Carrol Athelstone Bramich (30 October 1893 – 1 October 1964) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the

Tasmanian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Legislative Council or Upper House. It sits in Parliament House, Hobart, Parliament Hou ...

from 1946 to 1964, representing the electorate of Darwin for both the Labor Party (1946–1956) and the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

(1956–1964). He served as a minister under Labor Premier

Robert Cosgrove Sir Robert Cosgrove (28 December 1884 – 25 August 1969) was an Australian politician who was the 30th and longest-serving Premier of Tasmania. He held office for over 18 years, serving from 1939 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1958. His invol ...

until his sudden floor-crossing defection in 1956. Bramich was promoted to Cabinet in November 1946 and was appointed Assistant Minister for Education and Transport, but was defeated in a caucus election for a reshuffle several months later. He returned to Cabinet in May 1948 following the defeat of Rowland Worsley, and was assigned Worsley's former role of Minister for Forests. He again lost his position in a caucus election, and again regained it after another vacancy in April 1949, being appointed Minister for Housing. Bramich suddenly resigned as Minister for Housing and from the Labor Party on 11 September 1956, costing the Labor government its majority in parliament. He claimed that his recommendations were being ignored and his decisions set aside. He was also facing party censure for having, while Acting Minister for Health, made a public statement claiming that his colleagues had "deliberately frustrated" his efforts to reconstitute a country hospitals board. Bramich initially claimed that he would sit on the crossbenches, but defected to the Liberal Party later that day. An attempt to install a Liberal government mid-term was only thwarted when Premier

called an early election, following a constitutional crisis around whether the Governor would allow him to dissolve parliament. Bramich had been expected to lose his seat at the subsequent election, but instead topped the Liberal poll in his seat. Bramich retired from politics in 1964 and died later that year.

References

1893 births 1964 deaths Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Tasmania Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Tasmania 20th-century Australian politicians {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub