Chas Hopkins

{{Short description|Australian politician and businessman}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=November 2016}}

Charles Hopkins is an Australian politician and businessman. He was the Lord Mayor of Perth from 1988 to 1991.{{cite news | title=Hopkins joins race for mayor | work=The West Australian | date=19 March 2003 |author=Peace, Bronwyn}}

Hopkins was elected to the City of Perth council in 1975 at the age of 26, making him the youngest Perth councillor ever elected.{{cite news | url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/19153700/gen-y-rises-to-dismiss-apathy-slur/ | title=Gen Y rises to dismiss apathy slur | work=The West Australian | date=29 September 2013 | accessdate=18 November 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305041102/https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/19153700/gen-y-rises-to-dismiss-apathy-slur/ | archivedate=5 March 2016 | df=dmy-all }} He served as Deputy Lord Mayor from 1980 to 1981.{{cite news | url=http://westernsuburbs.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Former-Lord-Mayor-joins-race/7535746/ | title=Former Lord Mayor joins race | work=Western Suburbs Weekly | date=15 September 2009 | accessdate=18 November 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215024849/http://westernsuburbs.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Former-Lord-Mayor-joins-race/7535746/ | archivedate=15 December 2014 | df=dmy-all }} Hopkins was elected Lord Mayor in 1988, defeating two-term incumbent Mick Michael, and also becoming the youngest Lord Mayor.{{cite news | title=Who'd want to be Mayor?: The outsiders | work=The West Australian | date=5 April 2003 | author=Aisbett, Norman}} He ran for re-election in 1991, but was defeated by former Liberal Senator Reg Withers.{{cite news | title=Withers is Perth's new Lord Mayor | work=The Age | date=6 May 1991 | author=Waddacor, Gill}}

Hopkins again ran for Lord Mayor in 2003, his first bid for council since his 1991 loss, but was defeated by incumbent mayor Peter Nattrass.{{cite news | title=Hopkins joins race for mayor | work=The West Australian | date=19 March 2003 | author=Peace, Bronwyn}}{{cite news | title=He's back: Nattrass wins Mayor race | work=The Sunday Times | date=4 May 2003 |author1=Butler, Bruce |author2=Hellard, Peta}} He contested councillor positions for the City of Perth at both the 2009 and 2011 elections, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.{{cite news | title=New mayors for Freo, Bayswater | work=WA Business News | date=19 October 2009 | author=Malongo, Jackline}}{{cite web | url=http://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/local/669062CC-B843-4173-B089-0821CD33F6DE/results/Perth | title=2011 Ordinary Election Perth Results | publisher=Western Australian Electoral Commission | accessdate=18 November 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129025838/http://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/local/669062CC-B843-4173-B089-0821CD33F6DE/results/Perth | archive-date=29 November 2014 | url-status=dead }} Hopkins was the Labor candidate for the federal seat of Cowan at the 2010 election, a late replacement after initial candidate and then Wanneroo mayor Jon Kelly resigned from the race.{{cite news | title=Hopkins gets nod for Cowan | work=The West Australian | date=13 April 2010 }} He attracted attention during the campaign for criticising the Labor government's mining tax as too tough on the resources sector, and promised to lobby for changes.{{cite news | title=Miners paying their way on tax: Abbott | work=The Courier-Mail | date=27 May 2010 |author1=Balogh, Stefanie |author2=Chalmers, Emma}} He was defeated by incumbent Liberal MP Luke Simpkins.{{cite news | title=Local issues key to victory | work=The Sunday Times | date=22 August 2010 | author=Towie, Narelle}}

Hopkins is a long-time office furniture and design retailer outside politics, and is a former auctioneer.{{cite news | title=Hopkins joins race for mayor | work=The West Australian | date=19 March 2003 | author=Peace, Bronwyn}}{{cite news | title=Race on to run city | work=The West Australian | date=5 April 2003| author=Kennedy, Elicia}} He has also been involved with a number of proposed developments, including an unsuccessful attempt to purchase Raine Square in 2002, a proposed resort in Rockingham, and a housing estate in Sydney.{{cite news | title=Group buys Raine Square | work=The West Australian | date=29 May 2002 | author=Peacock, Sue}}{{cite news | title=Plug pulled on Raine Square plan | work=The West Australian | date=14 April 2004 | author=Low, Catie}}{{cite news | title=Estate tops $1b | work=Macarthur Chronicle | date=3 February 2009 }} He is the uncle of state Labor MP and former Police Minister Michelle Roberts.{{cite news | title=Hopkins joins race for mayor | work=The West Australian | date=19 March 2003 | author=Peace, Bronwyn}} Hopkins was made a "Freeman of the City [of Perth]" in 2008.{{cite news | url=http://westernsuburbs.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Former-Lord-Mayor-joins-race/7535746/ | title=Former Lord Mayor joins race | work=Western Suburbs Weekly | date=15 September 2009 | accessdate=18 November 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215024849/http://westernsuburbs.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Former-Lord-Mayor-joins-race/7535746/ | archivedate=15 December 2014 | df=dmy-all }}

He contested the 2019 Australian federal election for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party.{{cite web | url=https://www.unitedaustraliaparty.org.au/candidates/charles-hopkins/ | title=Chas Hopkins | publisher=United Australia Party | accessdate=30 August 2019}}