Bob Carr
Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947)[1] is an Australian retired politician and journalist who served as the 39th Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005, as the leader of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party. He later entered federal politics as a New South Wales senator, and served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2013. Following his departure from politics he served as the Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) from 2014 to 2019 at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).[2]
For other people named Bob Carr, see Bob Carr (disambiguation).
Bob Carr
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Carr was born in Sydney and attended the University of New South Wales. Before entering politics he worked as a journalist. Carr entered the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1983, and the following year became a cabinet minister. He served under Neville Wran and Barrie Unsworth until the Labor government was defeated in a landslide at the 1988 state election. Carr subsequently replaced Unsworth as party leader, thus becoming Leader of the Opposition. He led Labor to the 1991 election, where it recovered many of the seats it had lost in 1988, and then became premier after a narrow victory in 1995.
As Premier, Carr was known for his emphasis on conservation and his use of public–private partnerships to fund infrastructure projects. His government oversaw much of the planning for the 2000 Summer Olympics, which Sydney hosted. However, he was criticised for allowing poker machines to become widespread in pubs across the state, which led to an increase in gambling addiction.[3][4][5][6][7] Carr was re-elected twice, in 1999 and 2003, eventually resigning as Premier in 2005 after 10 years in office. Only Henry Parkes served as Premier for longer, and no one has served a longer consecutive term. Carr remained a public figure after leaving the Premiership, and entered federal politics in 2012 at the urging of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He served as Foreign Minister under both Gillard and Kevin Rudd, but retired following Labor's defeat at the 2013 federal election.
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Early life and career[edit]
Carr was born in the suburb of Matraville, Sydney to Edward and Phyllis Carr. He was educated at Matraville High School from which he graduated as dux in 1964.[8] He was the first person in his family to finish high school, and became interested in a career in politics in his teenage years.[9]
While still a 15-year-old student at school, Carr joined the local branch of the Australian Labor Party. He would go on to become the President of the New South Wales branch and then the national President of Young Labor in 1970 and 1972 respectively.[10] He completed his tertiary education at the University of New South Wales, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History.[11]
After graduation, Carr worked as a journalist for the ABC Radio's AM and PM current affair programs from 1969 to 1971. He was also a reporter on industrial relations and politics for The Bulletin magazine from 1978 to 1983.[10] He later recalled that his work as a journalist provided good preparation for his political career.[9] He also spent a period working as an education officer for the Labor Council of New South Wales (1972–78).[10]
In 1972, Carr met a Malaysian economics student, Helena John on a holiday in Tahiti, and they married on 24 February 1973. Helena Carr became a successful businesswoman, while she largely remained out of the political spotlight during her husband's career.[12] Helena Carr passed away on 25 October 2023.[13]
After state politics (2006–12)[edit]
After leaving state parliament, Carr continued his involvement in public debate. He championed somatic cell nuclear transfer research—in particular therapeutic cloning—writing in The Daily Telegraph on 24 August 2006: "Therapeutic cloning holds great promise for sufferers of diabetes, Alzheimer's, motor neurone disease and untold other afflictions. [...] Let the doctors and scientists get on with the job. Their research might save a life in your family or mine".[39] In another opinion piece he urged for broader support of embryonic stem cell research, stating that "Human embryonic stem cell research [...] has the most remarkable potential of any scientific discovery ever made in human health."[40]
He continued to advocate nature conservation, for example by calling for national park declarations over the River Red Gums. He wrote in 2009 that the river red gums are "Australian icons, part of our folklore, symbols of inland Australia".[41]
He was an opponent of a charter of rights. Carr wrote in The Australian that, "if the public believed the executive arm of government were stifling freedoms, Australia slipping behind other democracies, there would have been a decided shove towards a human rights act". He continued "Instead…it sunk below the water, not leaving a slick of printer's ink".[42]
Pursuing his interest in literacy he urged an opening of the Australian book market to permit the import of cheaper books.[43]
The rise in the annual immigration intake brought Carr into the debate on what he called 'Australia's carrying capacity'. Carr argued that "The debate is about whether immigration should be running at very high levels. It's about whether we end up with a population of 36 million in 2050 in contrast to the previous expectation of 28.5 million".[44]
Carr took up the issue of obesity and argued that chain restaurants should be forced by law to put calorie measurements next to menu items, that trans fats be banned as in some US states and food manufacturers be made to reduce salt content.[45]
In retirement Carr made speeches at international conferences on climate change, Australia–China relations and multiculturalism.
