Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Eden-Monaro, New South Wales, 2007. Re-elected 2010. Defeated at general elections 2013. Elected to the House of Representatives for Eden-Monaro, New South Wales, 2016. Re-elected 2019. Resigned 30.4.2020.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence from 3.12.2007 to 6.2.2008.
• Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support from 6.2.2008 to 14.9.2010.
• Parliamentary Secretary for Water from 25.2.2009 to 14.9.2010.
• Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from 14.9.2010 to 14.12.2011.
• Parliamentary Secretary for Defence from 14.12.2011 to 4.2.2013.
• Minister for Defence Materiel from 4.2.2013 to 18.9.2013.

Committee service

• Joint Statutory: Intelligence and Security served from 15.9.2016 to 11.4.2019

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended official meetings in New Zealand from June to July 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Vietnam, August 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Ethiopia, March 2010.
• Attended official meetings in Israel, December 2010.
• Attended official meetings in France and Italy, June 2011.
• Attended official meetings in Samoa, June 2011.
• Attended official meetings in the United Arab Emirates, March 2012.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, June 2012.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 24.11.2007 to 07.09.2013, 02.07.2016 to 30.04.2020
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Industry and Support from 23.7.2016 to 2.6.2019.
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence from 2.6.2019 to 30.4.2020.

Other positions

• Patron of Community Organisations from 2013 to 2016.

Personal

• Born: 23.2.1960, Adelaide, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• PhD (University of New South Wales).
• LLB (Macquarie University).
• BA (Macquarie University).
• Solicitor from 1984 to 1987.
• Army officer from 1987 to 2007.
• Security advisor to the Hon. W Shorten MP from 2013 to 2016.

Military Service

• Chief of General Staff Commendation Medal.
• Australian Active Service Medal (three clasps: Somalia, Timor Leste, Iraq).
• Australian Service Medal (Balkans).
• United Nations Medal (Timor Leste).
• Iraq Campaign Medal.
• Australian Defence Medal.
• Defence Long Service Medal.
• Army officer 1987-2007.

Electorate

• Name: Eden-Monaro
• Location: Eden-Monaro covers an area from Yass, Murrumbateman and Bungendore in the north and south to the Victorian border, excluding the Australian Capital Territory. The main towns include Adaminaby, Adelong, Batlow, Bega, Berridale, Bodalla, Bombala, Braidwood, Bungendore, Cabramurra, Captains Flat, Cooma, Dalmeny, Delegate, Eden, Jindabyne, Merimbula, Murrumbateman, Narooma, Queanbeyan, Talbingo, Tathra, Tumbarumba, Tumut and Yass.
• Area: 41,617 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 114,147 (at 11.6.2019)
• Industries: Timber industries, beef cattle, sheep and wool, dairy farming, dairy products and mixed farming. The Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, snowfields and tourism are important industries for this division.

Honours

• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, 13.6.1994.

Publications

• Peace operations: tackling the military, legal and policy challenges, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra: 1997.
• Restoring and maintaining order in complex peace operations: the search for a legal framework, Kluwer Law International, The Hague: 1999.