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Robert Clark (Australian politician)

The Honourable
Robert Clark
MP
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
Assumed office
3 October 1992
Preceded by Margaret Ray
Personal details
Born 11 March 1957
Melbourne
Nationality Australian
Political party Liberal Party of Australia

Robert William Clark (born 11 March 1957) is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1988, representing the electorates of Balwyn (1988–1992) and Box Hill (1992–present). 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.

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.

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) of these organisations respectively.

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 protested the right of the University Council to award such funds to the SRC, and the subsequent right of the SRC to allocate said funds to the Australian Union of Students. In what was labelled the 'Kaye Judgement', the court ruled that the Student Service Fee was not a fee for services provided but was rather in the nature of a levy of a tax or charge. 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.


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