Peter Duncan (Australian politician)

Peter Duncan (born 1 January 1945) is an Australian Labor Party politician and one of the relatively few members of parliament to have served not only in both a state and national parliament but also as a minister in both cases.

The Honourable Peter Duncan
Member of the Australian Parliament for Makin
In office 1 December 1984 – 2 March 1996
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Trish Draper
Personal details
Born	(1945-01-01) 1 January 1945 Melbourne, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Alma mater	University of Adelaide

Peter Duncan was born in Melbourne and went to the University of Adelaide, where he studied law and was co-editor of the student newspaper On Dit in 1968. He was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly from the electorate of Elizabeth in the 1973 South Australian election, when he was 28.[1]

In state parliament Duncan served as 41st Attorney-General of South Australia from 1975 until 1979, and then as Minister for Health until the defeat of the Corcoran Labor government at the 1979 election. He resigned from state politics in 1984, sparking an Elizabeth by-election, to contest the seat of Makin in the 1984 Australian election, which he held at every election until defeated when Labor lost office federally in 1996.

Duncan was Minister for Land Transport and Infrastructure Support for the last half of 1987 and Minister for Employment and Education Services for over three years from 1988 to 1990. After leaving the ministry in 1990, he became Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General in December 1991, a post he held until Labor lost office.[1]

Duncan had a business career after politics, which became a source of controversy when he was charged in September 2007 with 'making an untrue statement in application for a Commonwealth grant and with dishonestly causing loss to a Commonwealth entity'.[2] It was reported that this had occurred in the wake of the failure of his plastics recycling business Omnipol.[3] He was subsequently ordered to stand trial on three counts in the South Australian District Court.[4] Duncan went on trial on 3 November 2008, pleading not guilty.[5] On 11 November, he was acquitted on all charges.[6]

Notes

1. "The Hon. Peter Duncan". Australian Parliamentary Handbook online. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
2. Riches, Sam (5 September 2007). "Peter Duncan arrested". AdelaideNow. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
3. "Former Hawke minister refused passport by court". ABC News. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
4. Pia Akerman, 'Hawke minister to stand trial on fraud charge', The Australian, 31 October 2007
5. "Duncan fraud trial starts in SA". ABC News. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
6. "Former minister acquitted in fraud trial". ABC News. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2009.

Parliament of South Australia
Preceded by John Clark	Member for Elizabeth 1973–1984	Martyn Evans
Preceded by Gil Langley	Government Whip 1975	Succeeded by Glen Broomhill
Preceded by Don Dunstan	Attorney-General of South Australia 1975–1979	Succeeded by Don Banfield
Preceded by Ron Payne	Minister for Prices and Consumer Affairs 1975–1979	Succeeded by Don Banfield
Preceded by Don Banfield	Minister for Health 1979	Succeeded by Jennifer Cashmore
Parliament of Australia
New division	Member for Makin 1984–1996	Succeeded by Trish Draper
Preceded by New ministry	Minister for Land Transport and Infrastructure Support 1987–1988	Succeeded by Clyde Holding
Preceded by Clyde Holding	Minister for Employment and Education Services 1988–1990	Succeeded by Peter Baldwin