Stephen Smith (Australian politician)

The Honourable
Stephen Smith
Minister for Defence
In office
13 September 2010 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Kevin Rudd
Preceded by John Faulkner
Succeeded by David Johnston
Minister for Trade
In office
28 June 2010 – 13 September 2010
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by Simon Crean
Succeeded by Craig Emerson
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
3 December 2007 – 13 September 2010
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Julia Gillard
Preceded by Alexander Downer
Succeeded by Kevin Rudd
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Perth
In office
13 March 1993 – 7 September 2013
Preceded by Ric Charlesworth
Succeeded by Alannah MacTiernan
Personal details
Born Stephen Francis Smith
(1955-12-12) 12 December 1955
Narrogin, Western Australia, Australia
Political party Labor Party
Spouse(s) Jane Seymour
Children 2
Alma mater University of Western Australia
University of London

Stephen Francis Smith (born 12 December 1955) is a former Australian member of parliament. He was the member for Perth in the Australian House of Representatives from March 1993 to August 2013, representing the Australian Labor Party. His last ministerial appointment was Minister for Defence, and he had previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade.

Smith was born in Narrogin, Western Australia, and was educated at CBC Highgate, the University of Western Australia and the University of London, where he earned a master's degree in law. He was a solicitor, lecturer and tutor before entering politics. He was Principal Private Secretary to the Western Australian Attorney-General, Joe Berinson 1983–87 and State Secretary of the Western Australian Labor Party 1987–90[1] From 1990 to 1993 he was an adviser to Paul Keating, first as Treasurer, then as Prime Minister. He was instrumental in securing caucus support in order for Keating to defeat Bob Hawke for the Labor Party leadership in 1991 and thereby allowing Keating to ascend to the prime ministership.[2]

He has been a University of Western Australia professor of international law since early 2014.[3][4]

Career

Stephen Smith was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry from March 1996 until the November 2007 elections, which were won by the Labor party. He was Shadow Minister for Trade 1996–97, for Resources and Energy 1997–98, for Communications 1998–2001, Health and Ageing 2001–03 and Immigration 2003–04. He was Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations from October 2004 until December 2006, when he was appointed to the position of Shadow Minister for Education and Training.

During the leadership crisis in the Labor Party in 2003, Smith was a prominent supporter of his fellow Western Australian, Kim Beazley. As early as 2002 his name had been mentioned as a possible future leader.[5] He again supported Beazley in the leadership contest which followed the resignation of Mark Latham in January 2005, which saw Beazley return to the leadership.

Smith was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in Kevin Rudd's cabinet on 3 December following Labor's win in the 2007 election,[6] and when Julia Gillard took over from Kevin Rudd as prime minister in June 2010, she added Minister for Trade to Smith's portfolio.[7] After the 2010 Federal election Smith was appointed to the vacant Defence portfolio, while Rudd and Craig Emerson were appointed to the Foreign Affairs and Trade ministries, respectively.[8]

Following Kevin Rudd's return to the leadership of the ALP and as prime minister, on 27 June 2013 Smith announced he would not be a candidate at the 2013 federal election.[9]

Smith was appointed Winthrop Professor of International Law at the University of Western Australia on 29 April 2014.[10]

After federal parliament

In March 2016, Smith announced that he did not believe that the current Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia, Mark McGowan, was capable of leading Western Australian Labor to victory at the 2017 election.[11] Smith proposed to get into Western Australian Legislative Assembly by being preselected in the new seat of Baldivis at the election.[12]

Photo gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Stephen Smith – elected secretary of the WA branch of ALP Labor voice, Vol.9, no.4 (July/Aug 1987), p.1,
  2. ↑ Watson, Don (2003). Recollections of a Bleeding Heart. Australia: Vintage Books. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-74166-827-8.
  3. ↑ "Stephen Smith appointed as Winthrop Professor of Law at UWA". Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  4. ↑ "UWA Staff Profile : The University of Western Australia : The University of Western Australia". www.uwa.edu.au. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  5. ↑ "Simon Crean's winter of discontent". News Weekly (National Civic Council). 13 June 2002. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  6. ↑ Rudd hands out portfolios, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 29 November 2007.
  7. ↑ Rodgers, Emma (28 June 2010). "Rudd left out of Gillard's reshuffle". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  8. ↑ "The Gillard ministry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  9. ↑ Griffiths, Emma (27 June 2013). "Defence Minister Stephen Smith to retire from politics". ABC News. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Smith joins throng of ex-pollies in uni jobs". The Australian. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Stephen Smith makes pitch for West Australian Labor leadership". The Guardian. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "Stephen Smith vows to challenge for WA Labor leadership if party back him". ABC News. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stephen Francis Smith.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Ric Charlesworth		 Member of Parliament for
Perth
1993–2013 		Succeeded by
Alannah MacTiernan
Political offices
Preceded by
Alexander Downer		 Minister for Foreign Affairs
2007–2010 		Succeeded by
Kevin Rudd
Preceded by
Simon Crean		 Minister for Trade
2010 		Succeeded by
Craig Emerson
Preceded by
John Faulkner		 Minister for Defence
2010–2013 		Succeeded by
David Johnston
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