Eric Laidlaw Robinson (18 January 1929 – 7 January 1981) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

and held ministerial office in the Fraser Government, serving as Minister for the Capital Territory (1975–1976), Post and Telecommunications (1976–1977), and Finance (1977–1979, 1979–1980). He represented the

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

seat of McPherson in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

from 1972 until his death in 1981.

Early life

Robinson was born on 18 January 1929 in

East Brisbane, Queensland East Brisbane is an inner southern suburb of the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , East Brisbane had a population of 5,934 people. Geography East Brisbane is located south-east of the CBD. It is mostly residential, with some ...

, the son of Florence Evelyn (née Laidlaw) and Arthur Neville Robinson. He attended the Slade School in

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and W ...

and then joined his father's sporting goods business. Prior to entering politics he served as managing director and chairman of Robinson Holdings Pty Ltd, overseeing "a chain of stores in coastal Queensland". In 1964 he married Narelle Beel (née Jones), who had two children from a previous marriage.

Politics

Robinson joined the

Queensland Liberal Party The Queensland Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (Queensland Division), was the Queensland division of the Liberal Party of Australia until 2008. It was initially formed in October 1943 as the Queensland People ...

in 1957 and in 1963 was a founding member of the

Surfers Paradise Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

branch. He was state president of the Liberals from 1968 to 1973. He was elected to the Federal seat of McPherson in the

at the 1972 federal election. Following

Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Fraser was raised on hi ...

's win at the 1975 election, he was appointed Minister for the Capital Territory in the Fraser ministry. In February 1976, he was moved to Minister for Post and Telecommunications. He was appointed

Minister for Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...

following

Phillip Lynch Sir Phillip Reginald Lynch KCMG (27 July 1933 – 19 June 1984) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1966 to 1982. He was deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 1972 to 1982, and served as a governmen ...

's standing down in 1977. Allegations of malpractice by him were dealt with in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Matters in Relation to Electoral Redistribution in Queensland 1977, which exonerated him of wrongdoing. On 22 February 1979, he resigned from the ministry, stating in a letter to Fraser that he could no longer give him his "unqualified support". On 27 February he agreed to return as Minister for Finance—Fraser said that "there were no significant differences" between them. He was not reappointed to the ministry following the 1980 election. Robinson died suddenly in 1981 in

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

of acute

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ...

, while still in office. He was survived by his wife, Narelle, a son and a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Eric Laidlaw Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives for McPherson Members of the Australian House of Representatives 1929 births 1981 deaths Members of the Cabinet of Australia 20th-century Australian politicians People from the Gold Coast, Queensland