Mike Rann

The Honourable Mike Rann  MHA CNZM 44th Premier of South Australia Elections: 2002, 2006, 2010 Incumbent Assumed office  5 March 2002 Governor Marjorie Jackson Kevin Scarce Deputy Kevin Foley John Rau Preceded by Rob Kerin Leader of the Opposition of South Australia Elections: 1997, 2002 In office 5 November 1994 – 5 March 2002 Preceded by Lynn Arnold Succeeded by Rob Kerin Member of the South Australian Parliament for Ramsay Incumbent Assumed office  5 November 1994 Preceded by Lynn Arnold Member of the South Australian Parliament for Briggs In office Constituency established – Constituency abolished Preceded by Lynn Arnold Succeeded by Rob Kerin Born 5 January 1953 (1953-01-05) (age 58) Sidcup, United Kingdom Political party Australian Labor Party (1977–present) Other political affiliations New Zealand Labour Party (Before 1977) Spouse(s) Jenny Russell (Divorced) Sasha Carruozzo (2006–present) Alma mater University of Auckland Profession Journalist Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM (born 5 January 1953), Australian politician, is the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to minority government at the 2002 election, before gaining a landslide win at the 2006 election. Rann Labor was elected to a third four-year term, retaining majority government at the 2010 election despite a swing. Rann has currently served &00000000000000090000009 years, &00000000000000050000005 days as Premier,1 which places him 4th in length of service behind Sir Thomas Playford, John Bannon and Don Dunstan. He has also served a record time as South Australian Labor parliamentary leader, having led the party since 1994. He has been a South Australian MP in the House of Assembly since the 1985 election. Contents 1 Early life 2 Parliament 3 Premier 3.1 Popularity in earlier years 3.2 Affair allegations 3.3 Third Term 4 Personal life 5 Honours 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Early life Rann was born in Sidcup, England, to working class parents. Most of his childhood was spent with his father, an electrician in South London. During his father's service in the World War II at El Alamein, his mother was employed in an armaments factory. When Rann was nine his family emigrated from Blackfen to a rural village in New Zealand in 1962. He completed a Bachelor and a Master of Arts in political science at the University of Auckland. He enjoyed and participated in student politics, including becoming a member of the New Zealand Greenpeace executive that sent Greenpeace III to Mururoa Atoll in 1972 in the campaign against French nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean. As a member of Princes Street Labour, he also spent considerable time working on New Zealand Labour Party campaigns including that of Mike Moore. After university, Rann was a political journalist for the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. Haydon Manning has stated that "it was reported that" Rann "struggled with being an objective reporter".2 Rann attended his brother's wedding in Adelaide, South Australia, in 1977, and shortly afterwards moved there to accept a position with then Premier Don Dunstan's Unit for Industrial Democracy. He worked for Dunstan as his press secretary, speech writer and adviser, and went on to serve Labor premiers Des Corcoran and John Bannon in the same capacities after Dunstan's retirement from politics. Manning has stated that one commentator reported that Rann was "frankly inspired by Dunstan's idealism" as opposed to "Bannon's cool electoral pragmatism". Rann sometimes talked during this period of his ambitions to one day become Premier. Rann wrote speeches on, and assisted in policy development for, civil liberties, Aboriginal land rights, gay and women's rights, and opposition to uranium mining. Revealing a vein of idealism, his early predilection was left of centre.32 Parliament Rann was elected to Parliament as the Member for Briggs at the 1985 election. After the 1989 election, he entered the ministry, becoming Minister for Employment and Further Education, Minister of Youth Affairs, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister assisting in Ethnic Affairs. After Bannon resigned as premier over the State Bank collapse, Rann became Minister for Business and Regional Development, Minister of Tourism and Minister of State Services in the Lynn Arnold cabinet from September 1992. When Briggs was abolished in an electoral redistribution, Rann was elected to the seat of Ramsay at the 1993 election. At the election, Labor lost government in a landslide due to the State Bank. Rann was promoted to deputy leader of his party following the defeat, however Arnold