Overview

Peter Vernon Jones AM (28 January 1933 – 16 January 2017) was an Australian state politician who represented the rural electorate of Narrogin in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1974 until 1986. He was identified with regional issues and with centre‑right political groupings at state level.

Early life and background

Jones was born in Launceston, Tasmania. Details of his early life and career before entering state politics are less widely recorded in summary sources, but his later public service was shaped by an orientation to country towns and agricultural communities. He married Margaret Antonia Maslin in 1960 and they had three children.

Parliamentary career

Jones won election to the Legislative Assembly as the member for Narrogin in 1974 and retained the seat through successive terms until his retirement in 1986. During his time in parliament he focused on matters commonly important to rural electorates, such as local services, regional infrastructure, primary industry concerns and the viability of smaller towns.

Party roles and affiliations

While in parliament Jones served as deputy leader of the National Country Party in Western Australia, a party historically associated with representing farmers and regional communities. Later in his career he became aligned with the Liberal Party, reflecting the fluid party relationships and strategic realignments that have at times occurred in state politics.

Responsibilities and public service

  • Member of the Legislative Assembly for Narrogin (1974–1986).
  • Deputy leader within the National Country Party in Western Australia.
  • Advocated for regional infrastructure, local government interests and services important to country constituents.

Honours and recognition

Jones carried the postnominal AM, indicating he was a Member of the Order of Australia. That honour is given to recognise service to the community and to public life; in Jones's case it reflected contributions at a state and local level rather than national office.

Later life and legacy

After leaving parliament Jones remained a figure of interest in regional political histories of Western Australia. He died on 16 January 2017 in Perth, Western Australia at the age of 83. Commentaries and retrospective accounts note his role as a rural representative during decades of change for Western Australian agriculture and country towns.

Further reading

For more detailed information about Jones's speeches, voting record and contributions to parliamentary committees, readers can consult parliamentary archives and contemporary news accounts. Biographical entries and histories of the National Country Party and state Liberal politics also provide context for his career and the broader political environment in which he served.