John Dawkins (South Australian politician)


John Samuel Letts Dawkins is a South Australian politician, and a Member of the South Australian Legislative Council, representing the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia. Dawkins is the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention in the Marshall Government.
He was first elected to an eight-year term in the Legislative Council at the 1997 election. He was re-elected for a second eight-year term at the 2006 election, and a third eight-year term at the 2014 election.
Before his entry into SA politics, Dawkins was an Electorate Officer to former Senator and Howard Government Minister; the Hon. Nick Minchin, former Foreign Minister and Liberal Party Leader; the Hon. Alexander Downer AC and former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives; the Hon. Neil Andrew AO. He has been a member and supporter of many and varied community clubs and organisations, including the Returned and Services League of Australia, and sporting and agricultural bodies.

Family

Dawkins was a son of the Hon. Maynard Boyd Dawkins MBE, a sheep breeder of Gawler River, former member of Local Government and Member of the South Australian Legislative Council for the Liberal Party from 1962 to 1982.
A cousin of the same name, the Hon. John Dawkins AO, was a politician from the Australian Labor Party and was the federal Treasurer of Australia from 1991 to 1993.