Peter Howson (Australian politician)

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Peter Howson (b. 22 May 1919) is a former Australian politician.

Howson was the Liberal Party of Australia member for the House of Representatives seat of Fawkner from his defeat of William Bourke at the 1955 election until its abolition before the 1969 election. He was then elected as the member for Casey. He was appointed Minister for Air in June 1964 in Robert Menzies' last ministry.[1]

In 1967, Harold Holt's government was attacked over allegations that it had misused the VIP aircraft fleet for ministers' private purposes. When asked to table records on the fleet's movements, Holt and Howson refused and implied that they did not exist, but Senator John Gorton later found that the records did exist and tabled them in the Senate.[2] When Gorton became Prime Minister, on 10 January 1968, he retained Howson in his ministry, but after he won a seat in the House of Representatives he carried out a Cabinet reshuffle on 28 February 1968 and dropped Howson from the ministry.[3]

Howson was appointed Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts in the McMahon Ministry in March 1971 and was thus Australia's first minister for the environment. Howson was defeated by Labor's Race Mathews at the 1972 election.[1]

Howson has been active as a commentator on Australia's treatment of its indigenous people[4] [5][6][7][8]

[edit] Notes

Political offices
Preceded by
David Fairbairn
Minister for the Air
1964 – 1968
Succeeded by
Gordon Freeth
New title Minister for the Environment,
Aborigines and the Arts

1971 – 1972
Succeeded by
Moss Cass
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
William Bourke
Member for Fawkner
1955 – 1969
Division abolished
New division Member for Casey
1969 – 1972
Succeeded by
Race Mathews


Persondata
NAME Howson, Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH 22 May 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH Living
PLACE OF DEATH