Dean Brown

For other people named Dean Brown, see Dean Brown (disambiguation).

Dean Brown
41st Premier of South Australia Elections: 1993
In office 14 December 1993 – 28 November 1996
Deputy	Stephen Baker
Preceded by	Lynn Arnold
Succeeded by	John Olsen
Deputy Premier of South Australia
In office 22 October 2001 – 5 March 2002
Preceded by	Rob Kerin
Succeeded by	Kevin Foley
Member for Finniss
In office 11 December 1993 – 18 March 2006
Preceded by	New District
Succeeded by	Michael Pengilly
Personal details
Born	5 April 1943 (1943-04-05) (age 68)
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia

Dean Craig Brown, AO (born 5 April 1943) was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between 14 December 1993 and 28 November 1996, and Deputy Premier of South Australia between 22 October 2001 and 5 March 2002 to Rob Kerin.

Political career

Dean Brown's political career was marked by his rivalry with John Olsen, the two representing the moderate and conservative wings of the South Australian Liberal Party respectively. He was first elected to Parliament in the seat of Davenport on 10 March 1973, and joined the Liberal Movement faction of the party. He served in the ministry of the government of David Tonkin from 1979 to 1982. In 1982, after the electoral defeat and retirement of David Tonkin, Olsen defeated Brown for the State Liberal Party leadership. For the 1985 election, an electoral redistribution left both Brown and Stan Evans vying for Liberal preselection for the safe Liberal seat of Davenport. Brown won preselection, but Evans stood as an Independent Liberal and won the seat.

Dean Brown returned to politics in 1992. The Labor government of John Bannon was embarrassed by the losses of the State Bank of South Australia, but the existing Liberal leader (Dale Baker) was failing to capitalise. The moderate and conservative wings of the Liberal party each convinced a sitting member to give up his safe seat (Ted Chapman giving up Alexandra for Brown, Roger Goldsworthy giving up Kavel for Olsen), allowing both Brown and Olsen to re-enter parliament at by-elections on the same day, the 1992 Kavel by-election and 1992 Alexandra by-election respectively, and contest the Liberal leadership. In the ensuing ballot, Brown narrowly defeated Olsen.

Brown then led the Liberal party to a landslide electoral win at the 1993 South Australian election, becoming premier. But in 1996, Olsen successfully challenged for the leadership.

After Olsen resigned as premier in 2001, Brown sought to regain the top job that he had lost to Olsen in 1996 but lost out to Rob Kerin. As a concession to Brown, Kerin named Brown deputy premier. After the Liberal Party lost government at the 2002 State election, Brown became Deputy Opposition Leader until 2005 when he announced that he would leave politics at the 2006 election, and resigned the deputy leadership.

In October 2007, Brown was appointed special drought adviser to South Australian Premier Mike Rann.^[1]

References

1. ^ Former Lib premier takes Labor support role, ABC Online, 17 October 2007

External links

• MP Profile: SA Parliament
• Past Premier profile: SA Parliament

Political offices
Preceded by Lynn Arnold	Premier of South Australia 1993–1996	Succeeded by John Olsen
Preceded by Rob Kerin	Deputy Premier of South Australia 2001–2002	Succeeded by Kevin Foley
Preceded by Dale Baker	Leader of the Opposition in South Australia 1992 – 1993	Succeeded by Lynn Arnold
Preceded by Annette Hurley	Deputy Leader of the Opposition in South Australia 2002 – 2005	Succeeded by Iain Evans
Parliament of South Australia
Preceded by Joyce Steele	Member for Davenport 1973–1985	Succeeded by Stan Evans
Preceded by Ted Chapman	Member for Alexandra 1992–1993	District abolished
New district	Member for Finniss 1993–2006	Succeeded by Michael Pengilly
Party political offices
Preceded by Dale Baker	Leader of the Liberal Party in South Australia 1992–1996	Succeeded by John Olsen

Persondata
Name	Brown, Dean Craig
Alternative names
Short description	Premier of South Australia
Date of birth	5 April 1943
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death