Bob Collins (politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Lindsay Collins AO
(8 February 194621 September 2007) was an Australian Labor Party
member of the Australian Senate
from July 1987 to March 1998, representing the Northern Territory
. Prior to entering the Senate, Collins was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
from 1977 to 1987, and Leader of the Territory Opposition from 1981 to 1986. He was the first Northern Territorian to become a federal minister. He died by suicide aged 61 with multiple charges of child sex abuse pending in both the Northern Territory and ACT
.
in 1946, Collins left school at the age of 15 and worked briefly on a cotton
farm
. In 1967 he moved to the Northern Territory
, where he found work at the Department of Agriculture in the town of Katherine
. By 1974 he was working for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) and St. John Ambulance
when Cyclone Tracy
struck the city of Darwin
.
and wildlife officer in the indigenous
community of Maningrida
in Arnhem Land
. In 1977, he was asked to run for the Australian Labor Party
in the seat of Arnhem
, which he did, successfully gaining a seat in the second parliament
of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
. He was Leader of the Opposition from 1981 to 1986 while the Country Liberal Party
held power, switching to the newly created seat of Arafura
in December 1983. At the territorial election of 1983, his party was defeated; and incumbent Chief Minister Paul Everingham
was the victor.
representing the Northern Territory. The Prime Minister
Bob Hawke
chose Collins as Minister for Shipping
on 4 April 1990, and a month later Aviation Support was added to his portfolio. He also served as Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Northern Australia
. In May 1992, Prime Minister Paul Keating
elevated Collins to the Cabinet
as Minister for Transport and Communications
. In December 1993, he was made Minister for Primary Industries and Energy
.
After the Coalition
led by John Howard
won the 1996 election, Collins continued to serve in the Senate until he resigned on 30 March 1998. Trish Crossin
was appointed to fill his previous Senate seat.
n Premier, Mike Rann
, appointed Collins as the service delivery co-ordinator of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands
in the South Australia's north. He was tasked with rectifying some of the vast social problems in the region. Collins resigned from the position in August 2004.
Honours of 2004, Collins was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
(AO) for services to the Northern Territory and indigenous rights.
. He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital
, then flown to Adelaide on 22 June for specialised surgery.
As Collins recovered in hospital in Adelaide, officers of the Northern Territory Police
flew to his hospital bedside to inform him that his home had been raided and that he was charged with child-sex offences. His home computer had been seized, and prosecutors said that this computer contained 54 child-porn images. Additionally, four men had made allegations that Collins had sexually assaulted them as children, more than thirty years previously. One of the alleged victims was Tom E. Lewis
, a young actor who had played the title role in the 1978 Australian film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
. The Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions
supported a move by Collins's defence lawyers to suppress all details of the court case, including media reporting of the case.
Another allegation was made in 2006 of the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy in Canberra
in September 1989. Collins was charged with two counts of committing an act of indecency and one count of sexual intercourse with a child.
Collins's continuing medical problems, including surgery for bowel cancer and injuries from his car accident, meant that he was unfit to attend the ACT Magistrates' Court for four scheduled hearings of the case in September and December 2006 and March and May 2007.
An additional charge of possession of child pornography was set down against Collins in the Darwin Magistrates' Court in November 2006. Collins faced 21 child sex charges in the Northern Territory which were due for a committal hearing in April 2007. The child pornography charge was due for a hearing in the same court on 1 May. Collins died by suicide before facing court.
Victims of the suspected pedophile Collins were paid compensation under the Victims of Crime (Assistance) Act as claims they had been sexually assaulted by Collins were accepted.
on 21 September 2007, three days before he was scheduled to face court of charges of possessing child pornography, indecent assault, carnal knowledge and sexual intercourse without consent. Given the circumstances of unexplained death, a detailed coronial investigation was carried out into the death, reporting in February 2009. The Northern Territory Coroner concluded Collins death was suicide, stating:
Noteworthy were the initial erroneous obituaries that the reported cause of death was secondary to bowel cancer.
