The Fourth Freilich Foundation Eminent Lecturer
Dr Carmen Lawrence, MP
Fear and Public Policy
Lecture One, "Fear of the Other"
Lecture Two, "Fear of Crime"
Lecture Three, "Fear of Annihilation"
Lecture Four, "Relaxed and Comfortable?"
Dr Carmen Lawrence's parliamentary career began in State politics in
1986 when she won for the Australian Labor Party the Western Australian
Legislative Assembly seat of Subiaco, held by the Liberal Party for
the previous 27 years. She was promoted to the State Government Ministry
in 1988, as Minister for Education. She was re-elected to Parliament
in 1989, representing the seat of Glendalough. Following the State Labor
government's re-election her responsibilities were increased with the
addition of the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio.
In a leadership change on 12 February 1990, Dr Lawrence made history
by becoming Premier of Western Australia and Australia's first woman
Premier. Following Labor's narrow defeat at the 6 February 1993 State
election, Dr Lawrence became Western Australia's first woman Opposition
Leader. She also held the positions of Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister
for Employment and Federal Affairs.
Dr Lawrence entered Federal politics by winning the Federal seat of
Fremantle in a by-election on 12 March 1994. She was appointed Minister
for Human Services and Health and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister
for the Status of Women on Friday 25 March 1994. Following the defeat
of the Keating Government in the March 1996 general election, Dr Lawrence
was appointed Shadow Minister for the Environment; the Arts; and Assistant
to the Leader of the Opposition on the Status of Women, posts she held
until April 1997. In September 2000 Dr Lawrence was appointed as the
Shadow Minister for Industry, Innovation and Technology, and Shadow
Minister for the Status of Women. Dr Lawrence also held the Reconciliation,
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Affairs; the Arts, and Status of
Women Portfolios until December 2002.
On November 14, 2003, Dr Lawrence was elected by the first popular
ballot of ALP members as President of the Australian Labor Party. Her
one year term ended on January 29, 2005.
Since her return to the backbench, Dr Lawrence has been an active and
vocal peace campaigner, speaking at rallies and forums around the country.
Dr Lawrence also speaks and writes regularly about refugee policy and
democratic reform. Many of her articles are regularly published on the
Sydney Morning Herald Web-Dairy, and she continues to speak out in Parliament
on these and other important issues.
