Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Wannon, Victoria at by-election 1983, vice the Rt Hon. J Fraser, CH (resigned). Re-elected 1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007. Retired prior to general elections 2010.

Parliamentary positions

• Member of the Speaker's Panel from 23.11.1998 to 31.8.2004.
• Speaker of the House of Representatives from 16.11.2004 to 17.10.2007.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Select: Recent Australian Bushfires served from 27.3.2003 to 5.11.2003
• House of Representatives Standing: Parliamentary Library served from 17.5.1983 to 26.10.1984; Road Safety served from 18.5.1983 to 26.10.1984; Expenditure served from 28.2.1985 to 5.6.1987; Industry, Science and Technology served from 8.10.1987 to 24.2.1989; Industry, Science and Technology served as Deputy Chair from 25.2.1989 to 19.2.1990; Transport, Communications and Infrastructure served from 16.5.1990 to 8.2.1993; Selection served from 12.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Financial Institutions and Public Administration served as Chair from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Primary Industries, Resources and Rural and Regional Affairs served from 2.9.1997 to 31.8.1998; Economics, Finance and Public Administration served as Chair from 8.12.1998 to 31.8.2004; Selection served from 18.2.2002 to 31.8.2004; Parliamentary Library served from 16.11.2004 to 30.11.2004; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 1.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; House served as Chair from 1.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Procedure served from 11.3.2008 to 19.7.2010
• Joint Select: Republic Referendum served from 2.6.1999 to 9.8.1999; Intelligence Services served from 28.6.2001 to 27.8.2001
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 26.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 8.12.1998 to 31.8.2004; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served as Deputy Chair from 11.3.2008 to 19.7.2010; Parliamentary Library served from 11.3.2008 to 19.7.2010
• Joint Statutory: Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 11.3.2008 to 19.7.2010

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Japan, March 1984.
• Leader, Australian Political Exchange Program, All-Party Delegation to USA, July 1984.
• Member, 32nd CPA Conference, London, September-October 1986.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Israel, February 1987.
• Member, 34th CPA Conference, Canberra, September 1988.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to European Parliamentary Institutions, Brussels and Strasbourg; and visit to Cyprus and Portugal, September-October 1989.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 14th AIPO, Malaysia and bilateral visits to the Philippines and Brunei, from September-October 1993.
• Member, Official Delegation to the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan, July 1994.
• Deputy Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Russia and Ukraine, March-April 1995.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 96th IPU Conference, Beijing, China, and bilateral visits to Vietnam and the Philippines, September-October 1996.
• Study tour, Hong Kong and UK, May-June 1998.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to UK and Germany, June 1998.
• Bilateral visits to Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, July 1999.
• Member, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade visit to East Timor, December 1999.
• Study tour, Hong Kong, February-March 2000.
• Study tour, UK and Ireland, November 2000.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Brazil and Argentina, October 2000.
• Member, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade visit to East Timor, February 2001.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to UK and the Netherlands, November-December 2002.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, April 2004.
• Attended 13th Annual APPF and Parliamentary Delegation to Vietnam, January 2005.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to China and bilateral visit to Mongolia, April 2005.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Denmark and Sweden, October 2005.
• Attended 18th Commonwealth Speakers' and Presiding Officers' Conference, Kenya, January 2006.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Malaysia and Japan, April 2006.
• Attended the funeral of HRH Prince Tu'ipelehake of Tonga, July 2006.
• Bilateral visit to Chile and Peru, November 2006.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Timor-Leste, August 2009.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Bhutan and Mongolia, July 2010.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 07.05.1983 to 19.07.2010
• Shadow Minister for Land Transport from 11.4.1990 to 7.4.1993.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives from 12.5.1989 to 11.4.1990.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives from 26.5.1994 to 2.6.1994.
• Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives from 2.6.1994 to 11.3.1996.

Party positions

• President of the Liberal Party Apsley-Langkoop Branch (Vic.) from 1974 to 1983.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1974 to 1975.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1983.
• Member of the Liberal Party Agricultural Committee (Vic.) from 1983.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Federal Rural Committee from 1987 to 1990.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Federal Rural Committee from 1993 to 1996.

Personal

• Born: 1.5.1949, Adelaide, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BE (University of Melbourne).
• Farm manager.

Electorate

• Name: Wannon
• Location: south-western Victoria; it includes the centres of Ararat, Avoca, Camperdown, Casterton, Dartmoor, Great Western, Halls Gap, Hamilton, Heywood, Koroit, Lismore, Macarthur, Mortlake, Penshurst, Port Campbell, Port Fairy, Portland, Skipton and Warrnambool.
• Area: 33,854 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 90,904 (at 24.11.2007)
• Industries: shipping, wool, sheep, live sheep exports, beef and dairy cattle, cropping, forestry, aluminium smelting, gold mining, textiles and clothing, tool manufacturing, wineries and tourism.
• Includes: Wannon includes the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorate of South-West Coast, and parts of Lowan, Polwarth, Ripon and Swan Hill.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 11.6.2012.