The Honourable Frank Crean |
|
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5th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia | |
In office 2 July 1975 – 11 November 1975 |
|
Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
Preceded by | Jim Cairns |
Succeeded by | Doug Anthony |
Treasurer of Australia | |
In office 19 December 1972 – 11 December 1974 |
|
Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
Preceded by | Gough Whitlam |
Succeeded by | Jim Cairns |
Minister for Overseas Trade | |
In office 11 December 1974 – 11 November 1975 |
|
Prime Minister | Gough Whitlam |
Preceded by | Jim Cairns |
Succeeded by | Doug Anthony |
Member of the Australian Parliament for Melbourne Ports |
|
In office 1951 – 1977 |
|
Preceded by | Jack Holloway |
Succeeded by | Clyde Holding |
Personal details | |
Born |
Francis Daniel Crean 28 February 1916 Hamilton, Victoria, Australia |
Died | 2 December 2008 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
(aged 92)
Nationality | Australian |
Political party | Australian Labor Party |
Spouse(s) | Mary Findlay |
Children |
Simon Crean David Crean Stephen Crean |
Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
Frank Crean (28 February 1916 – 2 December 2008) was a senior minister in the Australian Labor Party government of Gough Whitlam from 1972 to 1975, and was Deputy Prime Minister for the last six months of the government's term.
Crean was born Francis Daniel Crean in Hamilton, Victoria, where his father was a bicycle-maker. Although his father was of Irish Catholic descent, Francis was raised in his mother's Presbyterian faith. He later changed his name from Francis Daniel to the less Irish Catholic-sounding Frank. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with degrees in arts and commerce and a diploma in public administration, and became an accountant and tax consultant. In 1945 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly, but was defeated in 1947. He was re-elected in 1949.
In 1946 Crean married Mary Findlay, with whom he had three sons. One of these, Simon Crean, was the federal Labor leader from 2001 to 2003. Another, Dr. David Crean, became a minister in the state Labor government in Tasmania. His third son, Stephen, became lost while skiing and died in a blizzard near Charlotte Pass in August 1985. A massive search failed to find him. His remains were found more than two years later.
Crean quit state politics in 1951, to stand for the safe Labor seat of Melbourne Ports in the Australian House of Representatives. In Canberra, Crean advanced rapidly, since he was one of the few Labor members with formal qualifications in economics. Elected to the Opposition front-bench in 1956, he became, in effect, shadow Treasurer (although Labor did not have a formal shadow ministry until 1969). This position he held for 16 years. During the 1960s Crean was sometimes considered as a possible party leader, but his rather plodding public image meant that he was overtaken by Gough Whitlam, who became leader in 1967. When Whitlam finally led Labor to office at the 1972 election, Crean became Treasurer, although Whitlam had no real confidence in him. Crean's tenure coincided with the onset of high inflation and rising unemployment. He did not trust the orthodox economic advice he was getting from the Treasury, but he lacked the authority to challenge it. The leader of the Labor Left, Dr Jim Cairns, attacked Crean's policies in the Cabinet, and in December 1974 Whitlam gave Cairns the Treasury and moved Crean to the Trade portfolio.