Discover

(Redirected from Reginald Withers)
'Reginald Grieve Withers' (b. 26 October 1924) is a former long serving member of the Australian Senate.
Born in Bunbury, Western Australia, Withers was the son of a former Australian Labor Party member in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. After schooling at Perth Technical College, Withers served in the military from 1942-46 before returning to Australia to study law at the University of Western Australia under the ex-servicemen’s scheme. While at university Withers opposed what he saw as the authoritarian stance of the Ben Chifley Labor government and joined the Liberal Party of Australia. 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 Shane Paltridge, but lost his seat later that year before returning to the Senate in 1967.
Described as having a “jovial manner and perpetual grin”, Withers quickly gained a reputation as the Liberal numbers man and served as Senate Government Whip from 1969-71 before his appointment as Minister for Administrative Services, Special Minister of State and Liberal Senate Leader in 1972. Upon the loss of the McMahon Government, Withers became Opposition Leader in the Senate, where he retained a thin majority and acted to block much of the Whitlam Government's legislation. Withers was widely known as 'The Toecutter' for his alleged approach to enforcing party loyalty and his role in the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975.
Following the coalition’s victory in the 1975 election, Withers held the Special Minister of State, Capital Territory, Media, Tourism and Recreation portfolios as well as the position of Vice-President of the Executive Council. Withers was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1977, and is entitled to be known as "The Rt Hon Reginald Withers" for life. He retired from federal politics in 1987 and was subsequently elected as Lord Mayor of Perth and as a monarchist delegate to the 1998 Constitutional Convention.