Rob Kerin

Robert Gerard Kerin (born 4 January 1954) was the Liberal Premier of South Australia from 22 October 2001 to 5 March 2002. He also served as Deputy Premier of South Australia to John Olsen from 7 July 1998 until he became premier upon Olsen's resignation.

Born to parents Maurice and Molly Kerin in Crystal Brook, Kerin attended the Adelaide Catholic secondary school, Sacred Heart College Senior. He was elected to parliament in 1993 as the member for the mid-north rural electoral district of Frome. Between 1995 and 2001 he held various ministries in the Dean Brown and John Olsen governments: Primary Industries, Natural Resources and Regional Development, Minerals and Energy, State Development, Tourism and Multicultural Affairs.

Kerin became Liberal leader and premier after Olsen's forced resignation, less than six months before the 2002 state election. The election resulted in a hung parliament. While Labor came up only one seat short of a majority, the Liberals won a bare majority of the two-party vote. Kerin looked set to return as premier due to the support of a number of conservative independents for the Liberal Party. In a surprise move, former Liberal candidate Peter Lewis, who had successfully run for election as an independent after quitting the Liberal Party, announced he would support Labor in return for becoming Speaker of the House of Assembly, making Labor leader Mike Rann the premier-elect of South Australia. Kerin, however, claimed that since the Liberals had won a majority of the two-party vote, he still had a mandate to stay in office unless Rann demonstrated he had enough support on the floor of the House to govern. Three weeks of political limbo ended on 5 March, when Kerin moved a motion of confidence in his government. The motion was defeated, leaving Kerin with no choice but to resign.^[1]

Kerin remained Liberal leader, and hence Leader of the Opposition. His approach to leadership and parliamentary tactics was more congenial than usual; this led to both praise from those who saw him as a 'nice guy' and criticism from those who believed his style was ineffective compared to the media savvy and aggressive parliamentary tactics of the Rann government.

At the 2006 state election the Liberals were soundly defeated, suffering a statewide swing against them of about 7.7 percent. Following that loss, Kerin stood down as Liberal leader, but remained in parliament. He was succeeded as Liberal leader by Iain Evans.

In 2007, Kerin announced he would not be seeking re-election at the 2010 election.^[2] Kerin announced on 11 November 2008 that he would resign from parliament immediately rather than at the next election.^[3] This triggered a January 2009 by-election. Independent Geoff Brock won the seat in a very close contest.

References

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