Robert Ray (Australian politician)
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{About|the Australian politician|other people named Robert Ray|Robert Ray (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Ray}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Robert Ray
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Robert Francis Ray.jpg
| office = Minister for Defence
|primeminister = Bob Hawke
Paul Keating
| predecessor = Kim Beazley
| successor = Ian McLachlan
| term_start = 4 April 1990
| term_end = 11 March 1996
| office1 = Minister for Immigration
|primeminister1 = Bob Hawke
| predecessor1 = Clyde Holding
| successor1 = Gerry Hand
| term_start1 = 2 September 1988
| term_end1 = 4 April 1990
| office2 = Minister for Home Affairs
|primeminister2 = Bob Hawke
| predecessor2 = Barry Cohen
| successor2 = Bob Debus
| term_start2 = 24 July 1987
| term_end2 = 2 September 1988
| office3 = Senator for Victoria
| term_start3 = 1 July 1981
| term_end3 = 5 May 2008
| predecessor3 = Jean Melzer
| successor3 = Jacinta Collins
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1947|4|8}}
| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| spouse =
| party = Australian Labor Party
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Teacher
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Robert Francis Ray (born 8 April 1947) is an Australian former politician who was a Labor Party senator from 1981 to 2008, representing the state of Victoria.
Biography
=Early life=
Ray was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and educated at Monash University, Melbourne, where he graduated in arts and education. He worked as a teacher in government schools and as a taxi-driver before entering politics.
=Political career=
A leading member of the right-wing faction of the ALP, Ray defeated a left-wing senator, Jean Melzer, in a ballot for a place on the party's Senate ticket. This caused great bitterness in the Socialist Left faction. He was elected to the Senate at the October 1980 election, taking his seat on 1 July 1981.
In the Hawke Labor government Ray was Minister for Home Affairs 1987–88, Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs 1988–90 (with a seat in the Cabinet), and Minister for Defence 1990–96. In this portfolio he strongly supported Hawke's decision to send Australian forces to support the United Nations in the Gulf War, despite bitter opposition from the left.
After the defeat of the Keating government in 1996 election, Ray did not seek election to the Opposition Shadow Ministry, but remained a powerful figure in the Labor Party, acting as a key factional supporter of Opposition Leader Kim Beazley 1996–2001. His influence diminished when Mark Latham became Leader in 2003. He did not stand for re-election at the 2007 election, which meant that his Senate term was due to expire on 30 June 2008. He formally resigned from Parliament on 5 May 2008,ABC News (2008). [https://archive.today/20120717003439/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/05/2235853.htm Ray resigns from politics]. Retrieved 5 May 2008. having spent two more days in the Senate as a member of government than as a member of the Opposition.ABC News (2008). [https://web.archive.org/web/20080503203731/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/02/2233829.htm Ray remembers highs, lows of political life]. Retrieved 7 May 2008. The casual vacancy was filled by Jacinta Collins.ABC News (2008). [https://web.archive.org/web/20080503203841/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/02/2233881.htm Tributes for retiring Senator Ray]. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091006230713/http://www.alp.org.au/people/ray_robert.php ALP biography]
- [http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=UI4 Former Senator Robert Ray]
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{{succession box | title= Minister for Immigration | before=Clyde Holding | after=Gerry Hand | years=1988–1990}}
{{succession box | title= Minister for Defence | before=Kim Beazley | after=Ian McLachlan | years=1990–1996}}
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{{First Keating Ministry}}
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Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Labor Right politicians
Category:Members of the Cabinet of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian Senate
Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria
Category:Monash University alumni
Category:Australian schoolteachers
Category:Australian taxi drivers
Category:Ministers for defence of Australia