Steve Bracks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Bracks
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Bracks in 2006
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| 44th Premier of Victoria | |
| In office 20 October 1999 – 30 July 2007 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | James Gobbo John Landy David de Kretser |
| Deputy | John Thwaites |
| Preceded by | Jeff Kennett |
| Succeeded by | John Brumby |
| Leader of the Labor Party in Victoria | |
| In office 22 March 1999 – 30 July 2007 |
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| Deputy | John Thwaites |
| Preceded by | John Brumby |
| Succeeded by | John Brumby |
| Leader of the Opposition in Victoria | |
| In office 22 March 1999 – 20 October 1999 |
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| Premier | Jeff Kennett |
| Deputy | John Thwaites |
| Preceded by | John Brumby |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Kennett |
| Minister for Multicultural Affairs | |
| In office 20 October 1999 – 30 July 2007 |
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| Premier | Himself |
| Preceded by | Jeff Kennett |
| Succeeded by | John Brumby |
| Minister for Veterans' Affairs | |
| In office 5 December 2002 – 30 July 2007 |
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| Premier | Himself |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | John Brumby |
| Treasurer of Victoria | |
| In office 20 October 1999 – 22 May 2000 |
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| Premier | Himself |
| Preceded by | Denis Napthine |
| Succeeded by | John Brumby |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Williamstown | |
| In office 13 August 1994 – 6 August 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Joan Kirner |
| Succeeded by | Wade Noonan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephen Phillip Bracks
15 October 1954 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Spouse | Terry Horsfall |
| Children | 3, including Nick Bracks |
| Alma mater | University of Ballarat |
| Profession | Teacher |
| Signature | .png) |
Stephen Phillip Bracks (born 15 October 1954), known as Steve Bracks, is a former Australian politician. He was the 44th Premier of Victoria, which is like the state's leader. He was a member of the Labor Party.
Bracks first became a politician in 1994. He represented the area of Williamstown. He led the Labor Party in Victoria and served as Premier from 1999 to 2007.
In 1999, Bracks led Labor to win the state election. They formed a minority government, meaning they needed support from other politicians. They defeated the government led by Jeff Kennett. In 2002, Labor won by a lot, forming a majority government. They won again in 2006 for a third term.
Steve Bracks retired from politics in 2007. John Brumby, who was the Treasurer, became the new Labor leader and Premier. Bracks is one of the longest-serving Labor Premiers in Victoria's history. Only John Cain Jr. and Daniel Andrews served longer.
Since 2021, Bracks has been the 6th Chancellor of Victoria University. This is an important leadership role at the university.
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Steve Bracks' Early Life
Steve Bracks was born in Ballarat, a city in Victoria, Australia. His family owned a fashion business there. His family has Lebanese roots; his grandfather came to Australia from Lebanon in the 1890s. His family was originally Melkite Catholic and later became Roman Catholic.
Bracks went to school in Ballarat at St Patrick's College. He then studied business and education at the Ballarat College of Advanced Education. This school is now called Federation University. He became a big fan of Australian rules football, supporting the Geelong Football Club.
Before Becoming a Politician
From 1976 to 1981, Bracks worked as a commerce teacher at Sacred Heart College in Ballarat. In the 1980s, he worked for the local government in Ballarat. He also became the Executive Director of the Ballarat Education Centre. During this time, he tried twice to win a seat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Labor Party.
In 1989, Bracks started working for the Victorian state government. He managed employment programs under Premier John Cain Jr. He then became an advisor to both Cain and the next Premier, Joan Kirner. This experience showed him how the government faced economic challenges. It made him very careful about how the government managed money.
After the Kirner government lost power in 1992, Bracks worked for the Victorian Printing Industry Training Board. In 1994, Joan Kirner left parliament. Bracks was then elected to her seat of Williamstown, which is in Melbourne. Steve Bracks and his wife, Terry, lived in Williamstown. They have three children, including model Nick Bracks.
Steve Bracks in State Politics
Starting His Political Journey
When Bracks was first elected, he immediately joined Labor's team of spokespeople. He became the Shadow Minister for Employment, Industrial Relations, and Tourism. A "shadow minister" is a politician who watches over a government minister's work.
In 1996, Labor lost another election under leader John Brumby. Bracks then became the Shadow Treasurer. In March 1999, it seemed Labor would lose again. John Brumby resigned, and Steve Bracks was chosen as the new Opposition Leader.
First Time as Premier
Most political experts thought Bracks had no chance of winning the September 1999 election. The current Premier, Jeff Kennett, was very popular. However, Bracks and his team campaigned strongly in regional areas. They said Kennett was not paying enough attention to these communities.
Because of this, many voters in regional areas stopped supporting Kennett's government. On election night, Labor won more seats than expected. They went from 29 to 41 seats. Kennett's Liberal and National Party team won 43 seats. Three seats went to independent politicians from rural areas.
The election outcome depended on one final seat, Frankston East. A special election was held there because the politician for that area had passed away. Labor won this special election, leading to a hung parliament. This means no single party had enough seats to form a government on its own.
