Robert Ian Viner AO (born 21 January 1933) is an Australian former politician. He was the Liberal Party of Australia

Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

 member for the House of Representatives

Australian House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....

 seat of Stirling

Division of Stirling

The Division of Stirling is an Australian Electoral Division in the inner northern and beachside suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. It includes the suburbs of Balcatta, Balga, Carine, Innaloo, Nollamara, North Beach, Scarborough, Stirling, Trigg and Yokine....

 from 1972 until his defeat by Ron Edwards

Ron Edwards (Australian politician)

Ronald Frederick "Ron" Edwards is a retired Australian politician. Born in Perth, Western Australia, he was educated at the University of Western Australia and the University of Sydney, after which he became a lecturer in economics and industrial relations...

 in the 1983 election

Australian federal election, 1983

Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 March 1983. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 64 seats in the Senate, were up for election, following a double dissolution...

. He was Minister for Aboriginal Affairs from 1975 to 1978, Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations (Australia)

The Australian Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations is currently the Hon Senator Chris Evans.The Minister administers this portfolio, through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations....

 from 1978 to 1981—he was in 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...

 from November 1980. In 1981, he became Minister for Industrial Relations, but in April 1982 he became Minister for Defence Support and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence and a member of the Defence Council.

He 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"...

in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June 1999.