resigned as leader in September 1994. Rann became leader with the support of Labor Right powerbroker Don Farrell, who promised Rann two terms in the position. Rann achieved a 9.5 percent two-party-preferred swing to Labor in the 1997 election, narrowly failing to win government.2 Premier Mike Rann with former US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in November 2005 Former Prime Minister of Australia Gough Whitlam with wife Margaret at the wedding of Mike Rann and Sasha Carruozzo in July 2006 Rann remained Leader of the Opposition until the 2002 election. Labor came up one seat short of a majority, but independent Peter Lewis agreed to support Labor in return for a constitutional convention. The Liberal government was defeated in the legislature on 5 March, and Rann was sworn in as premier the next day. Lewis' decision was controversial, but Rann later secured the support of conservative independent Rory McEwen and the Nationals' Karlene Maywald by adding them to his cabinet, and Bob Such as speaker. South Australia achieved an economic "Triple A" rating under the Rann Labor government.4 Business SA chief executive Peter Vaughan "praised" Labor's economic management.5 Rann led Labor to its strongest win, from a two-party-preferred low of 39% in 1993 under Lynn Arnold, to 56.8% at the March 2006 state election leaving the opposition with 15 of 47 seats. Rann has personally likened his government to Dunstan's, stating "I'm a totally different person to Don Dunstan, but in the '70s for different reasons South Australia stood head and shoulders above the crowd. We stood out, we were leaders. Interestingly, the federal Government is setting up a social inclusion unit based on ours. Again it's about us not only making a difference locally, but being a kind of model for others, which is what Dunstan used to say he wanted us to be ... a laboratory and a leader for the future." Rann says he expects other reforms to be based upon those enacted under his government, citing the state's strategic plan, a 10-year framework for the development of government and business. "It's a plan for the state, not just promises at each election. A lot of colleagues interstate thought I'd gone mad when we named targets. Well we didn't want to set targets we could easily pass and then pat ourselves on the back for, what's the point of that?"6 A total of 79 economic and social targets were set,7 and in 2010 Rann commented "with most of its targets achieved, on track or within reach".8 However, the state's Integrated Design Commissioner, Tim Horton, said in 2011: "Its targets are really great, but I don't think any of us have signed on to why those targets exist or what we can do to further them. It's a top-down approach. I worry the document exists in the minds of agencies but not in the minds of people."9 In addition to Premier, Rann has also served as the Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change. Rann was appointed chairman of a new Australian Federation Council in July 2006, a council which was created to improve state-federal ties. Rann also ran for national presidency in the National Executive in August 2006, and made senior-vice presidency with 27 percent of the vote. As such, he also served a rotation of the Presidency of the ALP National Executive in 2008.10 Popularity in earlier years See also: South Australian state election, 2006 Mike Rann (right) with Minister for Transport Pat Conlon (left) opening the extension of the Glenelg Tram line in October 2007 Mike Rann at National Sorry Day in Elder Park, Adelaide, for the apology to the stolen generations in February 2008 During Rann's first and second terms, Rann was often the most popular Premier in the country, with his approach to government generally moderate and crisis-free.11 Newspoll early in 2007 saw Rann peak at a historic 64 percent as Preferred Premier, and 61 percent on the two-party-preferred vote. Fourth quarter 2007 polling saw a reduction in the strong support for Rann's Labor government since the previous election, on 54 percent of the two-party-preferred vote, a fall from the previous poll of five percent. Rann's Preferred Premier rating was at 50 percent compared to 25 percent for then Liberal leader Martin Hamilton-Smith.1213 Third quarter 2008 polling saw a more pronounced drop in the primary vote, down three to 38 percent, with the Liberal vote up five to 40 percent, breaking to a two-party vote of 50–50 after preferences – the Preferred Premier figure recorded a six-point drop to 48 percent for Rann and up three to 30 percent for Hamilton-Smith. Some commentators put the poll slump down to "labour movement ructions" over the underfunded