Minister for Trade
What position did John Dawkins take between May 1986 and Aug 1986?
John Dawkins John Sydney Joe Dawkins , AO ( born 2 March 1947 ) is an Australian former politician who was Treasurer in the Keating Labor government from December 1991 to December 1993 . He is notable for his reforms of tertiary education as Minister for Employment , Education and Training , his period as Treasurer when he attempted to increase taxes in order to balance the budget and his abrupt exit from politics . Early life . Dawkins was born in Perth , Western Australia . He attended Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia , gaining a Diploma in Agriculture , and then went on to the University of Western Australia , where he graduated in economics . Political career . In 1974 , aged 27 , Dawkins was elected to the House of Representatives for the marginal seat of Tangney . He was defeated at the 1975 election by Liberal Peter Richardson . In 1977 Dawkins returned to the House as member for the safe Labor seat of Fremantle , succeeding Kim Beazley ( senior ) , and defeating his son , Kim Beazley , for the Labor preselection . In 1980 he was promoted to the Opposition front bench and was Shadow Education Minister from 1980 to 1983 . He became Minister for Finance following the election of the first Hawke government in 1983 . In the second Hawke Ministry ( 1984–1987 ) he was Minister for Trade . From 1987 to 1991 he was Minister for Employment , Education and Training . It was in this position where he brought in a series of reforms of the higher education sector , which included expansion of Australian universities , the forced mergers of universities and colleges of advanced education , and the re-introduction of university fees ( abolished by Kim Beazley senior in 1973 ) in the form of the HECS . This later became known as the Dawkins Revolution and aroused bitter opposition among academics and university administrators . A key supporter of Paul Keating , Dawkins became Treasurer following Keatings unseating of Hawke as ALP leader and Prime Minister , in his second and successful leadership challenge in December 1991 . After Keatings unexpected victory in the 1993 federal election , Dawkins brought down a budget which contained a series of highly unpopular revenue measures which were seen as an attack on Labors traditional supporters . The Cabinet , which had hitherto grudgingly accepted Keatings neo-liberal policies , rebelled against the Dawkins budget . Dawkins did not help his stock when he taunted Liberal MP Kathy Sullivan by calling her sweetheart , angering several female MPs from his own party . In December 1993 Dawkins , frustrated at what he saw as the lack of economic realism of his colleagues , suddenly announced his resignation , and quit politics altogether soon after . It was during his farewell speech that he suggested that the date of presenting the Budget be moved from August to May , a practice that would be started by his successor Ralph Willis in May 1994 . He was succeeded in Fremantle by former West Australian Premier Dr Carmen Lawrence . Post political career . Since leaving politics , Dawkins has had an active business career . He has been non-executive Chair of Elders Rural Bank , LawCentral , Integrated Legal Holdings , The Retail Energy Market Company which operates the retail gas markets in South Australia and Western Australia , Fortuna Funds Management and director of Cbus superannuation , Genetic Technologies and MGM Wireless . In 2000 he was a made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the reform of international trade as foundation Chairman of the Cairns Group , to the reform of the federal budget , education and training , and to the Australian Parliament . In 2000 , Dawkinss family agreed to use 104 hectares of their sizeable holdings of grazing land in Forrestdale outside Perth in a property venture where the profits from land sales would be invested in research and development for technology that is conducted at the CY OConnor ERADE Village , including research laboratories , offices and accommodation , at the entrance of the twelve hectare estate . The development was believed to be worth around $100 million . In 2013 Dawkins was chairman of Vocation and earnt over a million dollars when it listed on the stock exchange . The company collapsed in 2015 and Dawkins has civil proceedings from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission regarding claimed contravention of disclosure provisions . His principal employment is as Director of Government Relations Australia , now GRACosway , a lobbying firm . He has also worked as a consultant to large Australian and foreign companies and the World Bank and the OECD . He has been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of South Australia , Federation University Australia and the Queensland University of Technology . He is currently board chairman of the gold exploration company Sovereign ( ) . A cousin of the same name , John Dawkins , is a currently the independent presiding officer of the South Australian Legislative Council .