Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Lowe, New South Wales, 1998. Re-elected 2001, 2004, 2007. Elected to the House of Representatives for Reid, New South Wales, 2010, following electoral redistribution. Defeated at general elections 2013.

Parliamentary positions

• Member of the Speaker's Panel from 20.10.2010 to 5.8.2013.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade from 3.12.2007 to 25.2.2009.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Communications, Transport and the Arts served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 1.9.1999 to 19.3.2002; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served as Deputy Chair from 20.3.2002 to 3.8.2004; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served as Deputy Chair from 2.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served from 2.12.2004 to 10.5.2005; Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts served from 16.3.2009 to 19.7.2010; Petitions served as Chair from 25.10.2010 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Select: Broadcasting Legislation served from 14.3.2013 to 24.6.2013
• Joint Standing: Treaties served from 12.3.2009 to 19.7.2010; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 19.3.2009 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Statutory: Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 2.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 25.10.2010 to 5.8.2013

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Official visit to Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, July 2001.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand, May 2004.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Japan and UK, June-July 2007.
• Official visits to Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Ghana, April 2008.
• Official visits to Japan, May 2008.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Canada and Mexico, April-May 2009.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Vietnam, September 2010.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Mongolia, January 2011.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, November 2011.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 03.10.1998 to 07.09.2013
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing from 25.11.2001 to 18.2.2003.
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition from 18.2.2003 to 3.12.2007.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 2.7.2003 to 3.12.2007.

Personal

• Born: 31.5.1950, Dunedoo, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• AMLEADR (Lawyers Engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution).
• Public servant in the Department of Veterans' Affairs from 1970 to 1991.
• Manager of the Public Service and Merit Protection Commission (NSW) from 1992 to 1998.

Local Government service

• Councillor, Drummoyne Council from 1995 to 1998.

Electorate

• Name: Reid
• Location: inner west Sydney; it includes the suburbs of Abbotsford, Berala, Breakfast Point, Cabarita, Canada Bay, Chiswick, Concord, Concord West, Drummoyne, Five Dock, Homebush, Homebush West, Liberty Grove, Lidcombe, Mortlake, Newington, Rhodes, Rodd Point, Russell Lea, Silverwater, Sydney Olympic Park, Wareemba and Wentworth Point, and parts of Auburn, Berala, Burwood, Croydon and Strathfield.
• Area: 66 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 95,873 (at 21.8.2010)
• Industries: Light industry, commercial retail including Sydney Markets, engineering works, wholesale and retail trades.
• Includes: Reid includes the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Drummoyne, and parts of Auburn and Strathfield.