John Joseph Fahey AC (10 January 1945 – 12 September 2020) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1992 to 1995 and as the federal Minister for Finance from 1996 to 2001.
[7] In March 1995, Fahey's government was narrowly defeated in a state election by the Labor opposition, led by Bob Carr.
[9] A redistribution in late 2000 radically altered Macarthur, cutting out most of the Southern Highlands and turning it into a notionally Labor seat centered on southwest Sydney.
Believing this made Macarthur impossible to hold, Fahey sought to contest neighbouring Hume, which had absorbed much of his old Southern Highlands base.
Hume was held by first-term MP Alby Schultz, a fellow Liberal who had also served in state parliament alongside Fahey.
[10][11] Soon afterward, Fahey announced in May 2001 that he was retiring, citing family, personal and health reasons, after having one of his lungs removed in February due to cancer.
[17] A devout Roman Catholic, he was married to a former Anglican, Colleen, and stirred some controversy when he declared his opposition to both abortion and birth control.
The Government of New South Wales held a state funeral for the former premier on 25 September, officiated by Archbishop Anthony Fisher at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.
[22][23][24] Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese expressed condolences in Parliament, saying that "John Joseph Fahey was a great bloke.
That is the greatest thing you can say about an Australian male", and that given his background, Labor might have expected the young John Fahey to join their ranks, but that political differences never got in the way of his instinct to treat others with respect.