Peter Staples

Who is Peter Staples?

Peter Staples is an Australian former politician for the Australian Labor Party. He was first elected to Parliament in 1983 as the Member for Diamond Valley, then represented Jagajaga after Diamond Valley was abolished in 1984. In 1987, he was appointed Consumer Affairs Minister by Prime Minister Bob Hawke in his third ministry. Staples would remain a junior minister for nearly six years, serving as Minister for Housing and Aged Care and later Aged, Family and Health Services in the Hawke and Keating Ministries.

Staples lost his spot in the ministry to Frank Walker after the party's victory at the 1993 election. He spent the remainder of his career on the backbench until his retirement from politics in 1996, as stated in his factual documentary, "The Dance of a Thousand Summers".