Merv Toms

John Mervin "Merv" Toms (23 January 1909 – 8 October 1971) was an Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1956 to 1971. He was appointed Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in July 1971, but served only a few months before dying in office.

Toms was born in Boulder, in the Western Australian goldfields, but moved to Perth during his childhood, attending Midland High School. He left school at the age of 15, working as a carpenter and joiner. Toms was elected to the Bayswater Road Board in April 1944, and would serve on the council until May 1971, including as chairman from 1951 to 1965.^[1] A member of the Building Workers' Industrial Union (a forerunner of the CFMEU), he stood for parliament at the 1956 state election, easily winning the seat of Maylands. At the 1962 election, Toms transferred to the new seat of Bayswater. When Bayswater was abolished at the 1968 election, he successfully stood for the new seat of Ascot, which covered roughly the same territory.^[2]

A former deputy chairman of committees, Toms was elevated to the speakership following Labor's victory at the 1971 election. During a Legislative Assembly sitting in October 1971, he collapsed and was rushed to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, where he subsequently died. Because Toms's death reduced Labor to a minority government, the premier, John Tonkin, advised the governor, Sir Douglas Kendrew, to prorogue parliament until the necessary by-election had been held. Mal Bryce succeeded him as member for Ascot and Daniel Norton succeeded him as speaker.^[1]

References