West Australian Thursday 9/11/2006 Brief: PARLWA_WA Page: 4 Section: Supplements Region: Circulation: 205,610 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 234.29 sq.cms. Published: MTWTFS-

CHARLES COURT

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. union movement had built up under Charles WalterMichaelCourt's successive Labor governments. hour arrived in 1953 when the up- He confronted the powerful Collie and-coming chartered accountant miners' union and the waterside was drafted to take on the seat of workers. Nedlands for the Liberal Party. Later, as premier from 1974 to He says he agreed to serve two 1982, Sir Charles introduced the parliamentary terms, then six years, notorious section 54B of the Police and planned to return to his new Act under which it was an offence partnership in the firm Hendry, Rae punishable by a month's jail for more and Court. than three people to meet in public But in the lead-up to the 1959 without a permit. election, Liberal leader Sir Charles was fond of saying that asked him to write the party's policy leaders were meant to lead and he for developing WA's North-West and was not what nowadays would be then to take it to the people. regarded as a consensus politician. Western had up until His controversial decision to use then been a mendicant State, reliant the police and the State Emergency on Federal tax support. Service to ensure a mining company The won the poll and Mr fulfilled its obligations to drill on the Court's time really arrived when he Aboriginal-run Noonkanbah station in immediately took on the ministries of the Kimberley was a hallmark of his industrial development, the North- political style. West and railways. His career was characterised by Under the steady hand of the titanic struggles against Canberra likable premier Brand, the deputy politicians of both persuasions and Liberal leader brought a dynamism to the single-minded development of the the development of WA that saw him massive iron ore and oil and knighted in 1972. gas industries. Sir Charles not only set about But Sir Charlesremains attracting private investment to the disappointed that his grand vision of mining and agriculture industries, but the as a food bowl for Asia he wanted to remove what he saw as remains largely unfulfilled. a stranglehold on labour issues the PAUL MURRAY

Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licensed copy Ref: 24976056