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| Colin Barnett | |
|---|---|
| Name | Colin Barnett |
| Office | 29th Premier of Western Australia |
| Term start | 23 September 2008 |
| Term end | 17 March 2017 |
| Predecessor | Alan Carpenter |
| Successor | Mark McGowan |
| Birth date | 15 July 1950 |
| Birth place | Nedlands, Western Australia |
| Party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Alma matter | University of Western Australia |
Colin Barnett was an Australian politician who served as the 29th Premier of Western Australia from 2008 to 2017, representing the Liberal Party of Australia in the Parliament of Western Australia. His career spanned roles in the public service, mining and energy sectors, the private sector, and senior ministerial positions including Treasurer of Western Australia and Minister for Resources. Barnett led a minority government, later a majority, through the resources boom and its aftermath, and remained a prominent figure in debates over infrastructure, taxation, and regional development.
Born in Nedlands, Western Australia in 1950, Barnett attended local schools before studying at the University of Western Australia where he completed degrees in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Economics; he later undertook postgraduate studies that included association with the Australian National University and international programs linked to the Harvard Kennedy School. His early influences included exposure to the Western Australian Institute of Technology and mentors within the Western Australian public service and Commonwealth Treasury.
Before entering elected office Barnett worked as an economist with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Commonwealth Treasury, and the Western Australian Department of Industrial Development. He moved into the private sector with roles at firms connected to the mining industry, oil and gas companies, and consulting groups advising on projects involving the North West Shelf and companies such as Shell plc-linked ventures and joint ventures with BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue Metals Group. Barnett's private-sector resume included board appointments and consultancy roles that connected him to Commonwealth Bank of Australia-related finance, infrastructure proposals involving the Australian Securities Exchange, and policy networks linked to the Business Council of Australia and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia.
Barnett entered elective politics as a member of the Liberal Party of Australia and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia for the seat of Cottesloe, succeeding Bill Hassell. He served in opposition and became a frontbencher under leaders including Barry MacKinnon and Richard Court, later serving in the cabinet of Premier Richard Court as Minister for Resources and Minister for Energy. Barnett contested leadership roles within the Liberal Party of Western Australia during periods when figures such as Colin Holt, Malcolm Turnbull, and Brendan Nelson shaped federal dynamics; he rose to the party leadership in Western Australia, succeeding figures like Paul Omodei, and led election campaigns against Premiers Geoff Gallop and Alan Carpenter.
As Premier, Barnett led administrations that initially formed a minority government with support from crossbenchers such as Andrew O'Connor and later secured a majority at state elections, defeating the Labor government led by Alan Carpenter and later facing the opposition under Mark McGowan. His tenure coincided with the global commodities boom, interactions with multinational miners including BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale S.A., and major projects such as the expansion of the Port of Fremantle, proposals for the Perth Freight Link, and discussions around the development of the Gorgon Gas Project and the Chevron-led LNG ventures. Barnett held portfolios including Treasurer at times and oversaw negotiations with federal figures including Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, and Tony Abbott over fiscal matters and grants connected to the Commonwealth Grants Commission.
Barnett championed resource-sector development, advocating for infrastructure projects involving the Indian Ocean-facing ports and rail links used by miners such as Fortescue Metals Group and Atlas Iron. He supported energy policies related to the North West Shelf and gas supply arrangements impacting industrial users, engaging with regulators such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and agencies like the Australian Energy Market Operator. On education and health his governments negotiated with institutions including the University of Western Australia and Curtin University over funding and research collaboration, and invested in hospital projects involving the Royal Perth Hospital precinct. Barnett took positions on federalism and state rights that brought him into public dispute with federal leaders and bodies including the Council of Australian Governments and the Treasury of Australia.
Barnett's premiership faced criticism over cost blowouts and decisions on projects such as the Perth Freight Link, disputes over native title with groups linked to the Noongar people, and debates about royalties and taxation levied on miners including BHP and Rio Tinto. His government's handling of regional health services attracted scrutiny from unions such as the Australian Nursing Federation and oppositions led by Mark McGowan and Ben Wyatt. Policy choices on climate and emissions brought responses from environmental groups and figures associated with the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Greenpeace network, and inquiries stimulated commentary from legal bodies including the Supreme Court of Western Australia on administrative decisions.
After leaving the premiership following the 2017 state election defeat, Barnett remained active in public debates, contributing commentary to outlets related to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, participating in think tanks connected with the Grattan Institute and engaging with business forums such as the Perth USAsia Centre and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation networks. His legacy is tied to infrastructure decisions, resource-sector expansion, and state-federal relations during the commodities cycle; assessments compare his tenure to other state leaders like Jeff Kennett and Bob Carr for reformist agendas and to contemporaries such as Gordon Campbell for handling cyclical economies. He has been the subject of biographies and analysis in Australian political studies and remains a reference point in discussions of Western Australia's development.
Category:Premiers of Western Australia Category:Liberal Party of Australia politicians Category:University of Western Australia alumni