A planned state memorial service
for the former Labor senator was cancelled, after the Federal Government withdrew its offer of a tribute. The family instead held a private funeral. Flag marshals had been notified to half-mast
their flags in honour of Collins on the day of the funeral, but that advice was later withdrawn by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(8 February 194621 September 2007) was an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
from July 1987 to March 1998, representing the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. Prior to entering the Senate, Collins was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
from 1977 to 1987, and Leader of the Territory Opposition from 1981 to 1986. He was the first Northern Territorian to become a federal minister. He died by suicide aged 61 with multiple charges of child sex abuse pending in both the Northern Territory and ACT
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
Early life
Born into a working-class family in NewcastleNewcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
in 1946, Collins left school at the age of 15 and worked briefly on a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. In 1967 he moved to the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, where he found work at the Department of Agriculture in the town of Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
. By 1974 he was working for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO) and St. John Ambulance
St. John Ambulance
St John Ambulance, branded as St John in some territories, is a common name used by a number of affiliated organisations in different countries dedicated to the teaching and practice of medical first aid and the provision of ambulance services, all of which derive their origins from the St John...
when Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
struck the city of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
.
Territory politics
Collins first became politically active in the late 1970s, while employed as a market gardenerMarket gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
and wildlife officer in the indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
community of Maningrida
Maningrida, Northern Territory
Maningrida is a self-governing indigenous community in the heart of the Arnhem Land region of Australia's Northern Territory. Maningrida is located 500 km east of Darwin and 300 km north east of Jabiru. It is on the North Central Arnhem Land coast of the Arafura Sea, on the estuary of the Liverpool...
in Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
. In 1977, he was asked to run for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
in the seat of Arnhem
Electoral division of Arnhem
The Electoral division of Arnhem is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1974, and takes its name from Arnhem Land, the region encompassing much of the northern part of the Territory....
, which he did, successfully gaining a seat in the second parliament
Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, 1977-1980
This is a list of members of the Australian Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1980. Though there had been one previous Assembly, this Assembly was the first to have real power over affairs in the territory, as self-government was only granted in 1978....
of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
. He was Leader of the Opposition from 1981 to 1986 while the Country Liberal Party
Country Liberal Party
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...
held power, switching to the newly created seat of Arafura
Electoral division of Arafura
Arafura is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1983, and takes its name from the Arafura Sea, which adjoins the electorate. The electorate is predominantly rural, encompassing in western Arnhem Land and the Tiwi Islands, and...
in December 1983. At the territorial election of 1983, his party was defeated; and incumbent Chief Minister Paul Everingham
Paul Everingham
Paul Anthony Edward Everingham AO was the first Chief Minister of the Northern Territory of Australia when it was granted self-government in 1978....
was the victor.
Federal politics and the Senate
At the 1987 federal election, Collins was elected to the Australian SenateAustralian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
representing the Northern Territory. The Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
chose Collins as Minister for Shipping
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport is the Hon Anthony Albanese. On 3 December 2007 he replaced the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the Hon Mark Vaile, who held office since August 2006, and the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, the Hon Jim...
on 4 April 1990, and a month later Aviation Support was added to his portfolio. He also served as Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Northern Australia
Minister for Home Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs has been Brendan O'Connor since 6 June 2009. The Home Affairs portfolio brings together agencies such as the Australian Customs Service , the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, which were previously the...
. In May 1992, Prime Minister Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
elevated Collins to the Cabinet
Cabinet of Australia
The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
as Minister for Transport and Communications
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport is the Hon Anthony Albanese. On 3 December 2007 he replaced the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the Hon Mark Vaile, who held office since August 2006, and the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, the Hon Jim...
. In December 1993, he was made Minister for Primary Industries and Energy
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig.-Portfolio responsibilities:The minister administers his portfolio through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and its component bodies:...
.
After the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
led by John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
won the 1996 election, Collins continued to serve in the Senate until he resigned on 30 March 1998. Trish Crossin
Trish Crossin
Patricia Margaret "Trish" Crossin , Australian politician, has been a member of the Australian Senate for the Northern Territory since June 1998, representing the Australian Labor Party...
was appointed to fill his previous Senate seat.
Co-ordinator of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands
In March 2004, the South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n Premier, Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
, appointed Collins as the service delivery co-ordinator of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara is a large Aboriginal local government area located in the remote north west of South Australia...
in the South Australia's north. He was tasked with rectifying some of the vast social problems in the region. Collins resigned from the position in August 2004.
Honours
In the Australia DayAustralia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Honours of 2004, Collins was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AO) for services to the Northern Territory and indigenous rights.
Child sex allegations
In June 2004, Collins was involved in a serious single-car accident when his car rolled over near the town of JabiruJabiru, Northern Territory
Jabiru is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was originally built in 1982 as a closed town to house the community living at Jabiru East near the Ranger Uranium Mine eight kilometres away. Both the mine and the town are completely surrounded by Kakadu National Park.- Overview :Jabiru...
. He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital
Royal Darwin Hospital
Royal Darwin Hospital is a 345-bed teaching hospital located in the northern suburbs of Darwin, Northern Territory.-History:The first hospital of the settlement of Palmerston was built in 1874. The hospital was built on Packard Street overlooking Doctors Gully under the authority of Dr James...
, then flown to Adelaide on 22 June for specialised surgery.
As Collins recovered in hospital in Adelaide, officers of the Northern Territory Police
Northern Territory Police
The Northern Territory Police is the police body that has legal jurisdiction over the Northern Territory of Australia. This police service has 1302 gazetted police positions made up of 55 Senior Sergeants, 200 Sergeants, 741 Constables, 159 Auxiliaries, and 84 Aboriginal Community Police Officers...
flew to his hospital bedside to inform him that his home had been raided and that he was charged with child-sex offences. His home computer had been seized, and prosecutors said that this computer contained 54 child-porn images. Additionally, four men had made allegations that Collins had sexually assaulted them as children, more than thirty years previously. One of the alleged victims was Tom E. Lewis
Tom E. Lewis
Tom E. Lewis is a Murrungun man , who is an actor and musician. His first major role was the title role in the 1978 Fred Schepisi film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.-Early life:He was born and grew up at Ngukurr in South Eastern Arnhem Land...
, a young actor who had played the title role in the 1978 Australian film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is a 1972 Booker Prize-nominated novel by Thomas Keneally, and a 1978 Australian film of the same name directed by Fred Schepisi. The novel is based on the life of bushranger Jimmy Governor....
. The Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
supported a move by Collins's defence lawyers to suppress all details of the court case, including media reporting of the case.
Another allegation was made in 2006 of the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in September 1989. Collins was charged with two counts of committing an act of indecency and one count of sexual intercourse with a child.
Collins's continuing medical problems, including surgery for bowel cancer and injuries from his car accident, meant that he was unfit to attend the ACT Magistrates' Court for four scheduled hearings of the case in September and December 2006 and March and May 2007.
An additional charge of possession of child pornography was set down against Collins in the Darwin Magistrates' Court in November 2006. Collins faced 21 child sex charges in the Northern Territory which were due for a committal hearing in April 2007. The child pornography charge was due for a hearing in the same court on 1 May. Collins died by suicide before facing court.
Victims of the suspected pedophile Collins were paid compensation under the Victims of Crime (Assistance) Act as claims they had been sexually assaulted by Collins were accepted.
Suicide
Collins died in DarwinDarwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
on 21 September 2007, three days before he was scheduled to face court of charges of possessing child pornography, indecent assault, carnal knowledge and sexual intercourse without consent. Given the circumstances of unexplained death, a detailed coronial investigation was carried out into the death, reporting in February 2009. The Northern Territory Coroner concluded Collins death was suicide, stating:
"The cause of death was intentional overdose of prescription drugs with alcohol following upon a background of three years of significant medical difficulties and in the face of upcoming court cases. I find that the deceased took the drugs with the purpose of ending his life."
Noteworthy were the initial erroneous obituaries that the reported cause of death was secondary to bowel cancer.
A planned state memorial service
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
for the former Labor senator was cancelled, after the Federal Government withdrew its offer of a tribute. The family instead held a private funeral. Flag marshals had been notified to half-mast
Half-staff
Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...
their flags in honour of Collins on the day of the funeral, but that advice was later withdrawn by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is an Australian Government department. The Department was first established in 1911...
.