Moss Cass
Encyclopedia
Moses Henry Cass (born 18 February 1927) is a former member of the Australian House of Representatives
. Born in Narrogin, Western Australia
, Cass was educated in state schools before graduating in Medicine from the University of Sydney
and worked as a Research Fellow at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne
and as Director of the Melbourne based Trade Union Clinic and Research Centre. His union activities led to his pre-selection as the Labor
candidate for the federal seat of Maribyrnong
, which he won from the Liberals in 1969. Cass became part of the first national Labor government in 23 years when Gough Whitlam
led the ALP to power in the 1972
election.
Appointed Minister for the Environment and Conservation
, Cass was unsuccessful in seeking to prevent the flooding of Lake Pedder
in Tasmania. Nonetheless he did lay the groundwork for the end of sandmining on Fraser Island and government protection of the Great Barrier Reef
.
Retiring from politics in 1983, Cass is now a Patron of the Sustainable Living Foundation and chair of the Australian National Biocentre http://www.sustainability.org.au/html/welcome.html. He is an Honorary Fellow at the School of Social and Environmental Enquiry, University of Melbourne.
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. Born in Narrogin, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Cass was educated in state schools before graduating in Medicine from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and worked as a Research Fellow at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and as Director of the Melbourne based Trade Union Clinic and Research Centre. His union activities led to his pre-selection as the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidate for the federal seat of Maribyrnong
Division of Maribyrnong
The Division of Maribyrnong is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. It covers the suburbs of Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Niddrie, Keilor East, Avondale Heights, Tullamarine, Airport West, Sunshine and Brooklyn. Due to...
, which he won from the Liberals in 1969. Cass became part of the first national Labor government in 23 years when Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
led the ALP to power in the 1972
Australian federal election, 1972
Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 December 1972. All 125 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The Liberal Party of Australia had been in power since 1949, under Prime Minister of Australia William McMahon since March 1971 with coalition partner the Country Party...
election.
Appointed Minister for the Environment and Conservation
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Australia)
The current Australian Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is Tony Burke, who took over from Peter Garrett . The Minister and department change took effect in the Second Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010...
, Cass was unsuccessful in seeking to prevent the flooding of Lake Pedder
Lake Pedder
Lake Pedder was once a natural lake, located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia but the name is now used in an official sense to refer to the much larger artificial impoundment and diversion lake formed when the original lake was expanded by damming in 1972 by the Hydro Electric Commission of...
in Tasmania. Nonetheless he did lay the groundwork for the end of sandmining on Fraser Island and government protection of the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
.
Retiring from politics in 1983, Cass is now a Patron of the Sustainable Living Foundation and chair of the Australian National Biocentre http://www.sustainability.org.au/html/welcome.html. He is an Honorary Fellow at the School of Social and Environmental Enquiry, University of Melbourne.