Michael Cobb

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Michael Roy Cobb (born 16 March 1945) is an Australian former politician who represented the electorate of Parkes in the House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998. He was a member of the National Party. Cobb was born in Blayney, New South Wales, and before entering politics worked as a veterinary surgeon, ran a farm, and later became a company manager. He was active in the National Party's executive from 1979 and entered federal politics in 1984 when he won the newly created seat of Parkes. He was re-elected in 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1996, and retired before the 1998 election.

In 1989 Cobb introduced a private member’s bill to make desecrating the Australian flag or ensign a crime, with penalties up to two years in prison or a $5,000 fine. He reintroduced the bill in 1990, 1991 and 1992, but it lapsed each time.

In 1998 Cobb was convicted under the Commonwealth Crimes Act related to travel allowance and motor vehicle claims; the court found he lied on five of 102 counts about hotel expenses while sleeping in his car. He was fined $14,000 and given a suspended two-year sentence for fraud and related charges.

Cobb is married to Trish Worth, a Liberal Party politician from South Australia.