Peter Vernon Jones Principal Honours Appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 2001 Awarded Chancellor’s Medal by University of Western Australia 2003 Awarded Centenary of Federation Medal 2003 Birth Date 28 January, 1933 Place Launceston, Tasmania, Australia Arrival in WA Arrived in WA 1968 Parents Son of Harold Vernon Jones, headmaster, and Annie May Simmons Marriage and Family Married 23 January 1960, St Mary’s Anglican Church, Hagley, Tasmania to Margaret Antonia Maslin, daughter of John Stuart Maslin and Eileen Mary Lovett Children: two sons and one daughter Death Date 16 January 2017 Religion Church of England Education Educated Launceston Church of England Boys’ Grammar School Profession Farmer Political Party Service Country Party and National Country Party 1973–1985 Deputy Leader of National Country Party 18 May 1975– February 1985 Liberal from February 1985 President Liberal Party of Australia (WA Division) April 1989–July 1991 Federal vice-president July 1990–October 1996 Date Elected 30 March 1974 Year Retired 1986 Electorate Narrogin Parliamentary Service Electorates MLA Narrogin 30 March 1974–8 February 1986 Contested Narrogin 8 February 1986 Office Secretary Parliamentary National Country Party March 1974–May 1975 Minister for Housing, Conservation and Environment, Fisheries and Wildlife 5 June 1975–10 March 1977; for Education, Cultural Affairs and Recreation 10 March 1977–5 March 1980; for Resources, Development, Mines, Fuel and Energy, Industrial Development (until 25 January 1982), Housing, Regional Administration and the North- West and Tourism (12 February 1981–25 January 1982) 5 March 1980–25 February 1983 Committees Member Public Accounts Committee July 1974–13 August 1975 Employment History Farming in Westwood, Tasmania 1950–1968 Farmed at Hagley, Tasmania 1951–1968 National Service Training with Citizens' Military Forces 1952–1958 then on Reserve of Officers From 1968 farmed wool, meat and coarse grains in Narrogin until 1981 when had 2,700 hectares Background/Membership Member Primary Industry Association and Pastoralists and Graziers’ Association Councillor Royal National Agricultural and Pastoral Society of Tasmania Member WA Barley Marketing Board 1972–April 1974 Group Executive, Barrack House Group Pty Ltd, Perth 1986–1988 Since 1988 director, chairman AMMTEC Ltd, ARC Energy NL and Kailis Organic Olive Groves Pty Ltd and formerly director of several companies Founding Chairman Water Corporation from 1 January 1996 Chairman Commonwealth Defence Housing Australia 2003– 2008 Chairman Australian Education Council 1979 Chairman Callaway Foundation for Music Education in University of Western Australia 2002–2006 Delegate to United Nations Habitat Conference, Vancouver 1979 Chairman Water Corporation of WA December 1995– December 2002, previously chairman review and implementation group for water industry Chairman Steering Group to develop and preside over security and custodial services in WA Active in Anglican Church affairs in Narrogin, Diocesan Councillor, Anglican Diocese of Bunbury 1971–1975 Involved in fund-raising for Diabetes Research (one time vice-president Diabetes Research Foundation of WA) and for the WA Youth Orchestra West Australian Friday 20/1/2017 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 61 Page 1 of 3 Section: Other Region: Perth Circulation: 153,763 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 587.00 sq.cms. Frequency: MTWTF-- EDITED BY OBITUARIES ROD MORAN Minister’s quiet legacy PETER V. JONES, AM sure would come as economic Politician growth gathered pace. Born: Launceston, 1933 With government and private Died: Perth, aged 84 sector support, Chinese technologists were brought to WA for academic and on-the-job Peter Jones, once known as “the training in our world-leading minister for almost everything”, resources sector. was an important figure in Technical missions were Western Australia’s history. exchanged — and still are. His skills as a negotiator, The Chinese visitors were policy-maker and administrator shown how to efficiently develop were central to the biggest extremely big projects in remote growth phase of the State’s places — a field in which WA led natural resources development the world. — the 1970s and early 1980s — as Jones’ plan worked. And over West Australians built on the past decade WA has reaped foundations set in the 1960s. the harvest of his quiet, patient, Yet Jones was never a perceptive groundwork laid household name, which is how nearly three decades earlier. The he wanted things to be. man himself described it with He was no self-promoter, typical dry humour as “our long, always believing he could slow, rush to China”. achieve more by working quietly So who was this quiet man in the boardrooms and who, for all his desire to avoid government offices of the world. the limelight, found himself An example. Only the very few central to some of the greatest people