Robert Ray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Defence | |
| In office 4 April 1990 – 11 March 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Bob Hawke Paul Keating |
| Preceded by | Kim Beazley |
| Succeeded by | Ian McLachlan |
| Minister for Immigration | |
| In office 2 September 1988 – 4 April 1990 | |
| Prime Minister | Bob Hawke |
| Preceded by | Clyde Holding |
| Succeeded by | Gerry Hand |
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 24 July 1987 – 2 September 1988 | |
| Prime Minister | Bob Hawke |
| Preceded by | Barry Cohen |
| Succeeded by | Bob Debus |
| Senator forVictoria | |
| In office 1 July 1981 – 5 May 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Jean Melzer |
| Succeeded by | Jacinta Collins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-04-08)8 April 1947 (age 78) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Party | Australian Labor Party |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Robert Francis Ray (born 8 April 1947) is anAustralian former politician who was aLabor Partysenator from 1981 to 2008, representing the state ofVictoria.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Ray was born inMelbourne, Victoria, and educated atMonash 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.
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 theSocialist Left faction. He was elected to the Senate at the October1980 election, taking his seat on 1 July 1981.
In theHawke Labor government Ray wasMinister for Home Affairs 1987–88,Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs 1988–90 (with a seat in the Cabinet), andMinister for Defence 1990–96. In this portfolio he strongly supported Hawke's decision to send Australian forces to support theUnited Nations in theGulf War, despite bitter opposition from the left.
After the defeat of theKeating government in1996 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 LeaderKim Beazley 1996–2001. His influence diminished whenMark Latham became Leader in 2003. He did not stand for re-election at the2007 election, which meant that his Senate term was due to expire on 30 June 2008. He formally resigned from Parliament on 5 May 2008,[1] having spent two more days in the Senate as a member of government than as a member of the Opposition.[2] The casual vacancy was filled byJacinta Collins.[3]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Immigration 1988–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Defence 1990–1996 | Succeeded by |
First Keating ministry (1991–93) | ||
|---|---|---|
Prime Minister:Paul Keating | ||
| Cabinet |  | |
| Outer Ministry | ||
| Parliamentary Secretaries | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
