Steve Bracks
44th Premier of Victoria
In office 19 October 1999 – 30 July 2007
Deputy	John Thwaites
Preceded by	Jeff Kennett
Succeeded by	John Brumby[1]
Constituency	Williamstown
Born	October 15, 1954 (1954-10-15) (age 53) Ballarat, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse	Terry Horsfall
Profession	School commerce teacher

Stephen Philip Bracks (better known as Steve Bracks) (born 15 October 1954), Australian politician, was the 44th Premier of Victoria, holding the position for eight years, from 1999 to 2007. He was born in Ballarat, where his family owns a fashion business. He was educated at St Patrick's College and Ballarat College of Advanced Education (now the University of Ballarat), where he graduated in business studies and education. Bracks is a keen follower of Australian rules football, supporting the Geelong Football Club. His wife, Terry, is the number one female ticket holder for the Melbourne Football Club. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (572x867, 145 KB) Summary Taken by Anthony Agius Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Steve Bracks Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... List of Premiers of Victoria Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Victoria. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Hon John Thwaites, election day November 2002 Johnstone William (John) Thwaites (born 15 October 1955), Australian politician, is Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria. ... Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC (born 25 July 1948), Australian politician, was the 43rd Premier of Victoria (6th October, 1992 to 20th October, 1999). ... John Mansfield Brumby (born 21 April 1953), Australian politician, is the 45th Premier and outgoing Treasurer of Victoria. ... Williamstown is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A view of Ballarat East and Eureka from Sovereign Hill. ... VIC redirects here. ... ALP redirects here. ... For university teachers, see professor. ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... List of Premiers of Victoria Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Victoria. ... A view of Ballarat East and Eureka from Sovereign Hill. ... St Patricks College, founded by the Christian Brothers in 1893, is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school, located in Ballarat, Australia. ... The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. ... The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. ... High marking is a key skill and spectacular attribute of Australian rules football Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Australian rules football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of... Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League with a rich history. ... Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Melbourne, Victoria. ...

Bracks, the first Catholic Labor Premier of Victoria since 1932, is of Lebanese descent. His paternal grandfather, whose family name was Barakat, came to Australia as a child from Zahle in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon in the 1890s.^[2] This article is about a town in Lebanon. ... Beqaa Valley Beqaa (Arabic: البقاع, valley; also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ‘ or Becaa) is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. ...

Bracks announced his resignation as Premier on July 27, 2007, and formally resigned from the position on July 30.^[3] is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early career

From 1976 to 1981 Bracks was a school commerce teacher. During the 1980s he worked in local government in Ballarat and then as Executive Director of the Ballarat Education Centre. While in these positions he twice (1985 and 1988) contested the seat of Ballarat North in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Australian Labor Party.^[4] The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of Victoria in Australia. ... ALP redirects here. ...

In 1989 Bracks was appointed statewide manager of Victorian state government employment programs, under the Labor government of John Cain. He then became an advisor to Cain, and to Cain's successor as Premier, Joan Kirner. Here he was able to witness from the inside the collapse of the Labor government following the economic and budgetary crisis which began in 1988. This experience gave Bracks a very conservative and cautious view of economic management in government. ^[5] John Cain (born 26 April 1931), Australian politician, was Labor Premier of the state of Victoria from 1982 to 1990. ... Joan Kirner Joan Elizabeth Kirner (born 20 June 1938), Australian politician, was the first female Premier of Victoria. ...

Following the defeat of the Kirner government by the Liberal leader Jeff Kennett in late 1992, Bracks became Executive Director of the Victorian Printing Industry Training Board. He quit this post in 1994 when Kirner resigned from Parliament and Bracks was elected for Kirner's seat of Williamstown in the western suburbs of Melbourne, where he now lives with his wife Terry and their three children.^[4] The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC (born 25 July 1948), Australian politician, was the 43rd Premier of Victoria (6th October, 1992 to 20th October, 1999). ...

State politics

Early days

Bracks was immediately elected to Labor's front bench, as Shadow Minister for Employment, Industrial Relations and Tourism. In 1996, after Labor under John Brumby was again defeated, he became Shadow Treasurer. In March 1999, when it became apparent that Labor was headed for another defeat under Brumby's leadership, Brumby resigned and Bracks was elected Opposition Leader. John Mansfield Brumby (born 21 April 1953), Australian politician, is the 45th Premier and outgoing Treasurer of Victoria. ...

