Peter Duncan (Australian politician)

Peter Duncan was born in 1944 or 1945^[1] Melbourne and attended the University of Adelaide, where he studied law and was co-editor of the student newspaper On Dit in 1968.^[2]

Duncan was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly for the electorate of Elizabeth in the 1973 South Australian election, when he was 28.^{[2][better source needed]}

In state parliament, Duncan served as 41st Attorney-General of South Australia from 1975 until 1979, and then as Minister for Health until the defeat of the Corcoran Labor government at the 1979 state election. He resigned from state politics in 1984, sparking an Elizabeth by-election.^[3]

He contested the seat of Makin in the 1984 Australian federal election, which he retained at every election until Labor's federal defeat in 1996.^[3]

Duncan was Minister for Land Transport and Infrastructure Support (1987–88) and Minister for Employment and Education Services for over three years from 1988 to 1990. After leaving the ministry in 1990, he became Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General in December 1991, a post he held until Labor lost office in 1996.^[3][2]

During his time in federal parliament, he was assisted by Jim Hyde in various roles, including electorate officer, campaign manager, and senior private secretary when he was a minister. After Hyde's death in 2018, Duncan sent a tribute to be read out in the South Australian House of Assembly by Frances Bedford.^[4]

Duncan had a business career after politics, which became a source of controversy when he was charged in September 2007 with "making an untrue statement in application for a Commonwealth grant and with dishonestly causing loss to a Commonwealth entity".^[1] It was reported that this had occurred in the wake of the failure of his plastic recycling business Omnipol.^[5] He was subsequently ordered to stand trial on three counts in the South Australian District Court.^[6] Duncan went on trial on 3 November 2008, pleading not guilty.^[7] On 11 November, he was acquitted on all charges.^[8]

Parliament of South Australia
Preceded by John Clark	Member for Elizabeth 1973–1984	Martyn Evans
Preceded by Gil Langley	Government Whip 1975	Succeeded by Glen Broomhill
Preceded by Don Dunstan	Attorney-General of South Australia 1975–1979	Succeeded by Don Banfield
Preceded by Ron Payne	Minister for Prices and Consumer Affairs 1975–1979	Succeeded by Don Banfield
Preceded by Don Banfield	Minister for Health 1979	Succeeded by Jennifer Cashmore
Parliament of Australia
New division	Member for Makin 1984–1996	Succeeded by Trish Draper
Preceded by New ministry	Minister for Land Transport and Infrastructure Support 1987–1988	Succeeded by Clyde Holding
Preceded by Clyde Holding	Minister for Employment and Education Services 1988–1990	Succeeded by Peter Baldwin