Robert Fordham
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The Honourable Robert Fordham |
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|---|---|
| 20th Deputy Premier of Victoria | |
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In office 8 April 1982 – 31 January 1989 |
|
| Premier | John Cain II |
| Preceded by | Bill Borthwick |
| Succeeded by | Joan Kirner |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Footscray |
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In office 30 May 1970 – 3 October 1992 |
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| Preceded by | William Divers |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Mildenhall |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Clive Fordham 10 February 1942 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Edna Wills (m. 1967) |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Accountant, public servant |
Robert Clive Fordham (born 10 February 1942) is an Australian former politician, who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing the state seat of Footscray for the Australian Labor Party from 1970 to 1992. He was Deputy Premier of Victoria in John Cain's government from 1982 to 1989.
Fordham was born in Melbourne and attended Footscray North Primary School and Essendon High School before studying commerce and arts at the University of Melbourne. He worked as an accountant, and joined the Commonwealth Public Service Board in 1968.
Fordham unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the electorate of Syndal in the 1967 Victorian election, but was elected as member for Footscray in the subsequent election in 1970. In that same year, he was made parliamentary spokesperson on fuel, power and the arts; later, for education and federal affairs. In 1977, he was made deputy leader of the Labor Party in Victoria and deputy opposition leader under Frank Wilkes and John Cain.
In the 1982 election, John Cain led Labor to victory after thirty years in opposition. Fordham became Deputy Premier, and was also given the portfolios of education and educational services in Cain's cabinet. After the 1985 election, Fordham and Ian Cathie swapped portfolios, with Fordham becoming Minister for Industry, Technology and Resources.
As industry minister, Fordham oversaw the operation of the Victorian Economic Development Corporation (VEDC), a government agency originally established by Rupert Hamer's Liberal government in 1981, but which was restructured by the Labor government in 1984 to stimulate economic activity in Victoria by providing loan and equity funds to certain companies. In October 1987, the VEDC became involved in the proposed public float of Wallace International, a pharmaceutical company. Despite a global stock market slump following "Black Monday", Wallace proceeded with its float, which then failed, causing the float's underwriters to withdraw from their commitment. In early November 1987, Wallace applied to the VEDC to sub-underwrite the float, and received correspondence from Fordham agreeing to the VEDC acting as sub-underwriter, making further loans to the company, and purchasing $2 million worth of shares.
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