Peter Frederick Morris was born in Sydney on 29 July 1932, the son of J G Morris of Newcastle.  He was educated at Newcastle Boys' High School, Canberra University College and Newcastle Technical College.  During the 1950's he worked at the Bureau of Census and Statistics and as Paymaster at P J Bearings Pty Ltd, before opening his own health food business in 1958.
 
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1956.  Between 1965 and 1973 he held several Party positions as Adamstown Branch Secretary, Newcastle and Shortland Electorate Council Secretary, and Delegate to the NSW Biennial Congress and State Council.  He was an Alderman on the Newcastle City Council from 1968 to 1974.
 
In December 1972 he was elected to Federal Parliament as Member for Shortland, NSW, and was re-elected in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1996.  In January 1976 he was appointed Shadow Minister for Transport and was a member of the NSW Transport Policy Committee of the ALP, and has been a member of the National Transport Policy Committee since that year.
 
On the election of the Hawke Government in March 1983, Peter Morris was appointed Minister for Transport.  Following the Government's re-election in October 1984, Morris was also given the Aviation portfolio.  After the elections of July 1987 he was given the position of Minister for Resources [assisting the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy].  He retained this position until January 1988.  Then he was appointed the Minister for Housing and Aged Care within the portfolio of Community Services and Health for a period of about four weeks.  From 15 February to 2 September 1988 Morris had three areas of ministerial responsibility, those of: the Minister for Transport and Communications Support [assisting the Minister for Transport and Communications]; the Minister assisting the Prime Minister, with particular responsibility for the Bicentenary, and the Minister assisting the Treasurer in a range of matters.  In the Ministerial reshuffle of 2 September 1988 Morris became Minister for Industrial Relations.
 
In the course of his parliamentary career Morris has been a member of numerous Parliamentary Committees (see Related Agencies entry) and a member of Parliamentary Delegations to a number of countries.

Peter Morris retired prior to the 1998 general elections.  
 

Sources

Who's Who in Australia 1974, p 753
Who's Who in Australia 1977, p 797
Who's Who in Australia 1985, p 618
Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1988, 
p 168 
Prime Minister, Media Release, 11 August 1987
Commonwealth Government Directory 1988, p 323
Prime Minister, Media Release, 15 February 1988
Parliamentary Information, biography compiled by Department of the House of Representatives 1999