Robert Coombs

Robert Darcy Coombs (born 29 July 1959) is an Australian politician and former Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. Coombs represented the electorate of Swansea from 2007 to his defeat at the New South Wales state election, 2011. Coombs is the son of Max and Clare Coombs and has one brother (Darryl) and two sisters (Loretta and Merylin). He attended Swansea High School.

Coombs joined the Australian Merchant Navy in the 1970s, working for six years on BHP vessels sailing out of Newcastle. He joined the Maritime Union of Australia, and eventually rose to become the Sydney Branch Secretary of the Union, then its National President. He also became an Executive Member of Unions NSW. He resigned those roles upon being elected to Parliament.

Coombs supports the role of education for the Australian Aboriginal community, and continues to be the chairperson of Tranby Aboriginal College.

Coombs was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in March 2007 for the electorate of Swansea.

Coombs is the Caucus chairman.^[1] He is also a member of the Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption and a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.

At the March 2011 State Election, Coombs was defeated in the seat of Swansea, after suffering in the statewide landslide defeat of the Labor Party. Coombs lost to the Liberals' Garry Edwards after just one term in parliament, becoming the first Labor member to be defeated by any other political party in Swansea.

He is married to the current member for former Swansea Yasmin Catley, and they have three daughters.^[2]

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