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Ian Thompson B.1948

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Ian Thompson B.1948 STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA .N PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE Verbatim Transcript of an interview with Ian Thompson b.1948 - d. 2009 Access Research: Open Publication: Open STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA - ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION DATE OF INTERVIEW: 11 September 2009 INTERVIEWER: Ronda Jamieson TRANSCRIBER: DURATION: 6 sound discs REFERENCE NUMBER: OH 2264/2 COPYRIGHT: Parliament of Western Australia and Library Board of Western Australia Amended January 2011 to show release from embargo State Library ot W A 3 11 1 1 04215096 9 Table of Contents THOMPSON (2009) Contents Page Number Positions in Shadow Ministry 1 Pre-selection process 2 1989 election Manipulation of Liberal Party branches 3 Departure from Shadow Ministry 4 Announcement of resignation from Liberal Party during 5 Parliamentary speech Decision not to contest 1993 election 6 Influence of Independents Assessment of Sir Charles Court as Premier 8 Assessment of Peter Dowding as Premier 9 Friendship with Laurie and Elizabeth Connell 10 Support of Rothwells bailout 11 Assessment of Carmen Lawrence as Premier Effects of WA_ Inc _Royal _Commission Participation in various Parliamentary Committees while an 12 Independent Comments on Barry MacKinnon's demise as Liberal Party leader 14 Reasons for not contesting 1993 election 15 Assessments of Cohn Barnett and Troy Buswell 17 Advocation of Federal Parliament and no State Parliaments 18 Activities since retirement from State Parliament 20 INTRODUCTION Ian Thompson was interviewed for the Parliamentary History Project by Ronda Jamieson in 1987. This interview, conducted on 11 September 2009, continues from that point, and should be read in conjunction with the previous interview. The 2009 interview covered the remainder of Ian Thompson's political career, including the decision to resign from the Liberal Party in July 1989 and become an Independent member of Parliament until the 1993 election which he did not contest. It covers the various Shadow Ministries held before his resignation from the Party, the parliamentary Select Committees on which he served, and his comments on the role of Independent members. The leadership of the Labor governments and Liberal oppositions from 1989 until 1993 are covered, together with the 1991 Royal Commission into the Activities of Government, known as the WA Inc Royal Commission. Ian Thompson's activities since leaving Parliament are briefly discussed. Sadly, Ian Thompson died on 3 December 2009, aged 74. The interview was conducted in the Parliament of Western Australia by Ronda Jamieson. ORAL HISTORY THOMPSON This is an interview with Ian Thompson being held at the Parliament of Western Australia on 11 September 2009. The interviewer is Ronda Jamieson. RJ Ian, I'll first of all identify that you were already interviewed for the Parliamentary History Project back in 1987. THOMPSON Yes, I was. RJ And we are picking up from that point. It was November 1987 when we had our last interview. At that time in 1987, Barry MacKinnon was leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party, which was, of course, in opposition. You were a member of the shadow cabinet. You actually had quite a bit of change in those couple of years. You were shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Employment and Training. Then it was Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs, Racing and Gaming; and then Transport, Community Services and Racing and Gaming. I wondered in that time of being a shadow minister whether there was anything out of those portfolios you would like to comment on. THOMPSON The one area that I wanted to make a contribution was in the area of industrial relations because I felt that the Liberal Party tended to play themselves out of the game in industrial relations by adopting a very hostile attitude towards the other side of politics. I had a background that saw me a part of the trade union movement. I didn't support all that the trade union movement stood for - I have made that clear before - but I felt that there was plenty of area for common ground that had to that point appeared not to have been traversed because of hostilities. And so during that period that I was the shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, I tried to move a bit closer to the trade union movement. It earned me a little bit of a problem with my parliamentary colleagues and so I don't think I was destined to stay there for very long. RJ In what way? THOMPSON Well, you know, I got the impression that I was in some way being a traitor to the cause by showing some sympathy towards the trade union movement. RJ So, as strong as that even? THOMPSON Yes, it was quite strong and so I didn't slash my wrists when I no longer had responsibility for that area because I couldn't see how I was ever going to change the mindset of the old guard, particularly in the Liberal Party. RJ Did you try to do that in the party room; can you remember? THOMPSON I can't remember any specific cases but I can recall on occasions trying to find a way to help resolve an issue, rather than inflame the issue. I can remember there was a problem at Robe River where Charles Copeman had been put in by Cliffs Robe River to go and clean up the operations in their Pilbara operations. He was set a task of getting rid of or reducing the cost of production. That is essentially what it was doing because the company was faced with the prospect of having their higher grade product running out and they were having to consider massive investment to move to new ground. But the company said if the cost of their production couldn't be brought under control, that they weren't prepared to invest the money that was necessary to move into the new territories. They had to extend their rail systems and that sort of ORAL HISTORY THOMPSON 2 thing, and Copeman was sent there to sort the problem out. Well, Copeman sorted it out all right, but it produced a lot of resentment and a lot of hostility. It was rather ironical that several months (it may have been a year or so) later Copeman rang me to tell me that he had been sacked because in the meantime a change of federal government had occurred and the company was wanting to get closer to an incoming government, and Copeman was an embarrassment to the company so they tramped him. Copeman actually stood as a candidate for the federal Parliament because of his hostility to what had occurred. And I don't know what's occurred to Charles Copeman since then, but here was the guy who went in to do a job for his boss, did it effectively and then became an embarrassment, and without any hesitation, they flicked him, and that showed me the ruthlessness of big business. RJ Just to reassure you, that is a superb microphone, it's an extremely expensive microphone, it will pick you up from wherever, so you can completely relax. You don't feel you need to speak into it, but that was - THOMPSON What I might do before we go on, this chair, I'd like to get the back to go up a bit higher, if it will. RJ Yes, of course. They are not used to people of your height. THOMPSON No, that's exactly right. Now, that will be better; otherwise it was right in the midst of my back. RJ In that time that you were in the shadow ministry, in your view, how was the Liberal Party operating in Parliament? How effective an opposition was it under Barry MacKinnon? THOMPSON I couldn't say that it was an outstanding performance. Opposition is unquestionably hard, and the Leader of the Opposition has an extremely difficult job. You're on a hiding to nothing. And I think Barry performed as well as was possible in the circumstances. The team he had wasn't all that experienced and the government of the day was extremely effective in their parliamentary performance and, of course, they have a lot more resources available to them, and they really outplayed the Liberal Party during that period of time. RJ It was during that time that parliamentary terms were extended to being four years. What did you think of that move? THOMPSON I thought it was a reasonable thing to do, although I was opposed to there being statutory four-year terms. I think a maximum four-year term was appropriate, but I don't see how you can have our system of democracy with a fixed term of four years. There's got to be an opportunity for a government to fall. To that extent, I think the legislation was appropriate because it didn't lock in four years as such; it gave a maximum of four years. RJ For the 1989 election, due to a redistribution, Bob Greig was preselected for Helena and you for Darling Range, which had been the seat that Greig had won in 1987, even though it was now changed. What did you feel about that preselection process? ORAL HISTORY THOMPSON THOMPSON I think what we need to do is to go back a bit in history there and look at the build-up to that situation. It was, to me, incomprehensible that George Spriggs1 would have stood down, would have retired from Parliament 14 months before the expiration of the term for which he had been elected. I'm absolutely convinced, but have no proof, that it was an orchestrated thing. It was clear that the two outer metropolitan seats (near- country seats as they were then), Darling Range and Kalamunda, would be combined and I think Greig saw an opportunity and I think was encouraged by others to move into Spriggs' seat as a means of taking a seat that would ultimately be a combined seat of the two from me.
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