Laurie Brereton
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The Honourable Laurie Brereton |
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Laurie Brereton at the National Press Club during the debate between Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek on June 21, 2016. Photo by Rob Keating
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| Member of the Australian Parliament for Kingsford-Smith |
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In office 24 March 1990 – 31 August 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Lionel Bowen |
| Succeeded by | Peter Garrett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
29 May 1946 Kensington, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Tricia Kavanagh |
| Relations | Deirdre Grusovin (sister) |
| Occupation | Electrician |
Laurence John "Laurie" Brereton (born 29 May 1946), Australian politician, was a state minister, a federal member of cabinet, and kingmaker in the election of several Australian Labor Party leaders, including Paul Keating and Mark Latham. He was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1990 to October 2004, representing the Division of Kingsford Smith, New South Wales. He is credited with building Sydney's controversial monorail.
Brereton was born in the Sydney suburb of Kensington, and was educated at De La Salle Catholic College, Coogee, now defunct. He was apprenticed and worked as an electrical tradesman to the Sydney County Council, a former council-owned retailer of electricity in inner Sydney.
He survived the political controversy of the Botany Council affair in the mid-'70s when he was accused of attempting to influence ALP aldermen who were considering an application to rezone a block of land. He and Geoffrey Cahill, then Labor's NSW general secretary (and son of former Premier Joseph Cahill), appeared in court on bribery and conspiracy charges but after 17 days of hearings and evidence from high-powered witnesses, including Rupert Murdoch, all charges were thrown out.
Brereton served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as member for Randwick 1970–71 and Heffron 1973–90. In the governments led by Neville Wran and (from 1986) Barrie Unsworth, Brereton was Minister for Health 1981–84, Minister for Roads 1983–84 and 1984–87, Minister for Public Works 1984–87 and Minister for Employment 1984. He was instrumental in allowing the monorail in Sydney to be built, and opposed the development of a light rail project.
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