Jim Bacon (politician)

The Honourable Jim Bacon AC
41stPremier of Tasmania Elections:1998,2002
In office 14 September 1998 – 21 March 2004
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir Guy Green Richard Butler
Deputy	Paul Lennon
Preceded by	Tony Rundle
Succeeded by	Paul Lennon
Leader of the Opposition
In office 14 April 1997 – 14 September 1998
Premier	Tony Rundle
Preceded by	Michael Field
Succeeded by	Tony Rundle
Member of theTasmanian House of AssemblyforDenison
In office 24 February 1996 – 21 March 2004
Preceded by	Julian Amos
Succeeded by	David Bartlett
Personal details
Born	(1950-05-15)15 May 1950 Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
Died	20 June 2004(2004-06-20)(aged 54) Hobart,Tasmania,Australia
Political party	Labor
Other political affiliations	CPA (ML)(until 1991)

James Alexander Bacon,AC(15 May 1950 – 20 June 2004) was an Australian politician who served asPremier of Tasmaniafrom 1998 to 2004.

Early life

Bacon was born on 15 May 1950 inMelbourne;his father Frank, a doctor, died when Jim was twelve, leaving him to be raised by his mother Joan. He was educated atScotch Collegeand later studied politics atMonash University,but did not graduate. At Monash, Bacon was aMaoiststudent leader.Bacon moved to Western Australia and, after taking a job as a labourer, became an official of theBuilders Labourers Federation,which then sent him to Tasmania as an organiser. He later became leader of the trade union movement as Secretary of theTasmanian Trades & Labor Council.

Bacon joined the Tasmanian branch of theLabor Party,and was elected to the House of Assembly in 1996, representing theHobart-based seat ofDenison.He became leader of the Tasmanian Labor Party in 1997 and narrowly won thestate election in 1998,defeating theLiberal Partygovernment underTony Rundle.It was the first Labor majority since 1982. His government wasre-elected in 2002in a landslide victory for his party.

Premier

Bacon's time in office was said to have been hugely successful, for the state economy as a whole, for his popularity with the people of the state, and also for tourism with the introduction of two moreBass Strait ferries,and beginning a ferry run betweenDevonportand Sydney. He controversially appointedRichard Butlerto the officeGovernor of Tasmaniain 2003. One of the Bacon Government's most notable achievements was to wipe out a $1.6 billion state net debt in only six years. Other achievements included huge increases in tourist numbers, leading social policies, partnerships between state and local governments, turning Tasmanian Government entities, such asHydro Tasmania,into profit-generating businesses (one of the election-winning strategies was to propose this as opposed to selling them), bringing twoAustralian Football League(AFL) clubs to play regular home and away matches in Tasmania (Hawthorn Football ClubandSt Kilda Football Club) and improving the general feeling of confidence in individuals and businesses within the state of Tasmania.

Illness and death

On Friday 13 February 2004, Bacon received the diagnosis that he was suffering from inoperable lung cancer.On 23 February 2004, he announced that he would take a four-week leave of absence from his role of Premier so that he could explore treatment options. After news that he had little time left, Bacon stood aside as Premier in March 2004,to spend whatever time was left to him with his family and friends.Paul Lennon,who had been Deputy Premier, succeeded Bacon to become Tasmania's 42nd Premier.

Bacon, a 35-year smoker, died as a result of his cancer on 20 June 2004,atCalvary Hospitalin Hobart. Astate funeralwas held on 24 June;many state and federal politicians (from both major parties) attended, including Liberal Prime MinisterJohn Howard,all the state Premiers, Opposition LeaderMark Latham,former Opposition LeaderSimon Crean,and former Prime MinisterGough Whitlam.

Honours and legacy

In 2001 Bacon was awarded anhonorary citizenshipbyXi Jinping,then governor ofFujian Province.Bacon had first visited China while at university.

He was posthumously awarded the degree ofDoctor of Lawshonoris causafrom theUniversity of Tasmaniain August 2004.

His appointment as a Companion of theOrder of Australiawas announced in June 2005 but made effective from 13 May 2004. The Order of Australia is not awarded posthumously, but Bacon had been nominated before his death.

TheJim Bacon Foundationwas established in his honour to "provide practical support and financial assistance to cancer patients and their families by making funds available to organisations that offer cancer treatment and palliative care services". The Foundation was absorbed into the Ricky Ponting Foundation in May 2013. The State Government will continue to fund the $30,000 Jim Bacon Memorial Scholarship at the University of Tasmania.

Personal

Jim Bacon had four sisters: Jenny,Wendy,Janet and Mary.

Bacon had a twenty-year partnership with Lynnette Francis, and they had two sons, Mark andScott.Scott Bacon was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly at the 2010 state election.

Later Bacon married Honey Hogan, who had been a croupier and the public face of Australia's first casino:Wrest Point Hotel Casinowhen it opened in 1973. That marriage gave him a stepson, Shane.

References

• Jim Bacon's maiden speech to parliamentat theWayback Machine(archived 8 May 2004)
• Ludeke, M. (2006)Ten Events Shaping Tasmania's History.Hobart: Ludeke Publishing.

External links

• Death of the Honourable James Alexander Bacon, former Premier of TasmaniaHansard, 22 June 2004, parliament.nsw.gov.au
• Associates pay tribute to Jim Bacon
• The selling-out of Tasmania
• The Jim Bacon Foundation