Geoff Gallop
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Geoffrey Gallop Midland.jpg
Dr. Geoffrey Ian Gallop (born 27 September 1951), Australian politician, was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006.
Gallop was born in Geraldton and joined the Australian Labor Party in 1971. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in 1972, and as an undergraduate at St John's College, Oxford University met and became close friends with Tony Blair. He is also a long-time friend of federal Labor Leader Kim Beazley.
Before entering politics, Gallop worked as a tutor and lecturer at both Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia (UWA), and was a City Councillor at Fremantle from 1983 to 1986. He was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Victoria Park in 1986.
From 1990 to 1993, during the Lawrence Labor Government, Gallop held portfolios including Education, Parliamentary and Electoral Reform, Fuel and Energy, Micro-Economic Reform, and Minister assisting the Treasurer. The Lawrence government was defeated at the 1993 state elections, and Gallop was elected Deputy Leader of the State Parliamentary Labor Party.
In Opposition, his Shadow Ministerial responsibilities included Treasury, Resources and Energy, Parliamentary and Electoral Reform, Public Sector Management, Accountability, Sport and Recreation, Aboriginal Affairs, Health, Federal Affairs, Treasury and the South West.
In October 1996, following the resignation of Jim McGinty, he was elected Leader of the Opposition, and soon after in December of that same year, contested the State election as Labor Leader. He was defeated by the Liberal Party government of Richard Court.
Gallop is a strong supporter of the movement for an Australian republic, and took a leading role in the push for a directly-elected President during the 1998 Constitutional Convention in Canberra. He is pro choice on the issue of abortion, in contrast to Court.
At the State election held on the 10 February 2001, Gallop led the Labor Party to victory, becoming Premier and Minister for Public Sector Management, Federal Affairs, Science, Citizenship and Multicultural Interests.
Some commentators, including the (conservative) local newspaper The West Australian, claimed that Gallop's performance in office was mediocre. Nevertheless, he won a second term at the 26 February 2005 state election, made easier due to errors made during the campaign by the Liberal leader Colin Barnett and the strength of the WA economy.
On 16 January 2006 Gallop announced his resignation from State Parliament in order to aid his recovery from depression. He released a statement revealing that he was suffering from depression, and needed to "rethink his career for the sake of his family and his health"[1]. Treasurer Eric Ripper took over from Gallop as Acting Premier, pending a leadership vote at the State Labor Caucus. Alan Carpenter was elected unopposed and was sworn in on 25 January, 2006.