Peter Keaston Reith, (born 15 July 1950), Australian former politician, was a senior Cabinet minister in the first two terms of the Howard government. List of Australian Ministers for Defence (see Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... John Moore (born 16 November 1936), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives for over 25 years, and Defence Minister from 1998 to 2001. ... Senator Robert Hill Robert Murray Hill (born 25 September 1946), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from July 1981 to January 2006, representing South Australia. ... The Division of Flinders is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... VIC redirects here. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ...

Education and early career

Reith was born in Melbourne and educated at Brighton Grammar School and Monash University where he graduated with degrees in law and economics. He practised as a solicitor in Cowes, a small town on Phillip Island, south east of Melbourne. This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Robert Menzies Building at the Clayton Campus Monash University is a public university, with campuses located in Victoria, Malaysia and South Africa. ... Cowes ( ) is a small town on Phillip Island in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. ... It has been suggested that Pyramid Rock, Philip Island be merged into this article or section. ...

Political life

Reith joined the Liberal Party. In a by-election in December, 1982, caused by the resignation of Sir Phillip Lynch, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives to represent the seat of Flinders. Parliament was in session and he had the opportunity to travel to Canberra to be sworn in, however he said publicly that he did not have time for mere formality and his legal practice work was more pressing. He lost his seat at the March 1983 general election. He was elected again in December 1984 and remained the Member for Flinders until his retirement in 2001. The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... Sir Phillip Lynch (27 July 1933 - June 19, 1984) was Treasurer and Minister for Finance of Australia under Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... The Division of Flinders is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. ... Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 March 1983. ... Federal elections were held in Australia on 1 December 1984. ...

Reith was a shadow minister in various portfolios from 1987 until 1996 (except for a few months in 1993), including Shadow Attorney-General in 1988 (when he led the successful "no" campaign at the 1988 referendum) and Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer from 1990 to 1993. Along with John Hewson, he was one of the principal architects of the Liberal Party's "Fightback" policy, including the Goods and Services Tax. He resigned as shadow Treasurer after the loss of the 1993 election as well as losing the Deputy Leadership in the post-election ballot. A Shadow Minister is a member of the opposition party, not in power, who provides a counterpoint to the Minister of the government. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General or Attorney-General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... The 1988 Australian Referendum was held on 3 September 1988. ... Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. ... The Department of the Treasury, Canberra The Australian Treasurer is the minister responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. ... For the English soldier and regicide, see John Hewson (regicide). ... The Goods and Services Tax is a Value-added tax that exists in a number of countries. ... Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 March 1993. ...

Following the election of the Howard Government in 1996, Reith became Minister for Workplace Relations, and was responsible for implementing the government's industrial relations policy, although he was frustrated in this by the government's lack of a majority in the Senate. His handling of the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute, in which he openly supported Patrick Corporation in its successful efforts to defeat the Maritime Union of Australia, led to a great deal of criticism from unions and the ALP. Reith's handling of the dispute and his other macroeconomic reforms has subsequently been recognised by business commentators as one of the pillars of Australian economic growth. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is an Australian government department. ... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... The Australian waterfront dispute of 1998 was a severe and protracted industrial relations dispute, primarily between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Patrick Corporation, a stevedoring and transportation company led by chief executive officer Chris Corrigan. ... Patrick Corporation Ltd (ASX code: PRK) is an Australian publicly listed logistics conglomerate. ... The Maritime Union of Australia covers waterside workers, seamen, port workers, professional divers, and office workers associated with Australian ports. ...

Reith was embroiled in an investigation over the improper use of a phone card in 2000, a bill totalling $50,000, some $1000 which he admitted had been attributed to his son having access to the PIN associated with the card [1].

Howard shifted Reith to the Defence portfolio in 2000.

After politics

In 2001 Reith announced his retirement from politics. He did not contest the 2001 election and was succeeded as Liberal MP for Flinders by Greg Hunt and as Minister of Defence by Senator Robert Hill. Somewhat controversially,^[1] Reith took up employment with Tenix, a major Australian Defence contractor shortly after leaving politics. On 27 February, 2002, Prime Minister John Howard issued a press release denying media reports that of links between a decision to supply five police runabout boats to Indonesia and any discussions with Reith on behalf of Tenix.^[2] Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Federal elections were held in Australia on 10 November 2001. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Hon Greg Hunt Gregory Andrew Hunt (born 18 November 1965), an Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Flinders, Victoria. ... Senator Robert Hill Robert Murray Hill (born 25 September 1946), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate from July 1981 to January 2006, representing South Australia. ... Tenix Pty Ltd is the parent company of the Tenix Group, Australia’s largest locally-owned defence and technology contractor. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ...

In 2003 Reith accepted an appointment as an executive director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development based in London representing Australia, the Republic of Korea, Egypt and New Zealand. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe to central Asia. ... This article is about the Korean peninsula and civilization. ...

References

1. ^ ABC News Online, Tenix defends Reith appointment, access date 30 January, 2007
2. ^ PM Howard Press Release, 17 February, 2002, access date 30 January, 2007