Peter Dowding

Peter Dowding
24th Premier of Western Australia
In office 25 February 1988 – 12 February 1990
Preceded by	Brian Burke
Succeeded by	Carmen Lawrence
Constituency	North Province Maylands
Personal details
Born	6 October 1943 Melbourne
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Profession	Barrister

Peter McCallum Dowding SC (born 6 October 1943 in Melbourne) was the 24th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 after an internal party dispute.

The son of Presbyterian minister and activist Keith Dowding, he was educated at three independent schools: Caulfield Grammar School, The Scots College and Hale School, in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth respectively. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Australia in 1964.

Dowding was elected as a member of Western Australia's Legislative Council for the Australian Labor Party from 1979 to 1986 representing the North Province and, in 1986, was elected as the member for Maylands in the Legislative Assembly.

Having succeeded Brian Burke as premier on 25 February 1988, during the time known as the WA Inc period, he was involved in unravelling a number of business transactions. At the 1989 state election he led the ALP to its third consecutive victory; but later, as the government's position in the polls deteriorated, he resigned from the premiership on 12 February 1990. Carmen Lawrence succeeded him, becoming the first female premier of any Australian state. A royal commission later found that:

Mr Dowding, as premier, presided over a disastrous series of decisions designed to support Rothwells when it was or should have been clear to him and to those ministers closely involved that Rothwells was no longer a viable financial institution. This culminated in the decision to involve the Government, through WAGH, in the Kwinana petrochemical project as a means of removing the Government's contingent liability for certain of the debts of Rothwells. Electoral advantage was preferred to the public interest.^[1]

Dowding has worked for several law firms during his career, and has specialised as a barrister in the areas of family and native-title law. In 2002, he was appointed as Senior Counsel in Western Australia. He was a recipient of a Centenary Medal in 2001.

See also

• Dowding Ministry

External links

• Constitutional Centre of Western Australia entry on Peter Dowding

References

1. Report of the Royal Commission to inquire whether there has been (a) corruption; (b) illegal conduct; or (c) improper conduct, by any person or corporation in the affairs, investment decisions and business dealings of the Government of Western Australia or its agencies, instrumentalities and corporations, part II, page 22