First term as Premier

Political observers were almost unanimous that Bracks had no chance of defeating Liberal premier Jeff Kennett at the November 1999 election: polls gave Kennett a 60% popularity rating. Bracks and his senior colleagues (particularly Brumby, who comes from Bendigo) campaigned heavily in regional areas, accusing Kennett of ignoring regional communities. In response, voters in regional areas deserted the Kennett government and Labor increased their seats from 29 to 42, with the Liberals and their National Party allies retaining 43, and three falling to rural independents. With no party having a clear majority, the independents agreed to support a minority Labor government. For the electoral division in the Australian House of Representatives, see Division of Bendigo. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ...

Former leader Brumby, appointed Treasurer, was regarded as a major part of the government's success. He and the Deputy Premier, John Thwaites, and the Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, were regarded as the key ministers in the Bracks government. There are multiple figures named John Thwaites. ... Rob Justin Hulls (born January 23, 1957) is Deputy Premier of Victoria. ...

Following a pre-1999 election commitment to consider the feasibility of introducing fast rail services to regional centres, in 2000 the government approved funding to upgrade rail lines to provide fast rail passenger services between Melbourne and Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and Traralgon. However, the Victorian auditor general noted that in spite of $750 million spent, "We found that the delivery of more frequent fast rail services in the Geelong, Ballarat, and Bendigo corridors by the agreed dates was not achieved. In total, the journey time outcomes will be more modest than we would have expected with only a minority of travellers likely to benefit from significant journey time improvements. These outcomes occur because giving some passengers full express services means bypassing often large numbers of passengers at intermediate stations along the corridors."^[6]

On December 14, 2000, Steve Bracks released a document outlining his government's intent to introduce the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001. Under the law, individuals could be jailed for six months and/or fined $6,000, and organisations fined $30,000 for "vilifying individuals on the basis of race or religion." The extraordinarily broad law would allow for the prosecution of virtually anything including name-calling, verbal or written statements, gestures, the wearing of symbols or uniforms, or anything else which a "reasonable observer" could interpret as an offence to a "racial or religious group." It would cover statements or activities, even in private homes, and the burden of proof would be on the accused to prove that he or she was innocent. And accusations could be made by a "third party, - not even the person who was offended." is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 was implemented by the Steve Bracks Labor government in the state of Victoria, Australia. ...

The major criticism of Bracks's first government was that their insistence on consultation stood in the way of effective, proactive government. Bracks, according to critics, achieved little, and lost the excitement of constant change that was characteristic of the Kennett years. The talents of some of the more junior ministers in the government were also questioned. Nevertheless Bracks got through his first term without major mishaps, and his popularity undiminished.

Second term as Premier

Labor won the 2002 election in a landslide, taking 62 seats out of 88 in the Legislative Assembly, and for the first time in Victorian history, a slim but clear majority in the Legislative Council as well. While this was the greatest victory Labor had ever had in a Victorian state election, it brought with it considerable risks. With majorities in both houses Bracks could no longer cite his weak parliamentary position as an excuse for inaction. The trade unions, who traditionally feel a strong sense of ownership of Labor state governments, began to be more assertive and inflexible during 2003 and 2004. The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. ...

On August 28 2002, Bracks in conjunction with then NSW counterpart Bob Carr, opened the Mowamba aqueduct between Jindabyne and Dalgety, to divert 38 gigalitres of water a year from Jindabyne dam to the Snowy and Murray rivers. The ten year plan cost $300millionAUD with Victoria and NSW splitting the costs. Melbourne Water has stated that within 50 years there will be 20 percent less water going into Victorian reservoirs. [1] NSW is a three-letter acronym that refers to: New South Wales, a state of the Commonwealth of Australia U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other persons named Bob Carr, see Bob Carr (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Aqueduct (disambiguation). ... Jindabyne, as viewed from across Lake Jindabyne Jindabyne is a town in New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains. ... Dalgety may refer to several things: Dalgety, New South Wales, a town in the Monaro Region of New South Wales, Australia Dalgety Bay, a town in Fife, Scotland Any of several companies that do not presently have Wikipedia articles about them. ... VIC redirects here. ... Melbourne Water is the organisation that controls much of the water system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia including the citys reservoirs, sewerage and drainage system. ...

In May 2003 Bracks broke an election promise and announced that the proposed Scoresby Freeway in Melbourne's eastern suburbs would be a tollway rather than a freeway, as promised at the 2002 elections. As well as risking a loss of support in marginal seats in eastern Melbourne, this decision brought about a strong response from the Howard Federal government, which cut off federal funding for the project on the grounds that the Bracks government had reneged on the terms of the federal-state funding agreement. The decision seems to have been on the recommendation of Brumby, who was concerned with the state's budgetary position. Also opposing the decision was the Federal Labor Opposition, which feared anti-Labor reaction at the 2004 Federal election. The then Opposition Leader Mark Latham described a meeting with Bracks and Federal shadow ministers, writing: The Mitcham-Frankston Freeway will be a tolled freeway located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australias eastern and south-eastern suburbs. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ... Mark William Latham (born 28 February 1961), a former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005. ...

Steve Bracks at a Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony, August 2006

This backflip, whilst seen by many as an opportunity for the Liberals to make ground, saw the then leader of the Liberals, Robert Doyle, adopt a much-criticised policy of half tolls, which was later overturned by his successor, Ted Baillieu. The Latham Diaries is the autobiography of the former Australian Labour Party leader, Mark Latham. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (688x944, 102 KB) Photo by User:Adam Carr, August 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (688x944, 102 KB) Photo by User:Adam Carr, August 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Robert Doyle Robert Doyle (born May 20, 1953) is an Australian politician. ... Edward Norman (Ted) Baillieu (born July 31, 1953) is an Australian politician. ...

In 2005, Bracks announced that Victorian cattlemen would be banned from using Victoria's "High Plains" to graze cattle, ending a 170 year tradition. Stockmen had been fearing this decision since 1984, when a Labor government excised land to create the Alpine National Park. 300 cattlemen rode horses down Bourke street in protest. Victorian National Party leader Peter Ryan was quoted as saying that Bracks had "killed the man from Snowy River", a reference to the Banjo Paterson poem "The Man from Snowy River." This article is about the year. ... Alpine is a national park in Victoria (Australia), northeast of Melbourne. ... Peter Ryan was a driver from Canada. ... Andrew Barton Banjo Paterson (February 17, 1864 – February 5, 1941) was a famous Australian bush poet, journalist and author. ... The Man From Snowy River is a poem by Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. ...

Bracks's second government achieved one of Victorian Labor's longest-held goals with a complete reform of the state's system for electing its upper house. It saw the introduction of proportional representation, with eight five-member regions replacing the current single-member constituencies. This system increases the opportunity for minor parties such as the Greens and DLP to win seats in the Legislative Council, giving them a greater chance of holding the balance of power. Illustrating the historic importance Labor assigns to the changes, in a speech to a conference celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade, Bracks said it was "another victory for the aspirations of Eureka",^[7] and has described the changes as "his proudest achievement".^[8] Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ... Victorian Greens is a Green Party located in Victoria, a member of the federation of the Australian Greens party. ... The Eureka Flag The Eureka Stockade was a gold miners revolt in 1854 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, against the officials supervising the mining of gold in the region of Ballarat. ...

The staging of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, generally viewed as a success (albeit an expensive one) was viewed as a plus for Bracks and the government. The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26, 2006. ...

In the run-up to the 2006 election, in some respects, the state political situation reflected the federal one, though with the other major party in charge. With times reasonably good, a perception arguably reinforced by an extensive government advertising campaign selling the virtues of Victoria to Victorians,^[9] polls indicated little interest in change, although towards the end of the election campaign polling indicated that the Liberals under Baillieu were closing the gap.

Third term as Premier

The election campaign was a relatively low-key affair, with the Government and Bracks largely running on their record as Premier, as well as their plans to tackle infrastructure issues in their third term. Bracks' image loomed large in Labor's election advertising. Liberal attacks concentrated on the slow process of infrastructure development under Bracks (notably on water supply issues relating to the severe drought affecting Victoria in the election leadup), and new Liberal leader Ted Baillieu promised to start construction on a range of new infrastructure initiatives, including a new dam on the Maribyrnong River and a desalination plant. Labor's broken election promise on Eastlink was also expected to be a factor in some seats in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. A general election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. ... Edward Norman (Ted) Baillieu (born July 31, 1953) is an Australian politician. ... Maribyrnong river at West Essendon The Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne Victoria (Australia), near Mount Macedon. ...

On 25 November 2006, Steve Bracks won his third election, comfortably defeating Baillieu to secure a third term, with a slightly reduced majority in the Lower House. This marked only the second time that the Victorian Labor Party had won a third term in office. His third term Cabinet was sworn in on 1 December 2006 with Bracks also holding the portfolio of Veterans' Affairs and Multicultural Affairs. is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Resignation

Bracks announced his resignation as Premier on 27 July 2007, saying this was in order to spend more time with his family.^[10] He stepped down on July 30, 2007. According to the ABC Bracks had been under political and personal pressure in the weeks before his resignation. Alone among State Premiers he had refused to agree to the Federal Government's $10 billion Murray-Darling Basin water conservation plan,^[11] and his son had been involved in an accident involving a charge of drunk driving.^[12] Bracks told a media conference he could no longer give a 100 per cent commitment to politics: is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... Semi-arid grazing country near Burra Creek, South Australia The Murray-Darling Basin being 3430km long, drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass and is currently by far the most significant agricultural area in Australia. ...

Bracks' deputy John Thwaites announced his resignation on the same day. News of the resignations caused surprise to the general community as well as to politicians. It was revealed that Federal Labor Leader Kevin Rudd, was informed only minutes before the announcement, and tried to talk Bracks out of his decision. Bracks' Treasurer John Brumby was elected unopposed by the Victorian Labor Caucus as Bracks' successor, while Attorney-General Rob Hulls was elected Deputy Premier. Hon John Thwaites, election day November 2002 Johnstone William (John) Thwaites (born 15 October 1955), Australian politician, is Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria. ... Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957), is the leader of the federal Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament. ... John Mansfield Brumby (born 21 April 1953), Australian politician, is the 45th Premier and outgoing Treasurer of Victoria. ... A caucus is most generally defined as being a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement. ... Rob Justin Hulls (born January 23, 1957) is Deputy Premier of Victoria. ...

After politics

In August 2007, following his resignation as Premier, Bracks announced he would provide a short-term pro bono advising role in East Timor working alongside the newly elected Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.^[14] Bracks will spend a year travelling between Melbourne and Dili helping with the establishment of Gusmao's administration, the key departments that will need to be involved, how they'll be accountable and reportable to the legislature.^[14] Bracks started his new role in September 2007.^[15] Pro bono is a phrase derived from Latin meaning for the good. The complete phrase is pro bono publico, for the public good. It is used to designate legal or other professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment, as a public service. ... Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão (born June 20, 1946), born José Alexandre Gusmão, is the inaugural President of the small nation of East Timor in Southeast Asia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Dili, also spelled Díli, Dilli or Dilly, is the capital of East Timor. ...

In addition to his role advising Gusmao, Bracks also joined several company advisory boards: KPMG, insurance firm Jardine Lloyd Thompson, and the AIMS Financial Group. The KPMG appointment was controversial, as the Victorian government had awarded the firm over 100 contracts during Bracks' time as Premier.^[16] KPMG is one of the largest professional services firms in the world. ...

References

v • d • e Premiers of Victoria

Haines  • O'Shanassy  • Nicholson  • Heales  • McCulloch  • Sladen  • MacPherson  • Duffy  • Francis  • Kerferd  • Berry  • Service  • O'Loghlen  • Gillies  • Munro  • Shiels  • Patterson  • Turner  • McLean  • Peacock  • Irvine  • Bent  • Murray  • Watt  • Elmslie  • Bowser  • Lawson  • Prendergast  • Allan  • Hogan  • McPherson  • Argyle  • Dunstan  • Cain Sr  • MacFarlan  • Hollway  • McDonald  • Bolte  • Hamer  • Thompson  • Cain Jr  • Kirner  • Kennett  • Bracks  • Brumby