who really mattered ever developments of his time in knew — or know now — of the politics? vital groundwork he laid when Born in Launceston, he led the first official WA Tasmania, on January 28, 1933, mission to China in 1980. This Peter Vernon Jones came to WA was a time when China was just in 1968, becoming a successful starting on the path that would wool, meat and grain grower at take it, in 2016, to be a global Narrogin. economic superpower, second He stood as a Country Party in strength only to the candidate, won the seat of US. Narrogin in 1974 and held it for In 1980 China had great 12 years, which included three ambitions but nothing much splits in his party. else. It was stone, motherless He left State Parliament as a broke. Liberal. Sir Charles Court’s Overnight Jones conceived a respect for him resulted in a plan to bridge the years between heavy workload. where China was then and what Jones held 13 ministries in his he expected it to become. nine years as a government MP. The plan was to help China His key years were in the build up its technical and resources development academic capacities so the portfolios and included the nation would be able to fully completion, against daunting exploit the opportunities he was Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence. Ref: 715946203 West Australian Friday 20/1/2017 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 61 Page 2 of 3 Section: Other Region: Perth Circulation: 153,763 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 587.00 sq.cms. Frequency: MTWTF-- odds, of the long and complex leading Australia’s biggest process to bring the giant North landowner through a period of West Shelf gas project into major change. production. Cultural and charitable The global oil crisis of the late work included the Frank 1970s and the resulting world Callaway Foundation for economic downturn went close Music, the Hackett Foundation to derailing the venture. of the University of WA, the The downturn was a blow to board of the Perth the Government, which had International Arts Festival and signed a take-or-pay contract for the Diabetes Research massive volumes of natural gas Foundation of WA. because this was the only means He was president of the WA by which a pipeline to bring gas Liberal Party for four years and from the Pilbara to the a Federal vice-president for six. metropolitan area and South From 2008 he gradually wound West could be financed. back his external interests and The existing gas supply from travelled extensively with Toni, Dongara was nearing his wife of more than half a exhaustion. century, to whom he felt he owed Without the North West Shelf a great debt for her support gas, WA’s economic progress during his years in politics, would have been crippled. business and community The late 1970s and early 80s service. were also a hectic and Peter Jones, who died on challenging time, with WA’s iron Monday this week, leaves a ore, nickel and bauxite widow, daughter Philippa, sons industries also severely affected Andrew and Angus, son-in-law by the global downturn. Tony, daughters-in-law Penny His negotiating skills and the and Louise, and seven strong high-level business grandchildren. contacts he had developed Andrew Warton around the world helped to steer WA through the protracted crisis, aided greatly by the strategy Jones and Sir Charles followed of prioritising preservation of export tonnages over maintaining high prices. After leaving parliament in 1986, Jones found himself in demand for private-sector directorships and he accepted several with middle-level mining and energy companies, where he felt his experience would be of best value to WA. High-level government appointments included being inaugural chairman of the Water Corporation for seven years and chairing the steering group for the outsourcing of a range of security and custodial services in WA. Following this he was appointed chairman of Defence Housing Australia by the Howard Federal Government, Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence. Ref: 715946203 West Australian Friday 20/1/2017 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 61 Page 3 of 3 Section: Other Region: Perth Circulation: 153,763 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 587.00 sq.cms. Frequency: MTWTF-- Peter Jones was a versatile State minister and economic visionary. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence. Ref: 715946203 West Australian Tuesday 17/1/2017 Brief: PARLWA-WA1 Page: 43 Page 1 of 2 Section: Business News Region: Perth Circulation: 153,763 Type: Capital City Daily Size: 415.00 sq.cms. Frequency: MTWTF-- Energy pioneer Jones dies, aged 83 Ben Harvey “Peter said to me, ‘I’ve got just the man for you. He is John One of the architects of WA’s Hammond. He used to be my energy industry, former chief of staff and he’ll be ideal resources minister Peter Jones, for you, particularly in the died yesterday.