Peter Cook (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Francis Salmon Cook (8 November 19433 December 2005) was an Australian politician. He served as a Labor
member of the Senate
from 1983 to 2005, representing the state of Western Australia.
Cook was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and was an active trade unionist before entering politics. He was Secretary of the Western Australian Trades and Labour Council
1975–83 and Vice-President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
1981–83. He was also a member of the Labor Party's National Executive.
He was elected to the Senate at the 1983 election
; as this was a double dissolution
election, his service commenced on election day, 5 March 1983 (although for the purpose of determining the rotation of senators it was taken to have commenced on the previous 1 July).
In the Hawke
and Keating
Labor governments he was Minister for Resources
1988–1990, Minister for Industrial Relations 1990–1993, Minister for Shipping and Aviation Support 1992–93, Minister for Trade
1993–1994 and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology
1994–96.
After the defeat of the Keating government in 1996, Cook was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996–2001 and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. In 1999–2000, he chaired a Senate Committee inquiry into the proposed Goods and Services Tax
.
He was defeated by union organiser Glenn Sterle
in a Labor preselection ballot before the 2004 election, and subsequently did not contest the election. His term expired on 30 June 2005.
Cook was an avid ally of Julia Gillard
. He publicly backed her for the Labor leadership after Mark Latham
resigned in 2005.
Cook died on 3 December 2005 after being diagnosed with melanoma cancer in July 2004. The last Senate report that he contributed to was The cancer journey: Informing choice, handed down on 23 June 2005.
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 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 1983 to 2005, representing the state of Western Australia.
Cook was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and was an active trade unionist before entering politics. He was Secretary of the Western Australian Trades and Labour Council
UnionsWA
-Name changes:Originally known as the Trades & Labor Council, Perth from 1891, the organisation has gone through several name changes including the Western Australian Branch of the Australian Labour Federation in 1907; Australian Labor Party in 1927; Trade Unions Industrial Council in 1947...
1975–83 and Vice-President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
1981–83. He was also a member of the Labor Party's National Executive.
He was elected to the Senate at 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...
; as this was a double dissolution
Double dissolution
A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate....
election, his service commenced on election day, 5 March 1983 (although for the purpose of determining the rotation of senators it was taken to have commenced on the previous 1 July).
In the 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....
and 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...
Labor governments he was Minister for Resources
Minister for Resources and Energy (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Resources and Energy is Martin Ferguson, appointed on 3 December 2007. The Minister administers his portfolios through the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.-List of Ministers for Resources:...
1988–1990, Minister for Industrial Relations 1990–1993, Minister for Shipping and Aviation Support 1992–93, Minister for Trade
Minister for Trade (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Trade has been Dr. Craig Emerson since 14 September 2010.-Portfolio:Currently the Minister for Trade administers the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade jointly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, although prior to 1987 there was a separate Department of Trade...
1993–1994 and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia)
The current Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Kim Carr, appointed on 3 December 2007. He administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.-List of Ministers for Industry :...
1994–96.
After the defeat of the Keating government in 1996, Cook was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996–2001 and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. In 1999–2000, he chaired a Senate Committee inquiry into the proposed Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Australia)
The GST is a broad sales tax of 10% on most goods and services transactions in Australia. It is a value added tax, not a sales tax, in that it is refunded to all parties in the chain of production other than the final consumer....
.
He was defeated by union organiser Glenn Sterle
Glenn Sterle
Glenn Sterle is an Australian politician. A former trade union organiser, he has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since 2005, representing the state of Western Australia....
in a Labor preselection ballot before the 2004 election, and subsequently did not contest the election. His term expired on 30 June 2005.
Cook was an avid ally of Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
. He publicly backed her for the Labor leadership after Mark Latham
Mark Latham
Mark William Latham , an author and former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
resigned in 2005.
Cook died on 3 December 2005 after being diagnosed with melanoma cancer in July 2004. The last Senate report that he contributed to was The cancer journey: Informing choice, handed down on 23 June 2005.