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Reg Withers
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Reg Withers
Reginald Greive Withers (26 October 1924 – 15 November 2014) was an Australian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as a Senator for Western Australia for nearly 20 years. He was a cabinet minister in the Fraser government and later served as Lord Mayor of Perth.
Withers was born in Bunbury, Western Australia, the son of state Labor MP Frederick Withers. He served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II and completed a law degree at the University of Western Australia upon his return. He subsequently moved back to Bunbury where he served on the Bunbury Municipal Council. Withers joined the Liberal Party at a young age and served as state president from 1961 to 1965. He was appointed to a Senate casual vacancy in 1966. He was defeated at the 1966 federal election, but was re-elected at the 1967 half-Senate election.
Withers was chosen as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate following the Coalition's defeat at the 1972 election. He played a key role in the 1975 constitutional crisis as the Senate sought to block supply to the Whitlam government, culminating in the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Withers subsequently became Leader of the Government in the Senate and was appointed Minister for Administrative Services and Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Fraser government. He was sacked in controversial circumstances in 1978 but remained in parliament until 1987. He later served as Lord Mayor of Perth from 1991 to 1994.
Withers was born on 26 October 1924 in Bunbury, Western Australia. He was the sixth of seven children born to Isabelle Louisa (née Grieve) and Frederick James Withers. His father was a former locomotive driver who had been elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly earlier in 1924 and served for over 20 years as a Labor MP.
Withers was educated at Bunbury Senior High School. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in June 1942, aged 17, where he received training as a coder. He was subsequently attached to HMAS Gawler, serving in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. He was discharged from the military in April 1946.
Withers settled in Perth after the war's end, completing his leaving certificate at Perth Technical College and going on to study law at the University of Western Australia on a scholarship for ex-servicemen. He graduated Bachelor of Laws in 1952 and undertook his articles of clerkship with Howard Solomon. After being admitted to the bar in 1953 he returned to Bunbury where he practised as a solicitor.
Returning to Bunbury to practise law, first as a solicitor and, from 1953, a barrister, Withers was elected to Bunbury Municipal Council and began to involve himself in Liberal Party affairs, serving at various times as Liberal Party state president and vice-president and federal vice-president.
Withers entered the Senate on 17 February 1966 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Sir Shane Paltridge, but lost his seat at the special Senate election later that year, before being re-elected in 1967, returning to the Senate in 1968.
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Reg Withers
Reginald Greive Withers (26 October 1924 – 15 November 2014) was an Australian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as a Senator for Western Australia for nearly 20 years. He was a cabinet minister in the Fraser government and later served as Lord Mayor of Perth.
Withers was born in Bunbury, Western Australia, the son of state Labor MP Frederick Withers. He served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II and completed a law degree at the University of Western Australia upon his return. He subsequently moved back to Bunbury where he served on the Bunbury Municipal Council. Withers joined the Liberal Party at a young age and served as state president from 1961 to 1965. He was appointed to a Senate casual vacancy in 1966. He was defeated at the 1966 federal election, but was re-elected at the 1967 half-Senate election.
Withers was chosen as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate following the Coalition's defeat at the 1972 election. He played a key role in the 1975 constitutional crisis as the Senate sought to block supply to the Whitlam government, culminating in the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Withers subsequently became Leader of the Government in the Senate and was appointed Minister for Administrative Services and Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Fraser government. He was sacked in controversial circumstances in 1978 but remained in parliament until 1987. He later served as Lord Mayor of Perth from 1991 to 1994.
Withers was born on 26 October 1924 in Bunbury, Western Australia. He was the sixth of seven children born to Isabelle Louisa (née Grieve) and Frederick James Withers. His father was a former locomotive driver who had been elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly earlier in 1924 and served for over 20 years as a Labor MP.
Withers was educated at Bunbury Senior High School. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in June 1942, aged 17, where he received training as a coder. He was subsequently attached to HMAS Gawler, serving in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. He was discharged from the military in April 1946.
Withers settled in Perth after the war's end, completing his leaving certificate at Perth Technical College and going on to study law at the University of Western Australia on a scholarship for ex-servicemen. He graduated Bachelor of Laws in 1952 and undertook his articles of clerkship with Howard Solomon. After being admitted to the bar in 1953 he returned to Bunbury where he practised as a solicitor.
Returning to Bunbury to practise law, first as a solicitor and, from 1953, a barrister, Withers was elected to Bunbury Municipal Council and began to involve himself in Liberal Party affairs, serving at various times as Liberal Party state president and vice-president and federal vice-president.
Withers entered the Senate on 17 February 1966 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Sir Shane Paltridge, but lost his seat at the special Senate election later that year, before being re-elected in 1967, returning to the Senate in 1968.
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