The independent politicians decided to support Labor. This allowed Bracks to form a government, winning by just one seat. Kennett then announced his retirement from politics. On 20 October, Bracks became the Premier of Victoria. He was the first Catholic Labor Premier in Victoria since 1932.
Former leader John Brumby became the Treasurer. He was seen as a key part of the government's success. The Deputy Premier, John Thwaites, and the Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, were also very important ministers.
After the 1999 election, Bracks' government promised to look into faster train services for regional towns. In 2000, they approved money for the Regional Fast Rail project. This project aimed to improve train lines between Melbourne and cities like Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, and Traralgon. However, a report in 2006 found that the project did not fully achieve its goals for faster travel times.
On 14 December 2000, Steve Bracks announced plans for the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001. This law aimed to promote understanding and prevent discrimination.
Some people criticized Bracks' first government for being too slow. They felt that the government focused too much on talking to people and not enough on making quick changes. Despite this, Bracks completed his first term without major problems. His popularity remained strong.
Second Term as Premier
Labor won the 2002 election by a huge margin. They won 62 out of 88 seats in the Legislative Assembly. This was only the third time in Victoria's history that a Labor government was re-elected. For the first time, Labor also won a small majority in the Legislative Council (the upper house of parliament).
This big win meant Bracks had more power. He could no longer say his weak position in parliament stopped him from taking action.
In August 2002, Bracks worked with the Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr. They opened the Mowamba aqueduct. This project helped move water from Lake Eucumbene to the Snowy and Murray rivers. It was a ten-year plan that cost A$300 million. Victoria and NSW shared the costs.
In May 2003, Bracks changed an election promise. He announced that the planned Scoresby Freeway would be a tollway, not a free road. This decision caused some debate. The federal government stopped funding the project because of the change. The decision was likely made to help the state's budget.
In 2005, studies showed that cattle grazing was harming the high country National Park. Bracks supported protecting the environment. He announced that cattle would no longer be allowed to graze in Victoria's National Parks. This decision was similar to one made in New South Wales. Some cattle farmers protested this decision.
Bracks' second government achieved a major goal for the Labor Party. They completely changed how the state's upper house was elected. They introduced a system called proportional representation. This system makes it easier for smaller parties, like the Greens, to win seats. Bracks called these changes "his proudest achievement."
Victoria hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The games were generally seen as a success, even though they were expensive. This was good for Bracks and his government. People seemed happy with how things were going in Victoria.
Third Term as Premier
The election campaign was quite calm. The government and Bracks focused on their past achievements. They also shared their plans to improve things like water supply in their third term. Bracks' image was a big part of Labor's election advertising.
The Liberal Party criticized Bracks for slow progress on big projects, especially water supply during a severe drought. The new Liberal leader, Ted Baillieu, promised to start building new infrastructure. This included a new dam and a desalination plant. Labor's broken promise about Eastlink was also a topic in some areas.
On 25 November 2006, Steve Bracks won his third election. He comfortably defeated Ted Baillieu. Labor kept a majority in the Lower House, though it was slightly smaller. This was only the second time the Victorian Labor Party had won a third term in office. His third government team was sworn in on 1 December 2006. Bracks also held the roles of Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Multicultural Affairs.
Why Steve Bracks Resigned
Bracks announced he was resigning as Premier on 27 July 2007. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. He officially stepped down on 30 July 2007. The ABC reported that Bracks had been facing political and personal pressures before his resignation.
His deputy, John Thwaites, also announced his resignation on the same day. The news surprised many people. It was revealed that the federal Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, tried to convince Bracks not to resign. Bracks' Treasurer, John Brumby, became the new Premier. Attorney-General Rob Hulls became the Deputy Premier.
After Leaving Politics
In August 2007, after resigning as Premier, Bracks announced he would help East Timor. He worked for free as an advisor to the new Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão. Bracks traveled between Melbourne and Dili. He helped set up Gusmão's government and advised on how departments should work.
Bracks also joined the advisory boards of several companies. These included KPMG, an insurance firm, AIMS Financial Group, and the NAB. His appointment to KPMG was discussed because the Victorian government had given KPMG many contracts when Bracks was Premier. In February 2008, the federal Labor government asked Bracks to lead an inquiry into the future of the Australian car industry.
In 2010, Bracks received a high honor, becoming a Companion of the Order of Australia. This was for his services to the community and the Parliament of Victoria. He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Deakin University for his important contributions to Victoria.
In February 2013, there was talk that Bracks might run for a federal political seat. However, he decided not to.
In May 2013, the federal Labor government appointed Bracks as the Australian Consul-General in New York. This is a diplomatic role. However, after the Labor Party lost the federal election in September 2013, the new foreign minister reversed this appointment.
In March 2019, it was announced that Bracks would become the 6th Chancellor of Victoria University starting in 2021.
In June 2020, Bracks and former federal Labor deputy leader Jenny Macklin were appointed to help manage the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party. This happened after concerns about how party members were being signed up. They reviewed the party's operations and suggested ways to improve them.
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Steve Bracks' signature
