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John David "Jack" Wright (25 January 1927 – 28 August 1998) was an Australian politician and Deputy Premier of South Australia under John Bannon from 1982 to 1985. Wright represented the House of Assembly seat of Adelaide for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party from 1971 to 1985.[1] Wright was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 1986 Australia Day Honours for "service to politics, industrial relations and the community".[2]

Wright was born in Toowoomba, Queensland. He was educated at Mount Carmel College in Charters Towers, but left school early to become a shearer by trade. He became involved with the Australian Workers' Union in 1942 and was involved with the union in many capacities throughout his life, including as secretary of their Queensland shearers' strike committee in 1945, variously holding every position in its Broken Hill, New South Wales branch between 1949 and 1957, and then as its organiser in Port Augusta, South Australia from 1957 to 1966. He then variously served as state organiser, industrial advocate, president and secretary between 1966 and 1971.[3]

He was first elected to the House of Assembly at a 1971 by-election and first became a minister under Don Dunstan in 1975. Serving as a minister under both Dunstan and John Bannon, he variously held the ministerial portfolios of Minister Assisting the Premier in Industrial Democracy, Minister for Labour and Industry, Minister for Public Works and Minister for Emergency Services. He retired on health grounds in 1985.[3]

He served as Chairman of the Lotteries Commission after leaving politics. He died in 1998 and was granted a state funeral.[3]

His son, Michael Wright, was a state MP from 1997 to 2014 and a minister under Mike Rann.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hon John (Jack) David Wright AO". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  2. ^ "AD86" (PDF). Governor General's Office of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Tuesday 27 October 1998". Hansard. Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Retiring MPs". South Australian Election 2014. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by
Des Corcoran
as Minister for Works
 Minister for Public Works
1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Premier of South Australia
1982 – 1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Public Works
1982 – 1984 		Succeeded by
South Australian House of Assembly
Preceded by Member for Adelaide
1971–1985 		Succeeded by


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