John Gayler (14 April 1943 – 27 July 2022) was an Australian politician. He served in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993, representing the

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

seat of Leichhardt for the

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...

(ALP).

Early life

Gayler was born on 14 April 1943 in Toowoomba,

. He was a solicitor prior to entering politics. According to ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'', he was also a former representative

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

player and was known for "his legal work, his involvement in prisoner aid and black affairs, as well as for his continued administrative involvement in rugby league".

Politics

Gayler was elected to parliament at the 1983 federal election, defeating the incumbent National Party member David Thomson, a minister in the Fraser government. He was re-elected at the

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

and 1990 elections before retiring from politics at the 1993 election. Gayler served on the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, the House Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and the House Select Committee into Aboriginal Education. He served on the council of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies from 1985 to 1990. Gayler took a keen interest in the protection of the Daintree Rainforest within his electorate, supporting the listing of the Wet Tropics of Queensland as a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

and drawing attention to

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a pro ...

. He supported Prime Minister

Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and union organiser who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (A ...

in the two leadership spills held in 1991, and in January 1992 publicly criticised Hawke's successor Paul Keating for his leadership style. He confirmed his intention to retire in mid-1992.

References

1943 births 2022 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Leichhardt Members of the Australian House of Representatives 20th-century Australian politicians Australian solicitors People from Toowoomba {{Australia-Labor-representative-stub