WorkCover liability (see 2008 Parnell–Bressington filibuster), consolidation of rural health services, and the continued degradation of the River Murray.1415 Newspoll saw Labor back in a winning position on 54 to 46 in late 2008, and then 56 to 44 in early 2009 along with increases in the Preferred Premier rating. Polling taken from The Sunday Mail during the 50-50 polling suggested that whilst there had been large swings away from the government in country areas, polling held relatively firm at 2006 election levels in the metropolitan areas.16 The 2009 Frome by-election saw Labor pick up a small increase in the two-party-preferred vote. This, coupled with the "dodgy documents affair", also known as "dodgy-gate", saw Hamilton-Smith step down from the Liberal leadership, to be replaced by Isobel Redmond. Affair allegations On 22 November 2009, Seven Network's Sunday Night current affairs program aired a paid television interview alleging that Rann had an affair with a Parliament House waitress between March 2004 and October 2005.17 She blamed the affair for the break up of her marriage, stating "I lost my family over this", although she later revealed that she wanted her estranged husband back.1718 The waitress said her husband became aware of her relationship with Rann in 2005, and that her husband wrote a series of letters to the Premier. At a Labor Party fundraiser at the National Wine Centre on 1 October 2009, a man later identified as her husband was observed to have hit Rann in the face several times with a rolled-up magazine. An aggravated assault charge was laid over the matter.19 The charge was subsequently downgraded to basic assault.20 The accused plead guity to the downgraded charge, and on 4 March 2010 he was given a two-year good behaviour bond, with no conviction recorded.21 Rann commented before the interview went to air that claims of a sexual relationship were "wildly sensational", and that once he had seen the program, he would respond with a "brief statement".2223 He also expressed frustration that he had been unable to "clear the air" because matters were before a court.24 On 23 November 2009, the day after the allegations were aired, Rann called a press conference where he denied the allegations made in the interview, stating that they were malicious lies aimed at damaging him politically and personally. He said, "I have not had sex with her", that he had "never ever hid the fact that I had a friendship with" the lady "over many, many years, and that friendship was one that was based on confidences and discussions, it was funny, it was flirty, just like any other friendship would be". Rann also responded that "Channel Seven's program was, in my view, outrageous."25 In February 2010, the Seven Network paid an out-of-court settlement to Rann and issued an apology for suggesting the affair had an effect on Rann discharging his duties as Premier of South Australia.26 The following month, during a televised debate as part of the state election campaign, Rann also apologised for any stress that the friendship may have caused.27 Polling was conducted by The Advertiser in December 2009 with answers to questions revealing little voter interest in the allegations.2829 Third Term The Rann Labor government won a third four-year term at the 2010 state election with 26 of 47 seats though with only 48.4 percent of the two party preferred vote. It was the first Rann Labor election campaign that took to Youtube and social networking.30 Assuming Labor holds government until the 2014 state election, it will be the longest-serving South Australian Labor government in history. Rann has also served as Labor leader since 1994, a record period as Labor leader. If Rann is still Premier in February 2012 he will also become the longest-serving South Australian Labor Premier and second only to Thomas Playford IV as South Australia's longest serving Premier. New and continued projects for Rann Labor's third term are claimed to be the biggest infrastructure spend in the state's history, which includes electrification of Adelaide's train lines, expansion of the Adelaide tram line, construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Adelaide Oval redevelopment, expansion of the Adelaide Convention Centre, redesigning the River Torrens Riverbank precinct, expanding mining and defense industries, the Port Stanvac Desalination Plant, and various major road works including the duplication of the Southern Expressway.31 Public sector budget cuts due to decreased tax receipts stemming from the global financial crisis introduced after the 2010 election caused protest amongst unionists and other traditional Labor voters. Rann defeated