Peter Cook

Who was Peter Cook?

Peter Francis Salmon Cook was an Australian politician. He served as a Labor member of the Senate from 1983 to 2005, representing the state of Western Australia.

Cook was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and was an active trade unionist before entering politics. He was Secretary of the Western Australian Trades and Labour Council 1975–83 and Vice-President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions 1981–83. He was also a member of the Labor Party's National Executive.

He was elected to the Senate at the 1983 election; as this was a double dissolution election, his service commenced on election day, 5 March 1983.

In the Hawke and Keating Labor governments he was Minister for Resources 1988–1990, Minister for Industrial Relations 1990–1993, Minister for Shipping and Aviation Support 1992–93, Minister for Trade 1993–1994 and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology 1994–96.

After the defeat of the Keating government in 1996, Cook was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996–2001 and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. In 1997–2001, he chaired a Senate Committee inquiry into the proposed Goods and Services Tax.