Wran ministry (1978–1980)

{{Infobox government cabinet

| cabinet_name = Second Wran ministry

| cabinet_number = 72nd

| jurisdiction = the State of New South Wales

| flag = Flag of New South Wales.svg

| flag_border = true

| incumbent =

| image = Neville Wran Premier.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Premier Neville Wran

| date_formed = {{start date|1978|10|19|df=y}}

| date_dissolved = {{start date|1980|02|29|df=y}}

| government_head = Neville Wran

| government_head_title = Premier

| government_head_history =

| deputy_government_head = Jack Ferguson

| deputy_government_head_title = Deputy Premier

| state_head = Queen Elizabeth II

| state_head_title = Monarch

| governor = Sir Roden Cutler

| members_number = 19

| former_members_number =

| total_number =

| political_party = Labor

| legislature_status =

| opposition_cabinet =

| opposition_parties = Liberal {{Australian politics/name|Nationals NSW}} coalition

| opposition_leader = John Mason

| election = 1978 New South Wales election

| last_election =

| legislature_term =

| budget =

| advice_and_consent1 =

| advice_and_consent2 =

| incoming_formation =

| outgoing_formation =

| previous = First Wran ministry

| successor = Third Wran ministry

}}

The Wran ministry (1978–1980) or Second Wran ministry was the 72nd ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 35th Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran, representing the Labor Party. It was the second of eight consecutive occasions when Wran was Premier.

Background

Wran had been elected to the Legislative Council of New South Wales by a joint sitting of the New South Wales Parliament on 12 March 1970.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220055804 |title=Candidates declared to be elected Members of the Legislative Council. |newspaper=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=36–37 |date=13 March 1970 |access-date=3 December 2020 |page=849 |via=Trove}} He was Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council from 22 February 1972.{{NSW Parliamentary Record |part=3 |access-date=2020-12-03}} He resigned from the council on 19 October 1973 to switch to the Legislative Assembly, successfully contesting the election for Bass Hill, which he would hold until his retirement in 1986.{{cite NSW election |title=Elections for the District of Bass Hill |year=DistrictIndexes |district=BassHill |access-date=3 September 2019}} Wran successfully challenged Pat Hills to become Leader of Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 3 December 1973 and became Premier following a narrow one seat victory at the 1976 election.{{cite NSW Parliament|title=The Hon. Neville Kenneth Wran (1926–2014) |id=1860 |former=Yes |access-date=10 May 2019}}

Labor had returned to government in 1976 after 11 years in opposition, following a narrow one seat victory at the 1976 election. 85% of voters approved a referendum in June 1978 to introduce direct elections for the Legislative Council. The election on 7 October 1978 was a landslide victory for Labor, popularly known as the "Wranslide", with a swing to Labor of 9.1%, gaining 13 seats. The first election for the Legislative Council in {{Age in years|25 September 1851|7 October 1978}} years saw Labor win nine of the 15 available seats, giving it a majority of four seats in the council.

Composition of ministry

The composition of the ministry was announced by Premier Wran and sworn in on 19 October 1978. Former Premier and minister, Jack Renshaw, announced his decision to retire from politics in January 1980, with Wran assuming his portfolio of Treasurer pending a reconfiguration of the ministry on 29 February 1980 and the Third Wran ministry was formed.{{refn|name=Ministries|{{NSW Parliamentary Record |part=6 |access-date=2022-03-14}}}}

=First arrangement=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Portfolio !! Minister !! colspan="2" | Party !! Term commence !! Term end !! Term of office

Premier

| {{sortname|Neville|Wran}}

| rowspan=20 {{Australian party style|Labor NSW}} |

| rowspan=20 width=8% | {{Australian politics/name|Labor NSW}}

| rowspan=3 align=center | 19 October 1978

| rowspan=2 align=center | 29 February 1980

| rowspan=2 align=right | {{ayd|1978|10|19|1980|02|29}}

Deputy Premier
Minister for Public Works
Minister for Ports

| {{sortname|Jack|Ferguson}}{{hsp}}{{efn|name=retained}}

rowspan=2 | Treasurer

| {{sortname|Jack|Renshaw}}{{hsp}}{{efn|name=:1|Jack Renshaw resigned from the ministry and from Parliament on 29 January 1980,{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=1698 |name=Mr John Brophy Renshaw (1909–1987) |former=Yes |access-date=8 May 2019}} with Neville Wran taking on the Treasury portfolio.}}

| align=center | 29 January 1980

| align=right | {{ayd|1978|10|19|1980|01|29}}

| align=center | 29 January 1980

| align=center | 29 February 1980

| align=right | {{ayd|1980|01|29|1980|02|29}}

Minister for Transport

| {{sortname|Peter|Cox|dab=politician}}

| rowspan=16 align=center | 19 October 1978

| rowspan=16 align=center |29 February 1980

| rowspan=16 align=right | {{ayd|1978|10|19|1980|02|29}}

Attorney General
Minister for Justice

| {{sortname|Frank|Walker|dab=Australian politician}}{{hsp}}{{efn|name=retained}}