Arthur Tonkin (politician)

Arthur Tonkin was born in Perth to Florence May (née Cole) and Norman Sedrick Tonkin. He studied at the University of Western Australia and Claremont Teachers College, and subsequently worked as a teacher (both in the metropolitan area and in the country).[http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/0D4B2DA36D3E6D78482577E50028A80D?OpenDocument Arthur Raymond Tonkin] – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 July 2016. A member of the State School Teachers Union, Tonkin was elected to parliament at the 1971 state election, winning the seat of Mirrabooka from the Liberal Party's Doug Cash. His seat was abolished at the 1974 election, and he successfully transferred to the new seat of Morley.{{cite book|last=Black|first=David|authorlink=David Black (historian)|last2=Prescott|first2=Valerie|title=Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996|year=1997|publisher=Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission|location=Perth, [W.A.]|isbn=0730984095}} Tonkin was elevated to shadow cabinet after the 1977 election, and would serve under three leaders of the opposition (Colin Jamieson, Ron Davies, and Brian Burke).

At a redistribution prior to the 1983 state election, Tonkin's seat was abolished and replaced with the new seat of Morley-Swan. After the election, which Labor won, he was made Minister for Water Resources, Minister for Consumer Affairs, and Minister for Parliamentary and Electoral Reform, as well as Leader of the House. He lost the consumer affairs portfolio to Peter Dowding in December 1983, having presented "too hardline an image" in his dealings with business.{{cite journal |last= Gallop |first= Geoff |date=June 1984 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: July-December 1983 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 30 |issue= 2 |pages= 274 |issn=0004-9522}} In a reshuffle after the 1986 election, Tonkin lost the electoral reform portfolio to Mal Bryce, but replaced Jeff Carr as Minister for Police and Emergency Services. However, he resigned from the ministry less than three months later, and resigned from parliament altogether in March 1987.

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{{s-bef|before=Doug Cash}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member for Mirrabooka|years=1971–1974}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Member for Morley|years=1974–1983}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Member for Morley-Swan|years=1983–1987}}

{{s-aft|after=Frank Donovan}}

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{{s-bef|before=Richard Shalders}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Consumer Affairs|years=1983}}

{{s-aft|after=Peter Dowding}}

{{s-bef|before=Andrew Mensaros}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Water Resources|years=1983–1986}}

{{s-aft|after=Des Dans}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Parliamentary and Electoral Reform|years=1983–1986}}

{{s-aft|after=Mal Bryce}}

{{s-bef|before=Jeff Carr}}

{{s-ttl|title=Minister for Police and Emergency Services|years=1986}}

{{s-aft|after=Gordon Hill}}

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Category:1930 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Australian schoolteachers

Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia

Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

Category:Politicians from Perth, Western Australia

Category:University of Western Australia alumni