In October 2005 Carr became a part-time consultant for Macquarie Bank, advising the company on policy, climate change, renewables and strategic issues with a focus on the United States and the People's Republic of China.[46]
Carr continued pursuing his literary interests, interviewing authors and lecturing at the Sydney Writers' Festival.[47] He appeared as a guest reporter for the ABC television show Foreign Correspondent, conducting an interview with friend Gore Vidal.[48] In 2008 he attended the Australia 2020 Summit as part of the economy panel, and raised the issues of an Australian Republic and childhood obesity.[49]
He has been a member of the board of directors at the United States Studies Centre since 2009 and is a charter member of the Chester A. Arthur Society, a US political trivia group named after the US president, 1881–1885.[50][51] In 2009 he was appointed to the council of Voiceless, the animal protection institute.[52] In 2010 he was appointed Patron of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Foundation and Patron of the Chifley home, Bathurst.
In April 2013, Fairfax journalist Philip Dorling identified Carr from a searchable database of declassified US State Department diplomatic cables as having criticised the Whitlam Government and provided information on internal Labor Party politics during discussions with the American consul-general in Sydney during the early 1970s. Asked about these contacts with US diplomats, Senator Carr said: "I was in my 20s. I could have said anything."[53]
Post-political career[edit]
After his resignation, Bob Carr accepted the position of Director, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology, Sydney and Carr also accepted a professorial fellowship with the University of Sydney Southeast Asia Centre as a Professorial Fellow, and in May 2014 became head of the Australia-China Relations Institute, a think-tank at UTS established with a donation from Huang Xiangmo, a Chinese billionaire with links to the Chinese Communist Party.[91][92][93] As of 2019, Carr is no longer affiliated with the Australia-China Relations Institute.[94]
Bob Carr's current (2022) appointment at UTS is a three-year role as Industry Professor (Business and Climate Change).[95] He also took up a position as adjunct professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales.
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Carr has been a long time campaigner against high immigration. since leaving politics he has campaigned on cutting immigration numbers.[97][98][99] Carr is also an advocate for the release of Julian Assange.[100]
On 2 May 2024, New Zealand foreign affairs minister Winston Peters made comments on Radio New Zealand's Morning Report about Carr and his criticism of AUKUS, which Carr subsequently described as "entirely defamatory". Carr announced the same day he would sue Peters for libel, as part of the ongoing Carr-Peters scandal.[101]
Literature[edit]
Carr is the author of several books, including Thoughtlines (Viking, 2002), My Reading Life (Penguin, 2008), and Diary of a Foreign Minister (2014), which received a mixed reception.[102][103][104][105]
In May 2003, author Marilyn Dodkin authored a biography, Bob Carr: the reluctant leader, partly based on Carr's private diaries and including his often uncomplimentary thoughts on various political personalities.[106] A second biography, Bob Carr: A Self-Made Man, by Andrew West and Rachel Morris, was published in September 2003 by HarperCollins.
Carr participated in the 2004 Sydney Festival in conversation with Sir Tom Stoppard.[107] He has served as a board member of book retailer Dymocks since July 2007.
Awards[edit]
For his work in improving Australia–US relations he was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Fellow Award Scholarship.[108] He donated the prize money to launch scholarships for the State's teachers to complete studies abroad. For his services to conservation he was given the World Conservation Union International Parks Merit Award and made a life member of the Wilderness Society.
In 2008 he was awarded the Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic), the second of five grades of the order, in recognition of his services to Italian culture.[109]
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