Biography

Parliamentary service

• Chosen by the Parliament of Queensland on 16.5.2000 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent that State in the Senate, vice the Hon. W Parer (resigned). Re-elected 2004, 2010 and 2016. Resigned 7.2.2018.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the National Library of Australia Council from 14.3.2005 to 13.6.2007.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 18.9.2002 to 6.2.2007.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for the Arts and Sport from 30.1.2007 to 3.12.2007.
• Minister for the Arts from 18.9.2013 to 21.9.2015.
• Attorney-General from 18.9.2013 to 20.12.2017.
• Vice-President of the Executive Council from 18.9.2013 to 20.12.2017.
• Cabinet Minister from 18.9.2013 to 20.12.2017.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples served as Deputy Chair from 29.11.2012 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 28.8.2002 to 26.2.2007; Parliamentary Library served from 2.3.2006 to 21.3.2007
• Joint Statutory: Corporations and Financial Services served from 14.2.2002 to 30.1.2007; Intelligence and Security served from 6.7.2011 to 5.8.2013
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs: Legislation served from 8.6.2000 to 11.2.2002; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 8.6.2000 to 10.9.2006; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: Legislation served from 8.6.2000 to 11.2.2002; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: References served from 8.6.2000 to 11.2.2002; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served from 13.2.2002 to 19.3.2002; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: References served from 13.2.2002 to 19.3.2002; Economics: Legislation served from 13.2.2002 to 13.2.2002; Economics: References served from 14.2.2002 to 10.9.2006; Economics: Legislation served as Chair from 14.2.2002 to 10.9.2006; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 2.9.2003 to 3.9.2003; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 6.12.2004 to 7.12.2004; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 10.2.2005 to 10.2.2005; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 11.9.2006 to 8.2.2007; Economics served from 11.9.2006 to 11.9.2006; Economics served as Chair from 12.9.2006 to 8.2.2007; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served as Substitute member from 28.9.2006 to 29.9.2006
• Senate Select: A Certain Maritime Incident served from 11.3.2002 to 23.10.2002; Free Trade Agreement - Australia and the United States of America served from 12.2.2004 to 5.8.2004; Scrafton Evidence served from 30.8.2004 to 9.12.2004
• Senate Standing: House served from 8.6.2000 to 19.3.2002; Regulations and Ordinances served from 8.6.2000 to 1.7.2002; Senators' Interests served from 8.6.2000 to 19.3.2002; Procedure served from 1.7.2002 to 25.3.2003; Parliamentary Library served from 15.3.2005 to 21.3.2007; Privileges served as Chair from 13.2.2008 to 13.5.2010; Procedure served from 12.5.2010 to 21.3.2011; Privileges served from 14.5.2010 to 14.5.2010; Privileges served from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Procedure served from 21.9.2015 to 9.5.2016; Appropriations, Staffing and Security served from 21.9.2015 to 9.5.2016; Appropriations, Staffing and Security served from 1.9.2016 to 7.2.2018

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 16.05.2000 to 07.02.2018
• Shadow Attorney-General from 6.12.2007 to 18.9.2013.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 6.12.2007 to 18.9.2013.
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 3.5.2010 to 18.9.2013.
• Shadow Minister for the Arts from 14.9.2010 to 18.9.2013.
• Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from 18.9.2013 to 21.9.2015.
• Leader of the Government in the Senate from 21.9.2015 to 9.5.2016.

Party positions

• Life Member of the Young Liberal Movement.
• President of the Young Liberals (Qld), 1981.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Constitution and Rules Committee (Qld) from 1993 to 1994.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Agenda Committee (Qld) from 1993 to 1995.
• Vice-President of the Liberal Party (Qld) from 1994 to 1995.
• Chair of the Ryan Federal Electorate Council (Qld) from 1996 to 1999.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Agenda Committee (Qld) from 1997 to 1999.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Constitution and Rules Committee (Qld) from 1999 to 2000.

Other positions

• Appointed Senior Counsel from November 2006.
• Appointed Queen's Counsel from June 2013.

Personal

• Born: 22.6.1957, Sydney, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Divorced

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA(Hons) (University of Queensland).
• BCL (University of Oxford).
• LLB(Hons) (University of Queensland).
• Barrister from 1985.

Publications

• Liberals face the future: essays on Australian liberalism (with T Harley and D Markwell), Oxford University Press, Melbourne: 1984.
• Australian liberalism: the continuing vision (with Y Thompson and T Harley), The Liberal Forum, Melbourne: 1986.