At a caucus meeting held on 29 January 1991, a spill motion was carried which created three vacancies in the Ministry. On 5 February, Jeff Carr, Gavan Troy and Pam Buchanan were removed as Ministers, whilst Eric Ripper, Dr Judyth Watson and Jim McGinty were sworn in. A major crisis was precipitated when Carr resigned from Parliament, with his seat of Geraldton being won by a Liberal at a by-election, whilst Troy ceased to attend caucus meetings and Buchanan resigned from the party, sitting as an Independent. With the resignation of left-wing MLA Dr Ian Alexander a month later, the Government was forced to depend on independents in the Legislative Assembly to maintain supply—the first time Western Australia had had minority government since 1905.
First Ministry
On 16 February 1990, the Lieutenant-Governor and Administrator, Sir Francis Burt, constituted the Ministry. He designated 17 principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the following ministers to their positions, and served until the reconstitution of the Ministry on 5 February 1991. The list below is ordered by decreasing seniority within the Cabinet, as indicated by the Government Gazette and the Hansard index.
The members of the Ministry were:
Office
Minister
Premier and Treasurer
Minister for Public Sector Management
Minister for the Family
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs
Minister for Women's Interests
Deputy Premier
Minister for Finance and Economic Development (until 20 December 1990)
Minister for Trade (30 April[1]-20 December 1990)
Minister for State Development (from 20 December 1990)
Minister for the Goldfields (until 26 November 1992)
Minister for the Mid-West (7 September – 26 November 1992)
Attorney-General
Minister for Resources (30 April[1]-20 December 1990)
Minister for Corrective Services
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
Minister for Planning Minister for Lands
Minister for Heritage
Minister for the Arts (from 30 April 1990)[1]
Minister assisting the Minister for Women's Interests (until 30 April 1990)
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
1 On 5 April 1990, former Deputy Premier and Treasurer David Parker announced his imminent resignation from the Ministry and from Parliament. His former responsibilities were shared across three other ministers.
Second Ministry
On 5 February 1991, the Governor, Sir Francis Burt, reconstituted the Ministry. He designated 16 principal executive offices of the Government and appointed the ministers to their positions. The appointed members remained Ministers until the end of the Lawrence Ministry on 16 February 1993.
Deputy Premier Minister for Health (from 26 November 1992)[3]
Minister for State Development
Minister for the Goldfields (until 26 November 1992)
Minister for the Mid-West (7 September – 26 November 1992)
Minister for Education
Minister for Employment and Training (until 7 September 1992)
Minister for Training (from 7 September 1992)
Minister for the Arts
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
Minister for Mines
Minister for Small Business (from 7 September 1992)
Minister for Fisheries
Minister for Sport and Recreation (until 27 February 1991)
Minister for the Mid-West (until 7 September 1992)
Minister assisting the Minister for State Development (until 7 September 1992)
Minister assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment (from 7 September 1992)
Minister for Police
Minister for Emergency Services
Minister for the Aged (until 27 February 1991)
Minister for Sport and Recreation (from 27 February 1991)
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs
Minister for Seniors (from 27 February 1991)
Minister assisting the Minister for Women's Interests (until 7 September 1992)
Minister for Women's Interests (from 7 September 1992)
Dr Judyth Watson, Cert.Nurs.Ed., BSc (Hons), PhD, JP, MLA
Minister for Community Services (until 7 September 1992)
Minister for Disability Services (from 20 August 1991)
(from 7 September 1992:)
Minister for the Family
Minister for Community Development
Minister for Youth Justice
Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly (from 26 October 1992)[2]
Minister for the Environment (from 26 October 1992)[2]
Minister for Housing
Minister for Construction
Minister for Services (until 26 November 1992)
Minister for Heritage
2 On 20 October 1992, the six-volume Part One of the WA Inc Royal Commission was tabled in Parliament. A confidential appendix to the Director of Public Prosecutions concerned matters which may lead to prosecution. The following day, the Premier announced that Environment Minister Bob Pearce would stand down from the Ministry and vacate his seat at the next election. The ministry reduced to 15 members, with Jim McGinty assuming the Environment portfolio.
3 On 13 November 1992, Keith Wilson, the Minister for Health, resigned from the Ministry over a range of objections to the Government. Factional disputes over who should replace him resulted in a non-factional MLC, Tom Stephens, being selected ahead of the factions' preferred candidates, Nick Catania and Judy Edwards.
References
Hansard Indexes for 1990–1992, "Legislature of Western Australia"
"No.17 (Special)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 19 February 1990. p. 1990:1137-1138.
"Premier and Cabinet (per PR402)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 8 February 1991. p. 1991:648-650.
"No.128 (Special)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 7 September 1992. p. 1992:4547-4548.
"No.166 (Special)". Western Australia Government Gazette. 27 November 1992. p. 1992:5817-5818.
"Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1990". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 36 (3): 447–448. 1990. ISSN0004-9522.
"Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1991". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 37 (3): 498. 1991. ISSN0004-9522.
"Australian Political Chronicle: July–December 1992". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 39 (2): 257. 1993. ISSN0004-9522.
