977 and he sold out of the firm in 1980.

From March 1975 until April 1976, Peter Dowding was on the Kalamunda Shire Council, and in 1976 and 1977, he worked as a notary public with the Aboriginal Legal Service in Port Hedland, during which he met his second wife, a Ngarluma woman from Roebourne.

In 1977, Peter Dowding represented defeated Labor Party candidate Ernie Bridge in a landmark case in the Court of Disputed Returns.

Ahead of the 1980 Western Australian state election, Peter Dowding put himself forward to be the Labor candidate for the North Province, a Legislative Council seat which covered the northern side of the state, including the Pilbara and the Kimberley.

Peter Dowding was well supported by the province's large Aboriginal population, having promised to help them gain land rights and self-management.

Peter Dowding's inclusion in the ministry was a surprise, as he was the only member that was not part of Burke's shadow ministry.

Peter Dowding was replacing Mike Barnett, who did not nominate himself for the ministry due to family reasons.

On 23 December 1983, Peter Dowding became the minister for planning, the minister for employment and training, and the minister for consumer affairs.

At the February 1986 state election, Peter Dowding left his Legislative Council seat to contest the Legislative Assembly seat of Maylands in a move widely seen as a step towards becoming premier.

Peter Dowding retained the seat for the Labor Party at the election, after which, he stopped being the minister for consumer affairs.

In Perth, Peter Dowding lived in the suburb of Mount Lawley.

Peter Dowding was given the responsibility of implementing the changes recommended in a parliamentary white paper, Managing change in the public sector, which included the public sector being more selective with choosing employees, attempting to retain graduates, and cutting back on staff in health.

Peter Dowding convinced her to move to Australia, and in October 1987, they married at the old Perth Observatory.

Peter Dowding's positions were renamed to the minister for productivity and employment, and the minister for labour in a March 1987 cabinet reshuffle.

Peter Dowding became the minister for works and services in that reshuffle.

Peter Dowding was unanimously elected as the leader of the Labor Party and Parker was unanimously elected as deputy leader, replacing Mal Bryce, who had announced his intention to resign.

Peter Dowding gave himself the positions of treasurer, minister for productivity, minister for public sector management and minister for women's interests.

The March 1988 by-elections in the electoral districts of Ascot and Balga had swings away from the Labor Party of 14.8 percent and 21.3 percent respectively, which Peter Dowding blamed on both the state and federal governments.

Peter Dowding said the government could lose up to $100 million from the bank's collapse, however opposition frontbencher Bill Hassell said it would cost the government $400 million.

Peter Dowding's popularity was hurt by the District Court trial of Western Colleries Limited director Tony Lloyd.

In early 1990, Peter Dowding travelled to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, after Parker assured him that nothing would happen to his leadership while he was gone.

On that day, Lawrence promised to end WA Inc Peter Dowding criticised the leadership challenge, saying that the timing was premature and was done to help Labor win the federal election, rather than for what's good for the state.

Peter Dowding said he had wanted to serve at least part of the upcoming session of Parliament, so he could defend his actions that lead to his downfall, but he resigned when he did at the request of Lawrence, who wanted the two by-elections to occur on the same day.

Peter Dowding testified in front of the commission in November 1991 regarding his dealings with Laurie Connell and Alan Bond, the bailout of Rothwells and the purchase of the Kwinana Petrochemical Plant.

Peter Dowding was a partner in Briggs Paul Dowding in Sydney from 1992 to 1994, and a managing partner of DCH Legal Group in Perth from 1993 to 1996.

Peter Dowding was a recipient of a Centenary Medal in 2003.

Peter Dowding divorced his third wife and on Boxing Day 2004, he married for the fourth time at the Round House in Fremantle.

Peter Dowding was eventually caught by the Gestapo and executed in 1943.