Brian Howe (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Reverend and The Honourable Brian Howe AO
Howe in 1994
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In office 3 June 1991 – 20 June 1995
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke Paul Keating
Preceded by	Paul Keating
Succeeded by	Kim Beazley
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party
In office 3 June 1991 – 20 June 1995
Leader	Bob Hawke Paul Keating
Preceded by	Paul Keating
Succeeded by	Kim Beazley
Minister for Regional Development
In office 25 March 1994 – 11 March 1996
Prime Minister	Paul Keating
Preceded by	Peter Cook
Succeeded by	John Sharp
Minister for Local Government
In office 24 March 1993 – 25 March 1994
Prime Minister	Paul Keating
Preceded by	David Simmons
Succeeded by	Warwick Smith
Minister for Housing
In office 7 May 1990 – 11 March 1996
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke Paul Keating
Preceded by	Peter Staples
Succeeded by	Tanya Plibersek (2007)
Minister for Community Services
In office 4 April 1990 – 25 March 1994
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke Paul Keating
Preceded by	Neal Blewett
Succeeded by	Carmen Lawrence
Minister for Health
In office 4 April 1990 – 24 March 1993
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke Paul Keating
Preceded by	Neal Blewett
Succeeded by	Graham Richardson
Minister for Social Security
In office 13 December 1984 – 4 April 1990
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke
Preceded by	Don Grimes
Succeeded by	Graham Richardson
Minister for Defence Support
In office 11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984
Prime Minister	Bob Hawke
Preceded by	Ian Viner
Member of the Australian Parliament for Batman
In office 10 December 1977 – 29 January 1996
Preceded by	Horrie Garrick
Succeeded by	Martin Ferguson
Personal details
Born	(1936-01-28) 28 January 1936 (age 89) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Renate Howe
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Occupation	Politician, Christian minister

Brian Leslie Howe, born on January 28, 1936, is a retired Australian politician. He also served as a minister in the Uniting Church. He was the eighth Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and the deputy leader of the Labor Party from 1991 to 1995. He worked under Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Brian Howe was a government minister from 1983 to 1996. He was also a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1977 to 1996. He represented the area called Division of Batman in Victoria.

Early Life and Community Work

Brian Howe was born in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up in a suburb called Malvern. He went to Melbourne High School. Later, he studied at the University of Melbourne. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a diploma in criminology.

He then moved to the United States to study at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. From 1961 to 1969, Howe was a minister at a Methodist church in Fitzroy. During this time, he also taught sociology part-time. He is still an ordained minister in the Uniting Church in Australia.

In the early 1970s, Brian Howe helped start the Centre for Urban Research and Action (CURA). This group focused on research and taking action to help communities. Howe got this idea from his time studying in Chicago from 1965 to 1967. He was involved in important movements there, like the civil rights movement. CURA worked on issues in inner-city Melbourne. These included helping people who were homeless and stopping old houses from being torn down for new buildings. They also fought against new freeways and supported the rights of people renting homes. The group helped different ethnic groups and worked to provide social services.

Political Career

Brian Howe was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in the 1977 Australian federal election. He represented the Division of Batman in northern Melbourne. He was part of the Socialist Left group within the Labor Party.

Ministerial Roles

When Bob Hawke became Prime Minister in 1983, Brian Howe became the Minister for Defence Support. In 1984, he became the Minister for Social Security. In this role, he made many important changes to Australia's welfare system.

After the 1990 Australian federal election, Howe was appointed Minister for Community Services and Health.

Deputy Prime Minister

In 1991, Paul Keating resigned from the cabinet. Brian Howe was then chosen as the deputy leader of the Labor Party. He won a vote against Graeme Campbell. After this, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.

Howe continued as Deputy Prime Minister when Paul Keating became Prime Minister. In December 1991, Howe became Minister for Health, Housing, and Community Services. In 1993, he stopped being the Minister for Health. In June 1995, he resigned as Deputy Prime Minister. Kim Beazley took over his role. Brian Howe remained a member of the House of Representatives and a minister until the 1996 Australian federal election.

Key Contributions

Brian Howe was a very active minister. He cared deeply about social justice. During his time in office, many big changes were made in areas like social security and disability support.

Social Security Reforms

In February 1986, Howe started the Cass Social Security Review. This review led to major changes in how Australia's social security system worked. Some important changes included:

• Encouraging people to find jobs or get training to reduce their need for welfare.
• Making sure benefits increased with the cost of living.
• Regularly checking and evaluating all programs.
• Removing rules that based payments on gender.
• Making most benefits simpler and paid every two weeks.

New payments were also introduced:

• Family Allowance Supplement: This combined all child-related payments. It offered much higher payment rates than before. It also included a Rent Allowance if needed.
• Jobsearch and Newstart: These replaced unemployment benefits. People receiving these payments had to regularly show they were looking for work.

Disability Policy Changes

As Minister for Community Services from 1990 to 1994, Howe helped change disability policy. The goal was to help people with disabilities join or stay in the workforce. It also aimed to protect their rights and give them chances to contribute to society.

In 1991, Howe was responsible for the Disability Reform Package. This package changed government payments for people with disabilities. It encouraged them to work. It also focused more on "open employment" (working in regular jobs) instead of special programs. Open Employment Services then offered strong support to help disabled people find jobs in the open market.

The first Commonwealth State Disability Agreement (CSDA) in 1991 made it clear which government level was responsible for what. The national government handled income support and employment services. States and territories were responsible for housing and other support services. This agreement helped create a lasting way to improve disability policy.

Howe also introduced the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This law made it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities. It promoted equal rights, opportunities, and access for them. The Act also created a Disability Discrimination Commissioner.

In 1994, the Commonwealth Disability Strategy was set up. This was a ten-year plan for government departments to remove barriers and discrimination. It aimed to improve employment and program delivery for people with disabilities.

Health Initiatives

In health policy, Howe started the National Mental Health Strategy. This included a 1992 mental health policy. It set aside $269 million to put the plan into action.

The Commonwealth Dental Scheme began from a 1992 Health Strategy paper. It provided free dental care for adults who had financial difficulties starting in 1994. However, this scheme was ended on January 1, 1997.

Housing and Urban Policy

Howe supported the Building Better Cities Programme (BBC). This was the first time the national government invested in urban development since the Whitlam government. It was also Australia's first program where states and local governments could propose projects. The national government provided $816.4 million over five years for special "demonstration" projects. These projects aimed to meet urban goals.

From 1991, states and local governments could submit projects for review. The program supported various projects. These included redeveloping inner-city areas, building and fixing housing, and upgrading railways and transport hubs. It also supported new light rail systems and water management systems. The program also helped develop unused government land. The incoming Howard government ended this program in 1996.

In 1992, Howe started Australia's first Housing Strategy. This strategy recommended creating an Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. Howe founded this institute in 1993, and it is still working today.

Later Life and Recognition

After leaving parliament, Brian Howe became a visiting professor at Princeton University. He was then appointed a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He taught students, worked on research, and wrote books and articles. He also organized international conferences about changes in the job market and their impact on Australian social policy.

In 2012, Howe led an independent inquiry into insecure work in Australia. He spoke widely about this issue to the media.

In 2017, Brian Howe and his wife Renata were featured in a documentary podcast. It covered their early activism in the 1960s.

He served on the board of the Brotherhood of St Laurence. He was also on the Patrons Council of the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria. He helped found the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He was also chairman of the Victorian Disability Housing Trust and Housing Choices Australia.

Honours and Awards

Brian Howe was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in January 2001. He was promoted to Officer level (AO) in January 2008. He also received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sydney in 2015.