a motion against his leadership at the yearly Labor convention.3233 In early 2011 Rann reshuffled his cabinet after Deputy Premier and Treasurer Kevin Foley resigned from cabinet. Attorney-General John Rau became Deputy Premier and Jack Snelling became Treasurer.34 The first Newspoll of the third term of the Rann Labor government in March 2011 showed Rann's personal satisfaction-dissatisfaction rating at a new low of 30-59 and a two-party vote of 44-56, a swing against Labor of 4.4 percent since the 2010 election. Labor's primary vote dived to 29 percent, down 8.5 percent, the Liberal vote remained at 42 percent, whilst the Greens surged to 14 percent, an increase of 6 percent, with "other" slightly higher. Personal life Rann was married to Jenny Russell until the late 1990s and had two children with her, David and Eleanor. On 15 July 2006, he married his second wife, actress Sasha Carruozzo.2 Honours Rann, who retains his NZ citizenship,3 was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to New Zealand – Australian relations, in the New Year's Day Honours of 2009.35 See also South Australian state election, 2014 References ^ As at 10 April 2011 ^ a b c d Manning, Haydon (2005). "Mike Rann: A fortunate 'king of spin'". In Wanna, John. Yes, Premier: Labor Leadership in Australia's States and Territories. University of New South Wales Press. pp. 197–224. ISBN 978-0-86840-840-8.  ^ a b Greg Ansley (4 December 2004). "Cosying up to the Kiwis". New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=9001654&pnum=0. Retrieved 2010-02-13.  ^ Economic climate has Rann in the sun, The Adelaide Review, 23 December 2004. Retrieved on 3 February 2007. ^ RANN SLAM: The Advertiser 18/3/2006dead link ^ Leader of the bandwagon, The Australian, 12/1/2008. ^ South Australia’s Strategic Plan Summary of Targets: SA Government ^ SA on track with strategic plan: Rann, SMH 28 July 2010 ^ Citizens in dark on state plan for South Australia's strategic future: The Advertiser 24 March 2011 ^ Mike Rann, ALP website. Retrieved 6 March 2008. ^ 1001 Australians You Should Know, Google Books ^ Rann's poll streak halts, The Australian, 28/12/2007. ^ Why Rann is feeling unpopular, The Advertiser, 31/12/2007. ^ Rann's 'winter' puts South Australian Liberals back in the picture, The Australian, 24/9/2008. ^ When panic starts to build, The Independent Weekly, 1/10/2008. ^ Poll boost for Rann in key seats, The Sunday Mail, 31/10/2008. ^ a b "We had sex on Premier's desk: waitress". ABC Online. 22 November 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/22/2749956.htm. Retrieved 22 November 2009.  ^ Tory Shepherd, Gold Coast (2009-11-29). "Michelle Chantelois reveals she wants her hubby back: The Advertiser 29/11/2009". News.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26418356-5006301,00.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ "Rann attack: Govt 'business as normal'". ABC Online. 5 October 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/05/2705097.htm. Retrieved 22 November 2009.  ^ "SA Premier Mike Rann Wine Centre assault charge downgraded'". Adelaide Now. 2 December 2009. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-depth/sa-premier-mike-rann-wine-centre-assault-charge-downgraded/story-fn2sdwup-1225806298765. Retrieved 2 February 2010.  ^ Owen, Michael (5 March 2010). "No conviction for man who 'lost it' to hit Rann". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/no-conviction-for-man-who-lost-it-to-hit-rann/story-e6frg6nf-1225837141719. Retrieved 5 March 2010.  ^ Barmaid says she had affair with Premier Mike Rann, news.com.au, 21 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-21. ^ David Nason and Pia Akerman (2009) Former Parliament House barmaid tells of affair with Premier Rann, The Australian, 21 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-21. ^ "Waitress to detail Rann 'affair'". ABC Online. 22 November 2009. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/22/2749799.htm. Retrieved 22 November 2009.  ^ Steve Larkin (2009) Rann denies having sex with ex-waitress, AAP, 23 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-23. ^ Kate Kyriacou, Greg Kelton, Ben Hyde (2010-02-14). "Bombshell as Seven apologises to Rann over Chantelois saga: The Advertiser 14 February 2010". Adelaidenow.com.au. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-depth/bombshell-as-seven-apologises-to-rann-over-chantelois-saga/story-fn2sdwup-1225830249532. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ AAP (4 March 2010). "Rann apologises for Chantelois 'friendship'". The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia). http://www.smh.com.au/national/rann-apologises-for-chantelois-friendship-20100304-pjnm.html. Retrieved 5 March 2010.  ^ Greg Kelton (2009-12-11). "Labor poll boost despite sex allegations: The Advertiser 11 December 2009". News.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26469145-5006301,00.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ Comment: Greg Kelton (2009-12-11). "Worries melt for nervous Labor: The Advertiser 11 December 2009". News.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26470335-5006301,00.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ Kelton, Greg (2010-02-15). "Rann targets YouTube votes". The Advertiser: p. 4. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-depth/twitter-fan-mike-rann-targets-youtube-votes/story-fn2sdwup-1225830291269. Retrieved 2010-03-14.  ^ More than $10 billion being spent on infrastructure: AEOL ^ "Rann, Foley defy calls for their scalps: ABC 28 November 2010". Abc.net.au. 2010-11-28. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/28/3078480.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ January 07, 2011 12:00AM (2011-01-07). "Rann: voters will reward tough love - The Advertiser 7 January 2011". Adelaidenow.com.au. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/rann-voters-will-reward-my-tough-love/story-fn6bqpju-1225983277695. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ "Rann stays as SA gets new deputy premier". News.smh.com.au. 2011-02-07. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/rann-stays-as-sa-gets-new-deputy-premier-20110207-1aiv0.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11.  ^ Premier Mike Rann receives New Zealand honour, The Australian, 31 December 2008. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mike Rann Parliament profile Premier profile Premiers and Ministers profile ALP profile Poll Bludger article The Global Townhall – Interview and Pictures Parliament of South Australia New constituency Member of Parliament for Briggs 1985–1993 Constituency abolished Preceded by Lynn Arnold Member of Parliament for Ramsay 1993–present Incumbent Party political offices Preceded by Lynn Arnold Leader of the Labor Party in South Australia 1994–present Incumbent Political offices Preceded by Lynn Arnold Leader of the Opposition of South Australia 1994–2002 Succeeded by Rob Kerin Preceded by Rob Kerin Premier of South Australia 2002–present Incumbent v · d · ePremiers of South Australia Finniss · Baker · Torrens · Hanson · Reynolds · Waterhouse · Dutton · Ayers · Blyth · Dutton · Ayers · Hart · Boucaut · Ayers · Hart · Ayers · Strangways · Hart · Blyth · Ayers · Blyth · Boucaut · Colton · Boucaut · Morgan · Bray · Colton · Downer · Playford II · Cockburn · Playford II · Holder · Downer · Kingston · Solomon · Holder · Jenkins · R.B. Butler · Price · Peake · Verran · Peake · Vaughan · Peake · Barwell · Gunn · Hill · R.L. Butler · Hill · Richards · R.L. Butler · Playford IV · Walsh · Dunstan · Hall · Dunstan · Corcoran · Tonkin · Bannon · Arnold · Brown · Olsen · Kerin · Rann v · d · eLeaders of the Australian Labor Party (SA division) McPherson · Batchelor · Price · Verran · Vaughan · Kirkpatrick · Gunn · Hill · Richards · Lacey · Richards · O'Halloran · Walsh · Dunstan · Corcoran · Bannon · Arnold · Rann v · d · eCurrent members of the Cabinet of South Australia Rann · Rau · Finnigan · Conlon · Foley · Hill · Weatherill · Rankine · Caica · Gago · Koutsantonis · O'Brien · Snelling · Portolesi · Kenyon v · d · eCurrent Premiers and Chief Ministers of the States and internal territories of Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Jon Stanhope Barry O'Farrell Paul Henderson Anna Bligh Mike Rann Lara Giddings Ted Baillieu Colin Barnett v · d · eCurrent Members of the South Australian House of Assembly Labor (26) Michael Atkinson · Frances Bedford · Leon Bignell · Lyn Breuer · Paul Caica · Patrick Conlon · Kevin Foley · Chloë Fox · Robyn Geraghty · John Hill · Tom Kenyon · Stephanie Key · Tom Koutsantonis · Michael O'Brien · Lee Odenwalder · Tony Piccolo · Grace Portolesi · Jennifer Rankine · Mike Rann · John Rau · Alan Sibbons · Jack Snelling · Gay Thompson · Leesa Vlahos · Jay Weatherill · Michael Wright Liberal (18) Vickie Chapman · Iain Evans · John Gardner · Mark Goldsworthy · Steven Griffiths · Martin Hamilton-Smith · Duncan McFetridge · Steven Marshall · Adrian Pederick · Michael Pengilly · David Pisoni · Isobel Redmond · Rachel Sanderson · Peter Treloar · Dan Van Holst Pellekaan · Ivan Venning · Tim Whetstone · Mitch Williams Independents (3) Geoff Brock · Don Pegler · Bob Such Persondata Name Rann, Mike Alternative names Short description Date of birth 5 January 1953 Place of birth Sidcup, Kent, United Kingdom Date of death Place of death