Barry Cohen
| The Honourable Barry Cohen AM | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Robertson | |
|
In office 25 October 1969 – 19 February 1990 | |
| Preceded by | William Bridges-Maxwell |
| Succeeded by | Frank Walker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
3 April 1935 Griffith, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Rae O'Neill |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Religion | Judaism |
Barry Cohen AM (born 3 April 1935) is a former Australian Labor politician. He was a minister in the government of Bob Hawke.
Biography
Cohen was born in Griffith, New South Wales and educated at Griffith High School, Sydney Grammar School and North Sydney Technical High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University. He was a businessman before entering politics.
He was the federal member for the seat of Robertson from 1969 until his retirement before the 1990 election. Following the Australian Labor Party's win under Bob Hawke at the 1983 election, he was Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment from 1983 to 1984 and then Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment until 1987.[1]
After politics
Cohen has written a number of books on political anecdotes, and an autobiography:[2]
- Life with Gough (1996)
- From Whitlam to Winston (1997)
- The Almost Complete Gough (2001)
- The Life Of The Party – Political Anecdotes (1987)
Personal
Cohen married Rae McNeill in October 1959 and they have three sons.[3]
Although Cohen voted for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1970s, he has spoken out against gay marriage, arguing that "gay marriage and conventional marriage is [not] the same thing".[4]
Honours
Cohen was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2007, for service to the Australian Parliament and to the community through a range of cultural and environmental roles and contributions to public discussion and debate.[5]
References
- ↑ "Biography for Cohen, the Hon. Barry". ParlInfo Web. Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ↑ "Barry Cohen". Celebrity Speakers. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ↑ Who's Who in Australia. North Melbourne: Crown Contents. 2008. p. 2303. ISBN 1-74095-160-3.
- ↑ Cohen, Barry (14 April 2011). "Opposing gay marriage doesn't mean I'm barking". The Australian.
- ↑ COHEN, Barry, It's an Honour.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tom McVeigh (home affairs and the environment) Neil Brown (consumer affairs) |
Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment 1983–1984 |
Succeeded by John Brown |
| Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment 1984–1987 | ||
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by William Bridges-Maxwell |
Member for Robertson 1969–1990 |
Succeeded by Frank Walker |