Peter Duncan

Peter Duncan (born ) is an Australian politician and businessman who has represented the Australian Labor Party in both state and federal politics. He served as a member of the South Australian parliament from 1973 to 1984, and as a member of the federal parliament from 1984 to 1996. He is one of relatively few members of parliament to have served not only in both a state and national parliament, but also as a minister in both cases.

Early life and education Peter Duncan was born in

In state parliament, Duncan served as 41st Attorney-General of South Australia from 1975 until 1979, and then as Minister for Health until the defeat of the Corcoran Labor government at the 1979 state election. He resigned from state politics in 1984, sparking an Elizabeth by-election.

Duncan was Minister for Land Transport and Infrastructure Support (1987–88) and Minister for Employment and Education Services for over three years from 1988 to 1990. After leaving the ministry in 1990, he became Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General in December 1991, a post he held until Labor lost office in 1996.

Business Duncan had a business career after politics, which became a source of controversy when he was charged in September 2007 with "making an untrue statement in application for a Commonwealth grant and with dishonestly causing loss to a Commonwealth entity". It was reported that this had occurred in the wake of the failure of his plastic recycling business Omnipol. He was subsequently ordered to stand trial on three counts in the South Australian District Court. Duncan went on trial on 3 November 2008, pleading not guilty. On 11 November, he was acquitted on all charges.