John Coulter

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Dr John Richard Coulter is an Australian politician and medical researcher. He was the fourth leader of the Australian Democrats, from October 2, 1991 to April 29, 1993.

He was born in Perth on the 3rd December 1930. He gained an Batchelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Adelaide. He become a medical practitioner and researcher, publishing two papers in medical journals in 1971 and 1983. He was also a university lecturer.

He was a member of Campbelltown Council in Adelaide during 1973-74. In 1980 he joined the Democrats.

He first took office in the Senate in 1987, representing South Australia, and resigned from the Senate on 20 November 1995 due to ill health. Natasha Stott Despoja was appointed as his replacement three days later, having earlier been employed by him as a researcher.

In 1999, he was publicly critical of Meg Lees' leadership of the Democrats, due to her handling of the Goods and Services Tax legislation. He believed Stott Despoja would make a better leader, and was working towards that goal. She became leader in April 2001.

However a week before the November 2001 federal election, he resigned from the party because he believed Stott Despoja had reduced internal party democracy. He said she had taken the party further away from the grassroots, that it had become pragmatic, and that he could not recommend people vote for the party.

[edit] References

• Biography for COULTER, John Richard
• ABC: Coulter responds to Lee's (sic) attack
• ABC: Democrats dismiss Coulter's comments

Preceded by Janet Powell

Leader of the Australian Democrats 1991-1993

Succeeded by Cheryl Kernot