John Olsen

The Honourable John Olsen AO
Premier of South Australia
In office 28 November 1996 – 22 October 2001
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir Eric Neal
Deputy	Graham Ingerson (1996–1998) Rob Kerin (1998–2001)
Preceded by	Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Rob Kerin
President of the Liberal Party of Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 August 2020
Leader	Scott Morrison Peter Dutton
Preceded by	Nick Greiner
President of the South Australian Liberal Party
In office 2 June 2017 – 27 September 2020
Preceded by	Steve Murray
Succeeded by	Legh Davis
In office 1976–1979
Preceded by	Trevor Griffin
Succeeded by	Dr Jim Forbes
Senator for South Australia
In office 7 May 1990 – 4 May 1992
Preceded by	Tony Messner
Succeeded by	Alan Ferguson
Leader of the Opposition in South Australia
In office 10 November 1982 – 12 January 1990
Deputy	Roger Goldsworthy
Preceded by	John Bannon
Succeeded by	Dale Baker
Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party
In office 28 November 1996 – 22 October 2001
Deputy	Graham Ingerson Rob Kerin
Preceded by	Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Rob Kerin
In office 10 November 1982 – 12 January 1990
Deputy	Roger Goldsworthy
Preceded by	David Tonkin
Succeeded by	Dale Baker
Minister for Multicultural Affairs
In office 28 November 1996 – 22 October 2001
Premier	himself
Preceded by	Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Rob Kerin
Minister for Infrastructure and Industry
In office 14 December 1993 – 12 December 1996
Premier	Dean Brown
Preceded by	John Klunder
Succeeded by	Graham Ingerson
Minister for Fisheries
In office 5 March 1982 – 10 November 1982
Premier	David Tonkin
Preceded by	Allan Rodda
Succeeded by	Chris Sumner
Member for Kavel
In office 9 May 1992 – 9 February 2002
Preceded by	Roger Goldsworthy
Succeeded by	Mark Goldsworthy
Member for Custance
In office 7 December 1985 – 6 May 1990
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by	Ivan Venning
Member for Rocky River
In office 15 September 1979 – 7 December 1985
Preceded by	Howard Venning
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Mayor of Kadina
In office 6 July 1974 – 2 July 1977
Preceded by	Lloyd Davies
Succeeded by	Graham Morphett
Alderman on the Kadina Council
In office 14 May 1971 – 2 July 1977
Personal details
Born	John Wayne Olsen[1] (1945-06-07) 7 June 1945 (age 79)[1] Kadina, South Australia,[1] Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia (SA)
Parent(s)	Stanley John Olsen and Joyce Rosalind née Heath

John Wayne Olsen, AO (born 7 June 1945) is an Australian politician, diplomat and football commissioner. He was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001. He is now President of the Federal Liberal Party, Chairman of the Australian American Association, Chairman of the Adelaide Football Club and Deputy Chairman of the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority.

Olsen was twice the parliamentary leader of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the South Australian House of Assembly, from 1982 to 1990 and again from 1996 to 2001. He unsuccessfully led the party to both the 1985 election and 1989 election. After the 1989 election he left South Australian parliament to fill a casual vacancy in the Australian Senate. He returned to the South Australian parliament in 1992, but was defeated for the Liberal party leadership by Dean Brown.

However, in 1996, Olsen successfully challenged Brown for the Liberal leadership, and hence became Premier. He led the party to a narrow victory at the 1997 election, and remained Premier until 2001. He resigned in 2001, after he was found to have misled parliament during the Motorola affair. Olsen is the longest-serving Liberal Party of Australia Premier of South Australia and the fourth-longest-serving Leader of the Opposition.

After politics Olsen worked as a diplomat and political lobbyist. He became the State President of the South Australian Liberal Party in June 2017. He previously held that position from 1976 to 1979.^[2] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 2007.