Джон Брамби: Австралия саяхатшысы және саяси өмірбаяны

Australian politician

John Mansfield Brumby (born 21 April 1953) is the current Chancellor of La Trobe University and former Victorian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became leader of the Victorian Labor Party and premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election as premier at the November 2010 Victorian state election. His government was defeated by the Liberal/National Coalition led by Ted Baillieu. Brumby resigned as Labor leader after the election, on 30 November, to be replaced by Daniel Andrews. Within weeks of this leadership change, Brumby left parliament, with a Broadmeadows by election taking place on 19 February 2011. Brumby currently is the national president of the Australia China Business Council.

Brumby was born in Melbourne on 21 April 1953. Brumby grew up in the suburb of Ivanhoe. He was a teacher at Eaglehawk High School, in Bendigo, from 1976 to 1979. From 1979 to 1983 he was an employee of the Victorian Teachers Union. He was also active in the Labor Party.

In 1983 Brumby was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Bendigo, which he held until his defeat in 1990. A member of the Labor Unity faction, he was a strong supporter of Prime Minister Bob Hawke and an opponent of the Socialist Left faction, which historically had its stronghold in the Victorian branch of the Labor Party. Brumby then worked as a consultant before being appointed chief of staff to the federal Minister for Resources and Tourism, Alan Griffiths with responsibility for the development of policy in areas such as energy, petroleum, minerals and tourism. He held this position until February 1993, when he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council at a by election for the seat of Doutta Galla Province in Melbourne's western suburbs.

The Victorian Labor government of Joan Kirner was defeated at the October 1992 state elections by the Liberal Party led by Jeff Kennett. Kirner resigned as leader after a short period and was succeeded by her deputy Jim Kennan. When Kennan resigned from parliament in June 1993, Brumby was elected his successor. He resigned from the Legislative Council and was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly at a by election for Kennan's seat of Broadmeadows in Melbourne's outer north. An early challenge occurred in November 2007 when State Labor MP Tammy Lobato publicly criticised Brumby over a decision by cabinet to allow genetically modified canola to be grown in Victoria. Other State Labor MPs were also said to be upset over Brumby's approach to the issue, and in particular, the way that he allegedly rail roaded the policy through. Brumby's response to a plan proposed by then Liberal Party Prime Minister John Howard for the federal government to assume control of the Murray Darling Basin water catchment from the states was also an early issue. Under the previous Premier, Steve Bracks, Victoria had been the only state to refuse to accept Howard's plan. Following the election on 24 November 2007 of a new Australian Labor Party controlled federal government Brumby agreed to commit Victoria to an amended plan on 26 March 2008. In April 2008 he was widely applauded for his move to break up the Victorian poker machine gambling duopoly starting in 2012. The move was supported in particular by organisations such as the Interchurch Gambling Taskforce and the Australian Hotels Association. Some concerns, however, were raised that the decision could ultimately result in a A$1 billion compensation claim from the companies standing to lose their duopoly status as a result of the decision, Tattersalls and Tabcorp. The government, however, denied that any claim for compensation would be successful. In May 2008, following the reporting of several episodes of violence in various Melbourne Bars and Clubs in the media, Brumby announced a 2am entry curfew on Melbourne city bars, pubs and clubs. The move sparked considerable opposition, with venue operators launching successful legal contests to the legislation, and patrons protesting outside State Parliament House. Brumby announced the dropping of the plan in November 2008, following an increase in violence which the legislation had been aimed at curbing. Critics of the curfew system called the plan populist and regressive, with little concern for the impact on the vast majority of club goers that did not instigate violence. Subsequently, liquor licensing changes impacted live music venues, notably with The Tote Hotel (amongst others) claiming they had been forced into closure as the operator could no longer afford to support the extra staff required under changes to legislation. Critics argued that these types of venues were not often problem areas for police, and that legislative changes were poorly planned and implemented. During 2008 Brumby's government passed an act decriminalising abortion. He contested as Premier at the November 2010 Victorian state election and his government was narrowly defeated by the Liberal/National Coalition led by Ted Baillieu. On 30 November, Brumby announced that he was standing down as Labor leader in Victoria, and that the parliamentary Labor Party would meet on 3 December to elect a new leader and shadow ministry. Ted Baillieu was sworn in as Premier on 2 December formally ending Brumby's tenure, with Brumby resigning from parliament on 21 December.

Following his resignation from parliament, Brumby was appointed as a joint Vice Chancellor's Fellow at Monash University and the University of Melbourne, chairman of Motor Trades Association of Australia Superannuation Fund, member of the federal government's GST Distribution Review panel, and a director of Huawei in Australia. In 2017 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the Parliament of Victoria, to economic management and medical biotechnology innovation, to improved rural and regional infrastructure, and to the community. He is currently the Australian China Business Council national president. In February 2019, Brumby resigned from the Huawei board and in March 2019 took up his appointment as Chancellor of La Trobe University.

John Brumby is married to Rosemary McKenzie and has three children. His father, Malcolm Brumby, died from a stroke on 26 September 2010.