Bob Collins cancelled – more than a decade after abuse accusations first levelled

A disgraced former party leader and Territory senator’s portrait has been removed from the Parliament House walls.

THE Northern Territory Legislative Assembly has finally removed the controversial portrait of an accused paedophile politician off its walls.

Speaker Ngaree Ah Kit has confirmed the portrait of former Territory Labor Party leader and Federal Senator Bob Collins had been removed from the ground-floor hallway leading to the Opposition Lobby.

Speaker Ah Kit didn’t say why the portrait was removed.

“The portrait of Mr Bob Collins, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly has been removed from display within a secure area of Parliament House following a decision of the House Committee,” Speaker Ah Kit said in a statement.

“The display of the portrait was referred to the House Committee for consideration. The House Committee made a decision to place the portrait in storage.”

Bob Collins’ portrait has been removed from the walls of NT Parliament House.

The House Committee includes the Speaker, Johnston MLA Joel Bowden, Katherine MLA Jo Hersey, Araluen independent Robyn Lambley and Daly MLA Dheran Young.

The NT News understands the decision is for the duration of the current Parliament and that it could be re-hung at a later time in the Legislative Assembly.

Not visible to the general public unless they enter a secure section of Parliament House, Mr Collins’ portrait hung beside other Opposition Leaders who never became Chief Minister including Brian Ede, Delia Lawrie and Gary Higgins.

In 2007, Mr Collins took his own life the evening before he was due to face court for child abuse allegations.

Among his accusers was former Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith actor Tom E. Lewis, who has since died.

In the years after Mr Collins’ death Country Liberal Party MLAs, led by former Attorney General John Elferink, lobbied the Government to remove the portrait.

In 2009 former Speaker Jane Aagaard was reported saying the portrait was an historical record and would not be removed.

Then Opposition Leader Terry Mills said it was “time to close that chapter and move on”.

The portrait remained in place during the four years the CLP regained government from 2012.

But almost 20 years after child sexual abuse accusations were first publicly levelled at Senator Collins and 15 years after his death, he has finally been cancelled.

Mr Collins is still a revered figure within the Territory Labor Party, which he led from 1981 to 1986. He was Senator for the Northern Territory in the Federal Parliament from 1987 to 1998.

At last year’s 20th anniversary celebration to mark the election of Clare Martin’s Labor Government, Mr Collins was praised publicly by speakers while Delia Lawrie, who led the party before Michael Gunner, was cancelled.

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