and Regional Development to his portfolios. He also held the portfolios of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne, Regional Development and Heritage. In late 2004, the Labor candidate for the rural seat of Kalgoorlie for the 2004 federal election, Kevin Richards, died suddenly during the final stages of that Federal campaign. Stephens, who was already preselected for the Legislative Assembly seat of Central Kimberley-Pilbara, was drafted as a last-minute replacement candidate for the Federal seat of Kalgoorlie. Stephens duly resigned from the WA State Cabinet and the WA Legislative Council, nominated and ran for that Federal seat; he was defeated at that contest by incumbent Liberal MP Barry Haase. Stephens subsequently contested and won the WA state seat of Central Kimberley Pilbara at the 2005 election. He chaired the Education and Health Standing Committee until September 2008 and was elected as Member for Pilbara at the October 2008 elections and served as a member of the Standing Committee on Community Development & Justice. Stephens retired from the WA State Parliament at , aged 61, having served in the parliament for more than 30 years. Stephens served on the Boards of Good to Great Schools Australia (Noel Pearson's Education Reform agency), DSF-SPELD (WA), Lost & Found Opera, IBN and previously served on the Board of Yindjibarndi CCL; he sings (as a bass) with the University of Western Australia Choral Society and is an avid cyclist. Stephens was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2014 Australia Day Honours for "service to Indigenous affairs, and to the Parliament of Western Australia". References External links http://www.luccagrapevine.com/july2016/francigena.pdf 1951 births Living people Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia 21st-century Australian politicians Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia