John Bannon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Charles Bannon (born 1943) was the Labor Premier of South Australia between November 10, 1982 and September 4, 1992. Bannon was born in Bendigo, Victoria and completed degrees in Arts and Law at the University of Adelaide. While at university, he was elected president of the Australian Union of Students in 1968. Following the completion of his studies, he was an advisor to various governments, including Gough Whitlam's ministry.

He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1977 and promoted to cabinet within a year. Following the resignation of Premier Don Dunstan and Labor's loss in the 1979 election, Bannon was elected to the Labor leadership. Despite factional struggles within the party, Bannon managed to return Labor to government in the 1982 election with a 5.9% swing, stressing the continuation of prudent budgetary measures that had begun under David Tonkin and emphasising the economic development of the state.

Bannon's consensual approach to government differed markedly from the Dunstan era. While then there had been a stream of social reform, Bannon's priorities were oriented elsewhere. He sold land reserved for freeways under the MATS plan, continued with the development of the Olympic Dam uranium mine, constructed South Australia's first casino and brought the Grand Prix to Adelaide.

The economic situation, moribund in the early 80s, rebounded, and Bannon's government was easily re-elected in 1985, achieving a mild 2% swing towards them from the Liberal opposition.

However, Bannon was stung in the 1989 election, gaining only 48.1% of the two-party-preferred vote and relying on the support of independents to govern. Shortly thereafter, electoral legislation was passed that attempted to ensure that a party that won 50% of the two-party-preferred vote would gain office.

Following relevations of budgetary irregularities in 1990, it was discovered that the government's State Bank had accumulated a $7 billion debt and the treasury had been underwriting deposits. Bannon's government was then forced to borrow $3.5 billion in order to protect the savings of South Australians in the midst of the bank's collapse. Bannon stepped down from the offices of Premier and Treasurer and announced that he would not contest his seat of Ross Smith in the coming election. Lynn Arnold replaced Bannon, but Labor suffered a 9.1% swing against them in 1993 and were left with only 10 seats in a house of 47.

After retiring from politics, the ABC offered a directorial position to Bannon in 1994 and he accepted. With an interest in South Australian history, he researches at Flinders University, and became the Master of St Mark's College in 2000. On Australia Day 2006, he was awarded the Order of Australia.

[edit] References

Jaensch, Dean (1986). The Flinders History of South Australia: Political History. Wakefield Press. ISBN 0-9492-6852-5.
Parkin, Andrew and Patience, Allan (1992). The Bannon Decade: The Politics of Restraint in South Australia. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86373-366-3.
When the state's assets fell into a black hole. The Advertiser (Adelaide). 11-04-2006
Past Elections, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Accessed January 17 2007
Past Premier: John Bannon. SA Parliament. Accessed January 17 2007