West Australian Tuesday 25/6/2019 Brief: PARLWA-YCC Page: 18 Page 1 of 2 Section: General News Region: Circulation: 135,996 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 754.00 sq.cms. Frequency: MTWTF--

Tributes flow for a Labor stalwart

John Kobelke and his wife Stephanie. Former MP popular on both sides of politics PETER DE KRUIJFF Popular former WA Labor very decent human being. In 1989, Mr Kobelke was minister John Kobelke died in “Very committed to the elected as the member for the Perth on Sunday night, aged State, very committed to his former seat of Nollamara, 69. family and his electorate. He which would later become Mr Kobelke served as a was an excellent minister. Balcatta, after being prese- minister in State govern- “He was one of those people lected the previous year with ments led by and everyone liked across the po- some help behind the scenes before retir- litical divide.” from former premier Brian ing from politics in 2013 after Mr Kobelke was born in Mt Burke. 24 years as a local member. Lawley and worked a good His relationship with Mr Premier Mark McGowan part of the 1970s and 1980s as a Burke would wane in the foll- shared a parliamentary office high school teacher in Aus- owing years and in 2007 Mr with Mr Kobelke for four tralia and Papua New Guinea. Kobelke told Parliament he years and served alongside He became a card-carrying had “divorced” himself from him in the Labor Party for two member of the Australian the controversial figure. decades. Labor Party when he was 27 “It was not just I who was “I heard last night John had but had volunteered at elec- gullible and sucked in by passed away,” he said. “He tions since he was a teenager. was a very fine man and a Brian Burke — many mem-

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bers on the other side were also sucked in by him,” he said. “I soon realised that he was actually more about his own agenda, rather than what I thought was good for WA. “Therefore, over a period, which goes back many years now, I divorced myself from anything to do with Brian Burke.” Mr Kobelke served as min- ister for police, water, sport and recreation, Aboriginal affairs and consumer affairs. In his valedictory speech, he said he wished more work could be done in Aboriginal affairs, while paying tribute to mileage gained on the issue of climate change. “It has certainly been a great honour to be part of a government that delivered so much to the people of West- ern Australia,” he said.

Mr Kobelke and then premier Alan Carpenter in 2008.

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