Matthew Robinson (Australian politician)

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Matthew Edward Robinson ({{circa}} 1850 – 16 February 1928) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1903 to 1906.

Robinson was born in Northallerton in Yorkshire. He moved to New Zealand when young, and worked in a softgoods warehouse until {{circa}} 1871, when he moved to Melbourne, Victoria, working as a warehouseman for Dodgshun and Co in Flinders Lane. He subsequently relocated to Tasmania to head the firm's Launceston branch, James Dodgshun and Sons, before opening his own warehousing business, M. E. Robinson & Co. Later in life he closed his warehousing firm and worked as a manufacturers' agent. He was a trustee of the Queen Victoria Hospital, Sunday school superintendent and warden of St John's Church and president of the Commercial Travellers' Association.{{cite book | url=https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/115048/2/b12679707.pdf |title=Biographical register of the Tasmanian Parliament, 1851–1960 |publisher=ANU Press |last1=Bennett |first1=Scott |last2=Bennett |first2=Barbara |name-list-style=amp |year=1980 | pages=139–140 |isbn=9780994637413}}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article153852126 |title=Obituary |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=18 February 1928 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=12 |via=Trove}}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51463455 |title=Obituary |newspaper=The Examiner |date=18 February 1928 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=8 |via=Trove}}

Robinson first attempted to enter state politics in April 1903, but was defeated for the seat of West Launceston by David Storrer.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35540742 |title=Election day in the city |newspaper=The Examiner |date=3 April 1903 |access-date=26 July 2022 |page=5 |via=Trove}} He won a by-election for West Launceston in October 1903 when Storrer resigned to enter federal politics.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article153902762 |title=The West Launceston election |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 December 1903 |access-date=26 July 2022 |page=4 |via=Trove}} His platform included support for a unicameral parliament headed by the Lieutenant-Governor instead of a Speaker, reducing the salary of the Governor, a reduction of the number of ministers, amalgamating state departments, an independent board investigating any proposed expenditure, opposition to income tax and limited female suffrage for landowners only.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35539227 |title=The campaign in the city. |newspaper=The Examiner |date=24 March 1903 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=6 |via=Trove}} He took a five-month trip abroad to the United States and Canada during his term.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article153993698 |title=A Launcestonian abroad |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 May 1905 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=5 |via=Trove}}{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38078515 |title=Men of the moment |newspaper=The Examiner |date=23 March 1906 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=5 |via=Trove}} He was defeated in 1906.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article239441675 |title=The Tasmanian elections |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=30 March 1906 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=5 |via=Trove}}{{cite Tas Parliament |title=Matthew Edward Robinson |id=robinsonm288 |access-date=26 July 2022}}

He later served a three-year stint as a City of Launceston councillor from 1914.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35574950 |title=West Launceston seat |newspaper=The Examiner |date=11 December 1903 |access-date=31 July 2019 |page=7 |via=Trove}} He died at his home in Launceston in 1928, aged 78.