Peter Baldwin (Australian politician)

Peter Jeremy Baldwin (b. 12 April 1951)cite web| title =Baldwin, the Hon. Peter Jeremy | publisher =Parliament of Australia | url=http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?id=8132&table=BIOGS | accessdate=2007-05-30 ] is a former Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1983 to 1998.

Baldwin was born in Aldershot, England. His family moved to Australia in 1958.cite news |first=Tony |last=Wright |title=The man they couldn't bash out of politics to quit prized Labor seat |publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=1997-07-19 |accessdate=2007-09-07 ] He attended Normanhurst Boys' High School in Sydney, later receiving a BEE from the University of Sydney, and a BA from Macquarie University.

Baldwin was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1975 to 1982. In the 1970s he was prominent as a left-wing activist in the Australian Labor Party (ALP), seeking to break the grip over the corrupt right-wing machine that controlled many inner-city branches of the party. As part of his campaign he uncovered rorting of the books in the Enmore branch of the ALP. On July 16 1980, he was brutally bashed in his Marrickville home. Pictures of his battered face were prominent in newspapers and led to increased pressure for reform of the party. No one was ever charged with the assault. Subsequently it has been alleged that the bashing was undertaken by underworld figure Tom Domican acting on suggestions from Labor state secretary, Graham Richardson. [cite news
last =McClymont
first =Kate
title = Lid lifted on the ugly '80s
publisher =The Sydney Morning Herald
date =25 November 2005
url =http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/lid-lifted-on-the-ugly-80s/2005/11/24/1132703316743.html
accessdate = 2007-05-30 ] In March 2007 Richardson won a settlement against Fairfax of AUD $50,000 for defamation on the basis of this report. [cite news
last =Norington
first =Brad
title = Richo wins $50k from Fairfax for defamation
publisher =The Australian
date =6 March 2007
url =http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21331779-7582,00.html
accessdate = 2007-05-30 ]

Baldwin held the seat of Sydney in federal parliament from 1983 to 1998. He served as Minister for Employment and Education Services in April 1990, Minister for Higher Education and Employment Services from May 1990 to March 1993 and Minister for Social Security from March 1993 to the defeat of the Keating government in March 1996.

References

Persondata
NAME=Baldwin, Peter Jeremy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH=12 April 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH=Aldershot, England
DATE OF DEATH=Living person
PLACE OF DEATH=