Robert Lindsay Collins AO (8 February 1946 – 21 September 2007) was a Labor Party member of the Australian Senate from July 1987 to March 1998, representing the Northern Territory.

By 1974, he was working for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and St John Ambulance when Cyclone Tracy struck the city of Darwin.

[3] Collins first became politically active in the late 1970s while employed as a market gardener and wildlife officer in the indigenous community of Maningrida in Arnhem Land.

He was Leader of the Opposition from 1981 to 1986 while the Country Liberal Party held power, switching to the newly created seat of Arafura in December 1983.

After he left federal politics in 1998, Collins took on various projects on boosting Aboriginal education, tackling petrol sniffing and landscape conservation.

[15] One of the alleged victims was Tom E. Lewis, a young actor who had played the title role in the 1978 Australian film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.

[18] Collins's continuing medical problems, including surgery for bowel cancer and injuries from his car accident, meant he was unfit to attend the ACT Magistrates' Court for four scheduled hearings of the case in September and December 2006 and March and May 2007.

The Northern Territory Coroner stated: "The cause of death was intentional overdose of prescription drugs with alcohol following upon a background of three years of significant medical difficulties and in the face of upcoming court cases.

Country Liberal MLA John Elferink drew attention to this in June 2009, as he felt the portrait's presence was inappropriate due to the child abuse allegations against Bob Collins.

[25] In response to the request Speaker Jane Aagaard announced in October 2009 that after review the House Committee had decided the portrait was a historical record and would remain.