Premier
As Premier, Tonkin combined fiscal conservatism with implementing socially progressive reforms. In the former, Tonkin made significant cuts to the public service, earning him the enmity of the unions, while an example of the latter was the passage of the land rights bill and the return to the Pitjantjatjara people of 10 per cent of South Australia's area.
Other significant actions include the development of the copper and uranium mine at Olympic Dam (Roxby Downs), extending his earlier anti-discrimination provisions to include physical disability, establishing the Ethnic Affairs Commission and introducing random breath testing.
Bidding for re-election at the 1982 state election, Tonkin had support of the South Australian media. However, nationwide and locally, the economy was in poor shape, and Tonkin suffered a large swing at the 1982 Florey by-election. He lost the state election to the John Bannon led Labor Party, and resigned from parliament shortly after following a heart complaint, which sparked a Bragg by-election.
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