Minister in Hawke and Keating governments dies aged 85, remembered as Australia’s ‘most reformist’ agriculture minister

By admin On Mar 29, 2023

John Kerin, a former agriculture minister who served in cabinet in the Hawke and Keating governments, has died. He was 85.

After first being elected to federal parliament in 1972, Kerin played a key role under prime minister Bob Hawke in reforming Australia’s agriculture policies.

In addition to holding the primary industries portfolio, he also had a short stint as treasurer in 1991.

John Kerin has died aged 85. (Belinda Pratten)

Bob Hawke with John Kerin – in public for the first time since Kerin was appointed treasurer – on Channel Nine’s the Midday Show hosted by Ray Martin on August 28, 1991. (Michele Mossop)

Murray Watt, who currently holds the portfolio, today remembered Kerin as “Australia’s best and most reformist agriculture minister”, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his impact was “profound”.

“It was as Minister for Primary Industries and Energy that he made his greatest mark. And what a profound mark it was,” Albanese said in a statement.

“John once wrote, ‘politics is like farming; no one is forced to do it, but someone has to’. It was to Australia’s lasting fortune that John did both, bringing his deep experience of the land first to the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, and then to Federal Parliament.

“While he cut his teeth in the Whitlam government, it was as a minister in the Hawke government that John played his crucial role in reforming agriculture and primary industries in Australia.

“These were big challenges, but John approached them all with experience, care, pragmatism, consultation, and an unbreakable sense of humour.

“I honour John’s commitment and contribution to Australia, and to the Australian Labor Party.

“The Government extends its deepest condolences to John’s family and friends. We will miss him greatly.