Date of Birth: 10/05/1947
Place of Birth: Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Parliamentary Service
| Standing Committee on Public Works |
01 Dec 2002 |
01 Dec 2003 |
1 year 1 day |
|
| Member for Willoughby |
27 Mar 1999 |
28 Feb 2003 |
3 years 11 months 2 days |
|
| Leader of the Opposition |
04 Apr 1995 |
08 Dec 1998 |
3 years 8 months 5 days |
|
| Member for Willoughby |
25 Mar 1995 |
05 Mar 1999 |
3 years 11 months 9 days |
|
| Treasurer and Minister for the Arts |
26 May 1993 |
04 Apr 1995 |
1 year 10 months 10 days |
|
| Minister for State Development and Minister for Arts |
03 Jul 1992 |
26 May 1993 |
10 months 24 days |
|
| Attorney General, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister for Arts |
24 Jun 1992 |
03 Jul 1992 |
10 days |
|
| Attorney General, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister for Arts |
06 Jun 1991 |
24 Jun 1992 |
1 year 19 days |
|
| Member for Willoughby |
25 May 1991 |
03 Mar 1995 |
3 years 9 months 7 days |
|
| Minister for Health and Minister for the Arts |
25 Mar 1988 |
06 Jun 1991 |
3 years 2 months 13 days |
|
| Member for Middle Harbour |
19 Mar 1988 |
03 May 1991 |
3 years 1 month 15 days |
|
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition |
14 Feb 1986 |
22 Feb 1988 |
2 years 9 days |
|
| Select Committee on Prostitution |
01 Dec 1984 |
01 Dec 1986 |
2 years 1 day |
|
| Member for Willoughby |
24 Mar 1984 |
22 Feb 1988 |
3 years 10 months 30 days |
|
| Public Accounts Committee |
01 Dec 1983 |
01 Dec 1984 |
1 year 1 day |
|
| Member for Willoughby |
19 Sep 1981 |
05 Mar 1984 |
2 years 5 months 16 days |
|
| Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly |
19 Sep 1981 |
28 Feb 2003 |
21 years 5 months 10 days |
Maiden speech delivered on 3 November 1981 |
Political Party Activity
Liberal Party. Deputy Leader 1986 - 1992. Honorary Secretary St Ives Branch 1969 - 71;Political Vice President Killara Young Liberals 1969 - 1970. Honorary Secretary, City of Sydney Special Branch 1969-73. President, Woollahra Branch 1980. Chairman Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee 1980. State Executive since 1984. Leader of the Liberal Party from 4 April 1995 - 7 December 1998. Shadow Minister for Arts 1981 - 1988, 1995 - 1998, 2002. Shadow Special Minister of State 2002. Shadow Minister for Health 1986 - 1988. Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment 1984 - 1986. Shadow Minister for Planning and Environment 1983 - 1984. Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs 1981 - 1983. Delegate for numerous conferences.
Qualifications, occupations and interests
Lawyer (Barrister - Queen's Counsel). Journalist. B.A., LL.B.(Syd.). Appointed Queens Counsel (QC) 1991. Previously research and public relations manager, Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division). Managing Director Assignment Pty Ltd, media consultants to several major companies (providing media training for senior management). Television journalist ABC-TV researcher, "Four Corners" and "Monday Conference"; reporter, "This Day Tonight". Barrister-at-Law, Edmund Barton Chambers, practising at the New South Wales Bar for 3 years. Chairman of Cancer Institute of New South Wales 2005 - 2008. Honorary Associate, Graduate School of Government, University of Sydney. Chairman, Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (Canberra) 2004 - 2005). Member of Cancer Council of New South Wales 2004 - 2005. Director (Non executive) Moran Health Care Group (2002-2003). Director (non executive), Australian National Maritime Museum Foundation (2001- 2005). Interests include the Arts, particularly contemporary dance, visual arts, film and literature; naval and military history.
Military Service
Army Reserve 1964 - 1969, Lieutenant, Commissioned Sydney University Regiment 1967; qualified Military Parachutist 1969, 1 Commando Company. Naval Reserve 1975 - current; Commissioned Lieutenant. Served Naval Intelligence. Promoted Lieutenant-Comander 1988. Promoted Commander 1994. Honorary Colonel, 1st Commando Regiment, 1995 - 2000, Patron Jaywick (Singapore Raid) Commemoration, 2001- 2003 Author of 'Strike Swiftly', Commando History 2004 - 2005. Acting Fleet Legal Officer (part time), Royal Australian Navy, Maritime Headquarters, Potts Point 2003 and 2004. ADF Team Leader , Law and Order Task Force, Bagdad, Iraq 2007. Director Naval Reserve Support (New South Wales) 2007 - current. Promoted Captain 2009.
Honours Received
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 2004, Australian Defence Medal, Centenary Medal 2003, Awarded the Reserve Force Decoration (RFD) 1994, Australian Active Service medal (with Iraq clasp) 2007, Iraq Medal 2007, US Joint Medal Commendation Medal 2008
Membership of other Parliaments & Offices Held
Local Government Activity
Personal
Eldest son of Ronald and Mavis Collins. Educated at Marist Brothers, Kogarah, St Patrick's Bathurst, and Waverley College 1960 - 1964. University of Sydney (St John's College) 1965 - 1972, BA, LLB. Catholic. Married (1) Jennifer Ruth White in 1973 and had issue, 2 sons. Divorced. Married (2) Dominique Fisher in March 1983 and had issue, 2 sons. Divorced. Married (3) Jennine Leonarder in 2002, 1 stepdaughter.
Additional Information
Editor, 'The Union Recorder', University of Sydney 1971; Editor, 'Blackacre'
Sydney University Law School 1972; contributor 'Labor to Power' edited by Henry
Mayer 1972Peter Collins, 'The Bear Pit: A Life in Politics', Sydney, Allen &
Unwin, 2000, Peter Collins, 'Strike Swiftly', Sydney, Watermark Press.
Photographs in the PICMAN Database. Member of the Former Members Association of
the New South Wales Parliament.
