Dean Brown

Dean Craig Brown, AO (born 5 April 1943) was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002 to Rob Kerin.

Political career

Dean Brown's political career was marked by his rivalry with John Olsen, the two representing the moderate and conservative wings of the South Australian Liberal Party respectively. He was first elected to Parliament in the seat of Davenport on 10 March 1973, and joined the Liberal Movement faction of the party. He served in the ministry of the government of David Tonkin from 1979 to 1982. In 1982, after the electoral defeat and retirement of David Tonkin, Olsen defeated Brown for the State Liberal Party leadership. For the 1985 election, an electoral redistribution left both Brown and Stan Evans vying for Liberal preselection for the safe Liberal seat of Davenport. Brown won preselection, but Evans stood as an Independent Liberal and won the seat.

Dean Brown returned to politics in 1992. The Labor government of John Bannon was embarrassed by the losses of the State Bank of South Australia, but the existing Liberal leader (Dale Baker) was failing to capitalise. The moderate and conservative wings of the Liberal party each convinced a sitting member to give up his safe seat (Ted Chapman giving up Alexandra for Brown, Roger Goldsworthy giving up Kavel for Olsen), allowing both Brown and Olsen to re-enter parliament at by-elections on the same day, the 1992 Kavel by-election and 1992 Alexandra by-election respectively, and contest the Liberal leadership. In the ensuing ballot, Brown narrowly defeated Olsen.

Brown then led the Liberal party to a landslide electoral win at the 1993 South Australian election, becoming premier. But in 1996, Olsen successfully challenged for the leadership.

After Olsen resigned as premier in 2001, Brown sought to regain the top job that he had lost to Olsen in 1996 but lost out to Rob Kerin. As a concession to Brown, Kerin named Brown deputy premier. After the Liberal Party lost government at the 2002 State election, Brown became Deputy Opposition Leader until 2005 when he announced that he would leave politics at the 2006 election, and resigned the deputy leadership.

In October 2007, Brown was appointed special drought adviser to South Australian Premier Mike Rann.^[1]

References

External links

• MP Profile: SA Parliament
• Past Premier profile: SA Parliament

v t e Premiers of South Australia B.T. Finniss John Baker Robert Torrens Richard Hanson Thomas Reynolds George Marsden Waterhouse Francis Dutton Henry Ayers Arthur Blyth Francis Dutton Henry Ayers John Hart James Boucaut Henry Ayers John Hart Henry Ayers Henry Strangways John Hart Arthur Blyth Henry Ayers Arthur Blyth James Boucaut John Colton James Boucaut William Morgan John Cox Bray John Colton John Downer Thomas Playford II John Cockburn Thomas Playford II Frederick Holder John Downer Charles Kingston Vaiben Solomon Frederick Holder John Jenkins R.B. Butler Thomas Price Archibald Peake John Verran Archibald Peake Crawford Vaughan Archibald Peake Henry Barwell John Gunn Lionel Hill R.L. Butler Lionel Hill Robert Richards R.L. Butler Thomas Playford IV Frank Walsh Don Dunstan Steele Hall Don Dunstan Des Corcoran David Tonkin John Bannon Lynn Arnold Dean Brown John Olsen Rob Kerin Mike Rann Jay Weatherill