Robert Fitzgerald "Robin" Cooper (25 April 1936 – 23 November 2021) is a former Australian politician. Born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, he attended

Xavier College Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Classes started in 1878. ...

and later the

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology RMIT University, officially the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,, section 4(b) is a public university, public research university in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1887 by Francis Ormond, RMIT began as a night school offering cla ...

before embarking on a career in sales and marketing in the building supplies industry. In 1972 he was elected to

Mornington Shire Council The Shire of Mornington is a local government area in northwestern Queensland, Australia. The shire covers the Wellesley Islands, which includes Mornington Island; the South Wellesley Islands; Bountiful Islands; and West Wellesley / Forsyth ...

, and became president of the council 1979–80. In 1985 he was elected to the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presidin ...

as the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

member for Mornington and was immediately elevated to the front bench, serving as Shadow Minister for Local Government and Public Works. In 1987 he was given the portfolios of Arts and Police and Emergency Services, exchanging Arts for Corrections in 1988. In 1989 he moved to Local Government and Tourism, and in 1990 to Public Transport. In 1991, however, he left the front bench. He was appointed a parliamentary secretary in 1996 in the Kennett Government before being promoted to the Ministry of Transport in 1997. He left the front bench again on the Coalition's defeat in 1999. He spent a period as Manager of Opposition Business in the Assembly in 2006 before retiring at that year's state election.

References

1936 births Living people Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 21st-century Australian politicians {{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub