Kevin Eugene Newman AO (10 October 193317 July 1999) was an Australian soldier and politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and held ministerial office in the Fraser Government, serving as

Minister for Repatriation The Minister for Veterans' Affairs is an Australian Government position. In the Government of Australia, the minister oversees income support, compensation, care and commemoration programs for more than 400,000 veterans and their widows, widowe ...

(1975–1976), Environment, Housing and Community Development (1976–1977),

National Development National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(1977–1979),

Productivity Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production proces ...

(1979–1980), and Administrative Services (1980–1983). He represented the Tasmanian seat of

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

in the House of Representatives from 1975 to 1984. His wife

Jocelyn Jocelyn is a surname and first name. It is a unisex (male/female) name. Variants include Jocelin, Jocelyne, Jocelynn, Jocelynne, Joscelin, Josceline, Joscelyn, Joscelynn, Joscelynne, Joseline, Joselyn, Joselyne, Joslin, Joslyn, Josselin, Josselyn, ...

also became a federal government minister, while his son Campbell became premier of Queensland.

Army career

He rose to the rank of colonel in the Australian Army, serving in Malaysia and the Vietnam War.

Political career

Newman entered political life through a 1975 by-election for the Division of Bass, Tasmania, in the House of Representatives, as the Liberal candidate. The previous member, former Labor Deputy Prime Minister

Lance Barnard Lance Herbert Barnard AO (1 May 19196 August 1997) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He was the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1974 and held senior ministerial office in the Whitlam Government, most n ...

, had held it for 21 years, though he had been gradually losing support in recent years. Newman had already been preselected for the next election, and had been nursing the seat for some time. Nonetheless, it came as a surprise when Newman took the seat off Labor with a massive 14-point swing, turning Bass into a safe Liberal seat at one stroke. He won 57.6 percent of the primary vote, enough to win without the need for preferences. This shock result is reckoned as the beginning of the end for Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, as Newman's victory emboldened the Coalition to push for new elections for a House of Representatives barely a year old—even to the point of blocking supply. The Whitlam government was dismissed six months later. Newman easily retained his seat at the December 1975 general election. With the election of the Fraser government, he was appointed

in the second Fraser Ministry. In July 1976, he became Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development when Ivor Greenwood became ill. He was responsible for environment issues when the decision was taken to cease sand mining on world heritage listed Fraser Island. In December 1978, Newman was appointed Minister for National Development in the third Fraser Ministry. In December 1979 he was appointed

Minister for Productivity The Department of Productivity was an Australian government department with the mission to providing increased industrial productivity. The department existed between November 1976 and November 1980, operating under the Fraser governm ...

and in November 1980 he was appointed Minister for Administrative Services in the fourth Fraser Ministry, a position he retained until the defeat of the government in the 1983 election. He retired from the parliament prior to the 1984 election.

Post-political activities

In retirement, Newman was appointed President of the National Trust Tasmania, a member of the board of the

Menzies Foundation Menzies is a Scottish surname, with Gaelic forms being Méinnearach and Méinn, and other variant forms being Menigees, Mennes, Mengzes, Menzeys, Mengies, and Minges. Derivation and history The name and its Gaelic form are probably derived f ...

and a director of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland. Newman was the Chairman of the Old Parliament House Governing Council from 1997 to 1999. He was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in the

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are present ...

of 1994.It's an Honour
– Officer of the Order of Australia

Family

Newman was married to Jocelyn Newman, a Senator for Tasmania, and Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women in the Howard government. They had two children: Kate and Campbell. Campbell Newman was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane 2004–11, and was Premier of Queensland from March 2012 to February 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Kevin 1933 births 1999 deaths Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Bass Members of the Australian House of Representatives Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Officers of the Order of Australia Australian colonels Australian military personnel of the Vietnam War Australian military personnel of the Malayan Emergency Spouses of Australian politicians Deaths from lupus 20th-century Australian politicians