Carrol Athelstone Bramich (30 October 1893 – 1 October 1964) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1946 to 1964, representing the electorate of Darwin for both the Labor Party (1946–1956) and the Liberal Party (1956–1964). He served as a minister under Labor Premier Robert Cosgrove until his sudden floor-crossing defection in 1956.[1]
Bramich was promoted to Cabinet in November 1946 and was appointed Assistant Minister for Education and Transport, but was defeated in a caucus election for a reshuffle several months later. He returned to Cabinet in May 1948 following the defeat of Rowland Worsley, and was assigned Worsley's former role of Minister for Forests.[2][3][4][5] He again lost his position in a caucus election, and again regained it after another vacancy in April 1949, being appointed Minister for Housing.[6]
Bramich suddenly resigned as Minister for Housing and from the Labor Party on 11 September 1956, costing the Labor government its majority in parliament.[7] He claimed that his recommendations were being ignored and his decisions set aside. He was also facing party censure for having, while Acting Minister for Health, made a public statement claiming that his colleagues had "deliberately frustrated" his efforts to reconstitute a country hospitals board. Bramich initially claimed that he would sit on the crossbenches, but defected to the Liberal Party later that day.[8][7] An attempt to install a Liberal government mid-term was only thwarted when Premier Robert Cosgrove called an early election, following a constitutional crisis around whether the Governor would allow him to dissolve parliament.[7][9] Bramich had been expected to lose his seat at the subsequent election, but instead topped the Liberal poll in his seat.[10]
Bramich retired from politics in 1964 and died later that year.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b "Bramich, Carrol Athelstone". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ "MR. C. A. BRAMICH NEW MINISTER". The Advocate. Tasmania. 13 November 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 4 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "PERSONAL". The Advocate. Tasmania. 26 November 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "MR BRAMICH RETURNS TO CABINET; MR D'ALTON BEATEN IN CAUCUS ELECTION". The Mercury. Vol. CLXVII, no. 24, 164. Tasmania, Australia. 21 May 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 4 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "TASMANIAN CABINET". The West Australian. Vol. 64, no. 19, 331. 30 June 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 4 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "MR. BRAMICH CHOSEN AS HOUSING MINISTER". The Advocate. Tasmania. 13 April 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 4 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c "Australian Political Chronicle, July-December 1956". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 2 (2): 243. 1957.
- ^ "Minister's Defection To Liberals To Unseat Tasmanian Government". The Canberra Times. 12 September 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 3 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Cosgrove Asks Governor To Return In Haste". The Canberra Times. Vol. 31, no. 8, 963. 14 September 1956. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Labour To Govern In Tasmania". The Canberra Times. Vol. 31, no. 8, 989. 15 October 1956. p. 3. Retrieved 3 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
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