John Percy Jones (22 October 1872 – 12 October 1955) was an Australian politician. He was born in

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

to coachman Thomas John Jones and Bridget Costello. From the age of eleven he worked on a sheep station at Mona Vale, travelling to

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

in 1888 as a butcher's boy. He worked as a cattle drover and brass polish salesman before starting a tailoring firm in 1893. On 22 December 1897 he married Mary Ann Worrall, with whom he had three children. From 1905 to 1907 he was founding president of the

Victorian Socialist Party The Victorian Socialist Party (VSP), also known as the Socialist Party of Victoria, was a socialist political party in the Australian state of Victoria during the early 20th century. Most VSP members were also members of the Australian Labor ...

, and in 1910 he was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

as a

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

member for Melbourne East Province. In 1913 he was a minister without portfolio. He was an outspoken anti-conscriptionist during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and he served as Minister for Public Works,

Immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

and

Health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

in 1924. He was government leader in the Legislative Council from 1927 to 1928 and from 1929 to 1935. He was Minister for

Public Works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and procured by a government body for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, ...

, Immigration and Mines from 1927 to 1928 and from 1929 to 1932, when he was expelled from the Labor Party for supporting the

Premiers' Plan The Premiers' Plan was a deflationary economic policy agreed by a meeting of the Premiers of the Australian states in June 1931 to combat the Great Depression in Australia that sparked the 1931 Labor split. Background The Great Depress ...

. He joined the

United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...

and served again as Public Works and

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

Minister from 1932 to 1935. Having transferred to South Western Province in 1934, he retired from politics in 1940. Jones died in Parkville in 1955.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, John Percy 1872 births 1955 deaths Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria United Australia Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Ministers for health (Victoria) Vice-presidents of the Board of Land and Works Ministers for public works (Victoria) Ministers of mines (Victoria) Ministers of immigration (Victoria)