Frank Walker (Australian politician)
New South Wales Parliament for Georges River | |
---|---|
In office 19 September 1970 – 22 February 1988 | |
Preceded by | Douglas Cross |
Succeeded by | Terry Griffiths |
Personal details | |
Born | Sydney | 7 July 1942
Died | 12 June 2012 Sydney | (aged 69)
Political party | Australian Labor Party |
Alma mater | University of Sydney (L.L.B., L.L.M.) |
Occupation | Lawyer, barrister |
Francis John Walker,
Early life
Walker was born in Sydney and spent early formative years with his father, a
He graduated from the
Political career
New South Wales political career
A prominent figure of the
He served as
Federal political career
Walker was elected as the member for Robertson in the
Walker's state and federal career both ended the same way that of him losing his seat at the same time that a sitting government, which he was a minister of, had been defeated.
As a state minister, Walker's portfolios included Attorney General and Aboriginal Affairs and while he did not serve in these two portfolios as a federal minister he did however revisit these portfolio areas.
This was due to the High Court's ruling on Mabo falling under his purview as Special Minister of State.
On September 8, 1993, Peter Reith was appointed Shadow Special Minister of State and therefore Walker's Opposition counterpart.
Reith was a member of Shadow Cabinet but Walker in contrast was a minister in the Outer Ministry and not a member of Cabinet.
Walker criticised the appointment of Reith as his Opposition counterpart, specifically on Mabo.
Walker said for Reith to deal with the rights of Aboriginal people was "as appropriate as appointing Saddam Hussein to look after the welfare of the Kurds".
Walker described Reith as "a suburban solicitor" who got grappled with complexities of Mabo.[6]
Career after politics
Frank Walker served as a Judge of the Compensation Court of New South Wales between 1997 and 2003. On the abolition of the Compensation Court in 2003, he was appointed to the District Court of New South Wales and the Dust Diseases Tribunal of New South Wales.[3] His caseload in the Dust Diseases Tribunal predominantly consisted of mesothelioma-related cases,[7] and he retired in 2006.
He was also president of the Schizophrenia Fellowship from 1998 until his death in 2012. His two sons, who had schizophrenia, both killed themselves when they were 33.[4]
Walker died of cancer, aged 69. His family accepted the offer of a
A memorial lecture is held each year to commemorate Walker's life and achievements by the NSW Society of Labor Lawyers.[9]
Bibliography
Forewords
- Walker, Frank (1979). Foreword. The Court is Open- A Guide to the Magistrates Court. By Bartley, Reg. Petty Publishing and Marianne Publishing.[10]
References
- ^ "Barbarians at the gate – don't let them destroy Murray Valley National Park | the Lucky General". 12 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Snow, Deborah (14 June 2012). "Labor MP made battlers' rights his passion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ a b c "The Hon. (Frank) Francis John Walker (1942–2012)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ a b Ireland, Judith (13 June 2012). "Frank Walker dies at 69". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ "Walker, the Hon. Francis (Frank) John, QC". Parlinfo Web. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
- ^ "Reith returns, without a knapsack". Canberra Times. 9 September 1993.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20110706125223/http://www.medicolegal.org.au/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=45. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
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(help) - ^ Humphries, David (20 June 2012). "Activist politician delivered a better future for others". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
- ^ Cooper, Luke (17 May 2017). "Religion Still Standing In The Way Of Marriage Equality: Penny Wong". Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ Bartley, Reg (July 1983). The Court is Open- A Guide to the Magistrates Court (2nd ed.). Petty Publishing and Marianne Publishing. p. iii.