Joe Berinson

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The Honourable
Joe Berinson
QC
Joe Berinson 1970.png
Minister for the Environment
In office
14 July 1975 – 11 November 1975
Prime MinisterGough Whitlam
Preceded byGough Whitlam
Succeeded byAndrew Peacock
Attorney-General of Western Australia
In office
25 February 1983 – 16 February 1993
PremierBrian Burke
Peter Dowding
Carmen Lawrence
Preceded byIan Medcalf
Succeeded byCheryl Edwardes
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Perth
In office
25 October 1969 – 13 December 1975
Preceded byFred Chaney
Succeeded byRoss McLean
Member of the Western Australian Parliament
for North Metropolitan
In office
1989–1993
Member of the Western Australian Parliament
for North Central Metropolitan
In office
1983–1989
Serving with Sam Piantadosi
Member of the Western Australian Parliament
for North-East Metropolitan
In office
1980–1983
Serving with Lyla Elliott
Personal details
Born
Joseph Max Berinson

(1932-01-07)7 January 1932
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Died2 June 2018(2018-06-02) (aged 86)
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
CitizenshipAustralian
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia
ProfessionPharmacist
Lawyer

Joseph Max Berinson (7 January 1932 – 2 June 2018) was an Australian politician who represented the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the Australian House of Representatives and the Western Australian Legislative Council. He was Minister for the Environment in the Whitlam government for several months in 1975, later serving a decade as Attorney-General of Western Australia.

Early life[]

Berinson was born to parents from Safed, Palestine. His father, Shulem, emigrated to Australia around 1913. His mother Rivka (Rebecca) née Finkelstein arrived in Australia in about 1923. Berinson had two older sisters, Goola (born 1924) and Ethel (born 1925).[1]

Federal politics[]

Berinson worked from the 1950s as a pharmacist before entering politics.[2] He was elected to the Australian House of Representatives representing the electorate of Perth at the 1969 federal election. He was elected chairman of committees in February 1975 .[3] He was then appointed Minister for the Environment in July 1975, serving until the government's dismissal on 11 November 1975 and then losing his seat in the December 1975 election.[4] After Berinson's defeat in 1975, he was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1977.[5]

State politics[]

In 1980, Berinson was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council representing the Council electorates of North-East Metropolitan (1980–83), North Central Metropolitan (1983–89) and North Metropolitan (1989–1993). With the election of Brian Burke as Premier of Western Australia in 1983, Berinson was appointed Attorney-General. He served in this role under successive premiers Burke, Peter Dowding and Carmen Lawrence. While Attorney-General, he was appointed Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1988.[6]

In 1991, he was identified as one of five members of the government most associated with WA Inc transactions.[7]

Later life[]

Berinson retired from the ministry and from the Legislative Council in 1993. He subsequently served as President of the Jewish Community Council of Western Australia between 2001 and 2005.[5]

Berinson died on 2 June 2018, aged 86. His burial took place the following day at Karrakatta Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Jeanette and their four children.[8][9]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Ethel Bercove" (PDF). Northbridge History Project. The Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  2. ^ Crisp, L.F.; Atkinson, Barbara (November 1981). "Australian Labour Party – Federal Parliamentarians – 1901–1981" (PDF). Australian National University. p. 5. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Appendix 3—Deputy Speakers". House of Representatives Practice (7th ed.). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. ^ The University of Western Australia. "Joe Berinson (1971)". www.law.uwa.edu.au. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Alumni – Graduates – 1970s – Joe Berinson (1971)". University of Western Australia. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Members of the House of Representatives since 1901". Australian Parliament House. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  7. ^ O'Brien P. The Origins and Development of WA's Executive State, in The Executive State —WA Inc & The Constitution, (Perth 1991), p. 132. The other main players were Burke, Dowding, deputy premier David Parker and industrial development minister Julian Grill.
  8. ^ Emery, Kate (4 June 2018). "Former A-G dies at 86". The West Australian. p. 9.
  9. ^ "Joseph Berinson". West Announcements. The West Australian. Retrieved 3 June 2018. (Printed on p. 69 of The West Australian on 4 January 2018)
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for the Environment
1975 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Perth
1969–1975 		Succeeded by
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