John Gayler (14 April 1943 – 27 July 2022)[1] was an Australian politician. He served in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993, representing the Queensland seat of Leichhardt for the Australian Labor Party (ALP).
John Gayler | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Leichhardt | |
| In office 5 March 1983 – 8 February 1993 | |
| Preceded by | David Thomson |
| Succeeded by | Peter Dodd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 April 1943 Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 27 July 2022 (aged 79) Gordonvale, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Occupation | Solicitor |
Early life
editGayler was born on 14 April 1943 in Toowoomba, Queensland. He was a solicitor prior to entering politics.[2] According to The Canberra Times, he was also a former representative rugby league player and was known for "his legal work, his involvement in prisoner aid and black affairs, as well as for his continued administrative involvement in rugby league".[3]
Politics
editGayler was elected to parliament at the 1983 federal election, defeating the incumbent National Party member David Thomson, a minister in the Fraser government. He was re-elected at the 1987 and 1990 elections before retiring from politics at the 1993 election.[2]
Gayler served on the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, the House Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and the House Select Committee into Aboriginal Education. He served on the council of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies from 1985 to 1990.[2] Gayler took a keen interest in the protection of the Daintree Rainforest within his electorate, supporting the listing of the Wet Tropics of Queensland as a World Heritage Site and drawing attention to illegal logging.[4] He supported Prime Minister Bob Hawke in the two leadership spills held in 1991, and in January 1992 publicly criticised Hawke's successor Paul Keating for his leadership style.[5] He confirmed his intention to retire in mid-1992.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Death Notice: John Gayler". The Age. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
- ^ a b c "Biography for GAYLER, John". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Queensland voting trends hard to predict". The Canberra Times. 21 February 1983.
- ^ "Rainforest destroyed by illegal logging: MP". The Canberra Times. 14 December 1987.
- ^ "Keating: a swipe each way". The Canberra Times. 21 January 1992.
- ^ Peake, Ross (4 August 1992). "Keating adviser bids for new vacancy in WA". The Canberra Times.
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