Dean Brown

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For guiterist, see Dean Brown.

Dean Craig Brown was the Liberal Premier of South Australia between December 14, 1993 and November 28, 1996.

[edit] Political career

Dean Brown's political career was marked by his rivalry with John Olsen, the two representing the moderate and conservative wings of the South Australian Liberal Party respectively. He was first elected to Parliament in the seat of Davenport on 10 March 1973, and joined the Liberal Movement faction of the party. He served in the ministry of the government of David Tonkin from 1979 to 1982. In 1982, after the electoral defeat and retirement of David Tonkin, Olsen defeated Brown for the State Liberal Party leadership. For the 1985 election, an electoral redistribution left both Brown and Stan Evans vying for Liberal preselection for the safe Liberal seat of Davenport. Brown won preselection, but Evans stood as an Independent Liberal and won the seat.

Dean Brown returned to politics in 1992. The Labor government of John Bannon was embarrassed by the losses of the State Bank of South Australia, but the existing Liberal leader (Dale Baker) was failing to capitalise. In an extraordinary situation, the moderate and conservative wings of the Liberal party each convinced a sitting member to give up his safe seat (Ted Chapman giving up Finniss for Brown, Roger Goldsworthy giving up Kavel for Olsen), allowing both Brown and Olsen to re-enter parliament at by-elections on the same day, and contest the Liberal leadership. In the ensuing ballot, Brown narrowly defeated Olsen.

Brown then led the Liberal party to a landslide electoral win at the 1993 South Australian election, becoming premier. But in 1996, Olsen successfully challenged for the leadership.

After Olsen resigned as premier in 2001, Brown became deputy leader to Rob Kerin. In 2005 he announced that he would leave politics at the 2006 election, and resigned the deputy leadership.