HON Colin BARNETT MLA
Colin Barnett was elected as Western Australia’s 29th Premier on 6 September 2008.
Following the election victory, he formed a Liberal-National Government with the support of three Independent Members of Parliament.
Becoming Premier is the culmination of a long parliamentary career. Colin was first elected as the Liberal Member for Cottesloe in 1990 and became Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in 1992.
He was a senior Minister in the Court Government (1993 – 2001) holding the portfolios of Resources Development, Energy, Education and Tourism. Colin was also Leader of the House. From 2001 to 2005, he was Leader of the Opposition.
Colin held the Treasury portfolio from April 2010 until December 2010 and delivered the second budget of the Liberal-National Government.
As well as Premier, Colin is also Minister for State Development.
Colin Barnett's special video address can be viewed here.
David MORTIMER AO
David Mortimer AO was educated in Sydney, matriculating in 1962. He then completed a Bachelor of Economics degree at Sydney University graduating with First Class Honours.
After a career in the banking and finance industry in Australia and the United States, he joined TNT Limited in 1973 becoming Chief Financial Officer and a Director of the company in 1985. He also had overall responsibility for the group’s North American operations until the public float of those operations in February 1992 under the name TNT Freightways Corporation.
In September 1992, Mr Mortimer was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the TNT Limited worldwide group a leading Australian transport company with revenues of $7 billion at the time. Following the merger of TNT Limited with the Dutch based KPN group in December 1996, he remained as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Pacific Region until he resigned in September 1997. The TNT Group is now listed as TNT Post on international exchanges.
Mr Mortimer was Deputy Chairman of Ansett Australia Holdings Limited from 1992 to 1996 and Chairman of GD Express Worldwide from 1992 to 1996. He was also a Director of Ascham School Limited from 1989 to 1997.
In November 1996, Mr Mortimer was appointed by the Federal Government to conduct a review of Business Programs that resulted in “The Mortimer Report”.
Mr Mortimer was Chairman of Sydney Airports Corporation Limited from July 1998 until its sale in July 2002, Chairman of Bankstown Airport Limited, Camden Airport Limited and Hoxton Park Airport Limited until their sale in December 2003, Chairman of MIA Group Limited from 2000-2004 and Chairman of Citect Corporation Limited from 1997 to 2006. Mr Mortimer was a Director of the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) from 1997 to 2004, Director of Adsteam Marine Limited from 1997 to 2007 and Director of Sigma Pharmaceuticals until June 2007. He was also Chairman of the Defence Procurement Advisory Board from 2004 to 2008.
In 2005 Mr Mortimer was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia.
In 2008 Mr Mortimer was appointed by the Federal Government to conduct two reviews, the review of Export Policies and Programs titled “Winning in World Markets” and the Defence Procurement and Sustainment Review titled “Going to the Next level.” Both Reviews were released at the end of September 2008.
He is presently Chairman of Australia Post, Crescent Capital Partners and Leighton Holdings Limited.
He is a Director of Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Limited, Petsec Energy Limited and Governor of the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Mortimer was formerly a director of the Australian Graduate School of Management. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia – CEDA.
David Mortimer's special video address can be viewed here.
Mike SMITH
Mike Smith has been Chief Executive Officer of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) since October 2007.
Until June 2007, Mr Smith was President and Chief Executive Officer, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited; Chairman, Hang Seng Bank Limited; Global Head of Commercial Banking for the HSBC Group and Chairman, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad. Previously, Mr Smith was Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Argentina Holdings SA and was subsequently appointed Chairman of HSBC in Argentina in 2000.
Mr Smith joined the HSBC Group in 1978 and during his 29-year career he held a wide variety of posts in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Middle East and South America, including appointments in Commercial, Institutional and Investment Banking, Planning and Strategy, Operations and General Management.
Mr Smith graduated with honours in Economic Sciences in 1978 from City University of London.
He is Chairman of the Australian Bankers’ Association and a Member of both the Business Council of Australia and the Asia Business Council.
Mr Smith is a Director of the Institute of International Finance; a Member of both the Chongqing Mayor’s International Economic Advisory Council and the Shanghai Mayor’s International Financial Advisory Council; and a Fellow of The Hong Kong Management Association. He is also a Director of the Financial Markets Foundation for Children, Financial Literacy Australia Limited and the Financial Literacy Advisory Board.
Mr Smith was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2000 and a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Merite Agricole in 2007.
He is married with three children. His interests include wine, tennis and classic cars.
Mike Smith's special video address can be viewed here.
Innes WILLOX
Innes Willox is Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, a leading industry organisation representing businesses in a broad range of sectors including manufacturing, defence, ICT and labour hire.
Innes joined Ai Group as Director International and Government Relations in 2008 with responsibility for policy development and advocacy across the federal and state government systems including in the areas of trade, defence, climate change, industrial relations and communications. He was appointed Chief Executive in May 2012. Prior to joining Ai Group he held a number of senior roles in both the public and private sectors. He served as the Australian Consul General to Los Angeles from 2006 to 2008, where he represented wide-ranging Australian interests on the west coast of the United States. He was Chief of Staff to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, from 2004 to 2006. Earlier, he was Manager of Global Public Affairs for Singapore Airlines based in Singapore (2000-04).
Innes began his working career as a journalist. His positions included Chief of Staff at The Age newspaper in Melbourne and Chief Political Correspondent for The Age in the Canberra Parliamentary Press Gallery.