Labor Minister charged with child sex crime

Former Labor senator Bob Collins has been charged with child sex offences in Canberra. The former Northern Territory politician has been charged by summons with three offences alleged to have taken place in the capital in September 1989. Collins faces two counts of committing an act of indecency on a 12-year-old boy, and one count of sexual intercourse with the child. The matter went before the ACT Magistrates Court briefly today and was adjourned to the same court on December 5. Collins did not appear in court today and has not entered a plea to the charges. ACT prosecutor Alyn Doig said Collins was not required to appear because he was gravely ill with cancer.