Robert Clark (Australian politician)
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Robert Clark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 52nd Attorney-General of Victoria | |
| In office 2 December 2010 – 4 December 2014 | |
| Premier | Denis Napthine |
| Preceded by | Rob Hulls |
| Succeeded by | Martin Pakula |
| Member of the Victorian Parliament for Box Hill | |
| In office 3 October 1992 – 24 November 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Margaret Ray |
| Succeeded by | Paul Hamer |
| Member of the Victorian Parliament for Balwyn | |
| In office 1 October 1988 – 2 October 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Ramsay |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 March 1957 Melbourne, Australia |
| Party | Liberal |
Robert William Clark (born 11 March 1957) is an Australian former politician. He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 2018, representing the electorates of Balwyn (1988–1992) and Box Hill (1992–2018). He served as Attorney-General and Minister for Finance in the Baillieu Ministry and Napthine Ministry from 2010 to 2014, and also served as Minister for Industrial Relations under Napthine from 2013 to 2014. He had previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer (1992–1996) and Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury and Multimedia (1996–1999) during the Kennett government.[1]
Having attended both St. Albans High School and University High School, Clark undertook his tertiary education at the University of Melbourne, obtaining his BCom (Hons) in 1980, an LLB in 1982 and a BA in 1986.[1]
Student activism
Whilst at university, Clark became active in both the Melbourne University Liberal Club and the Australian Liberal Students' Federation, serving as the president (1979–81) and vice-president (1981–82) respectively of those organisations.
While serving also as the treasurer of the Melbourne University Students' Representative Council (1976–77), Clark was responsible for legal proceedings brought against the university concerning the collection of the student service fee. The action challenged the right of the University Council to award such funds to the SRC, and the subsequent right of the SRC to allocate those funds to the Australian Union of Students.
In what was called the Kaye Judgement, the court ruled that the Student Service Fee was not a fee for services provided but was essentially a tax or charge.[2] It was further ruled that the University of Melbourne was a "public authority exercising legislative powers", in that the university was unduly exercising a power in the absence of legislative approval from Parliament. Clark's instrumental role in these actions resulted in significant changes to the law relating to student unionism in Victoria.[3]