Bob Collins (politician)
Bob Collins | |
---|---|
Senator for the Northern Territory | |
In office 11 July 1987 – 30 March 1998 | |
Preceded by | Ted Robertson |
Succeeded by | Trish Crossin |
Leader of the Opposition of the Northern Territory | |
In office 2 November 1981 – 19 August 1986 | |
Preceded by | Jon Isaacs |
Succeeded by | Terry Smith |
Personal details | |
Born | Robert Lindsay Collins 8 February 1946 Labor Party |
Spouse | Rosemary Collins |
Robert Lindsay Collins
Early life
Born into a working-class family in Newcastle 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.[3]
Territory politics
Years | Term | Electoral division | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977–1980 | 2nd
|
Arnhem | Labor
| |
1980–1983 | 3rd
|
Arnhem | Labor
| |
1983–1987 | 4th
|
Arafura | Labor
|
Collins first became politically active in the late 1970s while employed as a
Federal politics and the Senate
At the
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.[6] Trish Crossin was appointed to fill his previous Senate seat.
Co-ordinator of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara lands
After he left federal politics in 1998, Collins took on various projects on boosting Aboriginal education, tackling petrol sniffing and landscape conservation.
Honours
In the Australia Day Honours of 2004, Collins was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to the Northern Territory and indigenous rights.[10]
Child sex allegations
In June 2004, Collins was involved in a serious single-car accident when his car rolled over near the town of Jabiru.[11] He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital, then flown to Adelaide on 22 June for specialised surgery.[12] As Collins recovered in hospital, officers of the
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.[18]
Collins's continuing medical problems, including surgery for
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.[21] Collins died by suicide before facing court.
Five of Collins' alleged victims were paid compensation under the Victims of Crime (Assistance) Act, after claims for compensation were accepted by the Northern Territory government.[22]
Death
Collins died in Darwin on 21 September 2007, three days before he was scheduled to face court. Given the circumstances of unexplained death, a detailed coronial investigation was carried out into the death,[23] reporting in February 2009. The Northern Territory Coroner stated: "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." The Coroner stated that, although it was not his usual practice to release findings relating to intentional self-harm:
I have decided to release the following information from the coronial findings into the death of Robert Lindsay Collins, because of the intense public and media speculation. I have discussed this with Mr Collins' family who, whilst saddened that this release is necessary, understand that there is a need to clarify the circumstances of his death.[24]
The family held a private funeral.
Posthumous controversy
A portrait of Bob Collins is hung in the Parliament House of the Northern Territory along with all former Leaders of the Opposition. Country Liberal MLA John Elferink drew attention to this in June 2009, as he felt the portrait's presence was inappropriate due to the child abuse allegations against Bob Collins.[25] In response to the request Speaker Jane Aagaard announced in October 2009 that after review the House Committee had decided the portrait was a historical record and would remain.[26]
References
- ^ Senator Trish Crossin: First Speech Archived 15 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 24 June 1998.
- PMID 23613648.
- ^ Oral Histories: Interviews with Bob Collins Archived 23 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Northern Territory Library
- ^ "Ex-MP dies under cloud of charges". 22 September 2007.
- ^ "Former Senator Bob Collins". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ Browne, Geoffrey. "Collins, Robert Lindsay (1946-2007)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Ex-MP dies under cloud of charges". 22 September 2007.
- ^ Debelle, Penelope (21 April 2004). "Black leaders to target traffickers". The Age. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
- ^ "Collins quits roles with SA, NT governments". AAP General News (Australia). 25 August 2004. Retrieved 27 March 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Mark Metherell: It's time, for Labor family, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 2004.
- ^ Bob Collins: the ugly truth Archived 24 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, The Bulletin, 25 September 2007; Website closed January 2008
- ^ Former senator flown to Adelaide for specialised surgery, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 23 June 2004
- ^ Police confirm Collins investigation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1 July 2004
- ^ Bob Collins: the ugly truth Archived 24 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, The Bulletin, 25 September 2007
- ^ Anne Barker: Bob Collins under investigation over allegations of sexual assault Archived 5 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1 July 2004
- ^ Anne Barker: Police confirm Collins investigation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1 July 2004.
- ^ "Alleged Paedophile Activity - Delay of Court Proceedings". Northern Territory - Parliamentary Record No: 25. 22 March 2005. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
- National Nine News, 18 September 2006.
- ^ Collins still too sick to appear in court on sex assault charges[permanent dead link], Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 8 March 2007.
- ^ Collins' health holds up court hearing[permanent dead link], Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 28 May 2007.
- ^ Child porn court date for ex-Labor minister, The Age, 24 November 2006.
- ^ The Adelaide Advertiser: Sex abuse victims paid compo
- ^ Murphy, Damien: Collins raped me when I was 12: accuser, The Age, 26 September 2007
- ^ "Collins killed himself, says coroner". 14 February 2008.
- ^ Calacouras, Nick (17 June 2009). "Portrait of Collins 'offensive'". The Northern Territory News. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ "Portrait of accused pedophile to remain in Parliament". The Northern Territory News. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2013.