John Arthur Watkins (born 7 December 1955) is a former

Deputy Premier of New South Wales The Deputy Premier of New South Wales is the second-most senior officer in the Government of New South Wales. The deputy premiership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1932, and the deputy premier is appointed by the Governor on the advice ...

, serving between 2005 until his resignation from Parliament in 2008. Watkins has been the Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer's Australia (NSW) since 2008; the Chairman of Calvary healthcare since 2011; and the eighth

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the University of New England, serving between 2013 and 2014. Watkins was an elected as a member of the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament Ho ...

representing the electorates of

Gladesville Gladesville is a suburb in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 10 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde a ...

(between 1995 and 1999) and then

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

(between 1999 and 2008) for the Labor Party. During his parliamentary career, Watkins served in a range of ministerial portfolios including Fair Trading, Sport and Recreation, Police and Corrective Services, Transport, Finance, State Development, and Education and Training. Often touted as a possible Labor premier, Watkins was from the minority

Labor Left The Labor Left, also known as the Progressive Left or Socialist Left, is political faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It competes with the more economically liberal Labor Right faction. The Labor Left operates autonomously in each s ...

faction.

Early years and background

Watkins is married to Deborah and together they have five children. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree, a Master of Arts degree and a Diploma of Education. Prior to becoming a politician, Watkins was a school teacher at St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. Watkins was a former Alderman on Hunters Hill Municipal Council from 1987 to 1991, and held the position of Deputy Mayor.

Political career

Watkins was an elected as a member of the

representing the electorate of

in the 1995 election for the Labor Party. Gladesville was abolished in the 1999 election and Watkins contested and won the new seat of

in the election. Watkins was appointed Minister for Fair Trading and

Sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

(1999–2001), Minister for

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

(2001–2003) and Minister for

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

(2003–2005). Watkins was appointed Deputy Premier in August 2005, following the resignation of

Andrew Refshauge Andrew John Refshauge (born on 16 January 1949) was a former Australian politician who was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1983 and 2005, and a senior minister in ...

and upon the appointment of

Morris Iemma Morris Iemma (; born 21 July 1961) is a former Australian politician who was the 40th Premier of New South Wales. He served from 3 August 2005 to 5 September 2008. From Sydney, Iemma attended the University of Sydney and the University of Techno ...

as Premier. Watkins held the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

position of Transport Minister from January 2005. He was appointed Minister for Finance on 30 March 2007 following the

reelection The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

of the Iemma Government. Watkins resigned from Cabinet and retired from Parliament in 2008, saying that he had been unable to balance work and family. His retirement triggered the unintentional downfall of Premier Morris Iemma three days later. His resignation came at a bad time for the government; its polling numbers were in free fall only a year after winning reelection. In the ensuing by-election, Ryde was resoundingly lost to

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Victor Dominello Victor Michael Dominello (born 30 July 1967 in Ryde, New South Wales, Ryde, New South Wales), is an Australian politician who has been the Government of New South Wales, New South Wales Minister for Customer Service (New South Wales), Minister ...

on a swing of 23.7 percent; only a year earlier, Watkins had been reelected with 60 percent of the two-party vote.

Post politics

In 2008 Watkins was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer's Australia (NSW); after serving as a board member in 2011 he was appointed Chairman of Calvary (Little Company of Mary Healthcare); and in April 2013, he was appointed to succeed

Richard Torbay George Richard Torbay (born 26 March 1961), an Australian politician, was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Northern Tablelands from 1999 to 2013. Torbay was the 30th Speaker of the New South Wales L ...

as the eighth Chancellor of the University of New England, until his resignation in June 2014. In 2017 he was approached to run as the ALP candidate for the federal Bennelong by-election, as Bennelong encompasses his old state seat of Ryde, but declined after former premier

Kristina Keneally Kristina Marie Kerscher Keneally (born 19 December 1968) is an American-born Australian politician who was a Labor Senator for New South Wales from February 2018 until April 2022, when she resigned to unsuccessfully contest the House of Represe ...

informed him that she wanted to run in the by-election. Keneally duly became the candidate but was not successful at the by-election.

References

External links

Inaugural speech to the Legislative Assembly
–

Hansard ''Hansard'' is the traditional name of the transcripts of parliamentary debates in Britain and many Commonwealth countries. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard (1776–1833), a London printer and publisher, who was the first official print ...

. 17 October 1995 {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, John 1955 births Living people Deputy Premiers of New South Wales Labor Left politicians Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Members of the Order of Australia People educated at St Pius X College, Sydney Chancellors of the University of New England (Australia) Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales 20th-century Australian politicians 21st-century Australian politicians