Peter Reith

Peter Keaston Reith (15 July 1950 – 8 November 2022) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1982 to 1983 and from 1984 to 2001, representing the Liberal Party.

Reith was born in Melbourne on 15 July 1950.

He was educated at Brighton Grammar School and at Monash University, from which he obtained bachelor's degrees in economics and law.

He then practised as a solicitor first in Melbourne and then at Cowes, a small town on Phillip Island.

Reith joined the Liberal Party in 1966.

He settled in Cowes, Victoria, and served on the Phillip Island Shire Council from 1976 to 1981 (including as shire president for a period).

First elected as a Councillor of the Shire of Phillip Island from 1976, he was Shire President in his last year on the Council in 1981.

While living on Phillip Island, Reith was behind the establishment of Newhaven College, an independent school on Phillip Island.

He was also the key proponent for the establishment of the penguin research facility.

Reith was elected to parliament at the 1982 Flinders by-election.

Representing that party, he entered the House of Representatives in December 1982 by winning a by-election for the seat of Flinders, caused by the resignation of former Deputy Liberal Leader Sir Phillip Lynch.

He lost his seat at the 1983 federal election, but won it back the following year.

Reith lost the seat only three months later at the March 1983 general election.

He regained the seat at the December 1984 election, which saw a substantial swing towards the Liberals (though not enough to win them government), and he continued to hold the seat for the next 17 years.

His posts included Shadow Minister for Housing, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation, and then Shadow Attorney-General in 1988.

In the latter capacity, he led the successful "no" campaign at the 1988 constitutional referendum.

He was also Shadow Minister for Defence and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

He was the party's deputy leader from 1990 to 1993, and served as a minister in the Howard government.

Reith was born in Melbourne and studied law at Monash University.

In 1990, Reith was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party under John Hewson.

After the defeat of the Liberal Party led by Andrew Peacock at the 1990 federal election, and Peacock's subsequent resignation from the leadership, Reith sought the leadership himself, but was defeated by John Hewson, who won by 62 votes to 13.

Following Hewson's victory Reith was then elected deputy opposition leader and appointed Shadow Treasurer, a position he held from 1990 to 1993.

Along with Hewson, Reith was one of the architects of the Liberal Party's "Fightback!" policy, which included a Goods and Services Tax.

Reith was Shadow Treasurer when the 1990, 1991 and 1992 Budgets were delivered and each by a different Treasurer.

In 1991, he was technically shadow to five Treasurers.

This came as a result of the ruling Labor Party having a leadership crisis that year.

He was replaced by Michael Wooldridge after the 1993 election.

Except for a few months in 1993, Reith was a shadow minister from 1987 until 1996.

He resigned as Shadow Treasurer after the Liberals were defeated in the 1993 election.

He lost the deputy Liberal leadership in the post-election ballot, and was replaced by Michael Wooldridge.

Despite the fact that Reith was the incumbent deputy leader, he had five challengers to his position, including Wooldridge, and Reith did not win enough votes to make it to the final ballot.

In the Howard government, Reith served as Minister for Industrial Relations (1996–1997), Minister for Small Business (1997–2001), Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (1998–2001), and finally Minister for Defence from January 2001 until his retirement at the 2001 election.

After leaving politics he worked as a company director and political commentator.

Following the landslide victory of John Howard at the 1996 election, Reith was appointed Minister for Industrial Relations, and Leader of the House.

He was one of the best-known and most influential members of Howard's cabinet.

His responsibilities involved drafting and implementing the government's industrial relations policy, and he is perhaps best known for the significant productivity reforms which followed the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute.

Reith's handling of the dispute, which included the failed attempt to use Australian Armed forces personnel, trained in Dubai to take over waterfront jobs and later the use of balaclava clad hired security guards with dogs, to remove working waterside workers from the work site.

He strongly supported Patrick Corporation in its contest with the Maritime Union of Australia, which led to bitter opposition from the unions and the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

The dispute was eventually settled in the courts with the decision going in the unions' favour and new enterprise agreements being negotiated in accordance with the court's directions.

Reith also introduced and implemented reforms to the Commonwealth public service, a significant package of reforms for small business, and an innovative employment programme for indigenous Australians.