Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Macarthur, New South Wales, 1984. Re-elected 1987, 1990. Elected to the House of Representatives for Cunningham, New South Wales, 1993, following electoral redistribution. Re-elected 1996, 1998 and 2001. Resigned 16.8.2002.

Parliamentary positions

• Speaker of the House of Representatives from 4.5.1993 to 29.1.1996.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 27.12.1991 to 24.3.1993.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Expenditure served from 28.2.1985 to 5.6.1987; House served from 28.2.1985 to 3.3.1992; Finance and Public Administration served as Chair from 8.10.1987 to 2.1.1992; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 16.5.1990 to 3.3.1992; Banking, Finance and Public Administration served as Chair from 28.11.1991 to 27.12.1991; House served as Chair from 12.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 12.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Televising of the House of Representatives served as Chair from 26.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Members' Interests served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Procedure served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Environment, Recreation and the Arts served from 30.5.1996 to 17.11.1997; Publications served from 26.6.1996 to 31.8.1998; Financial Institutions and Public Administration served from 17.11.1997 to 31.8.1998
• Joint Select: Telecommunications Interception served as Chair from 19.8.1986 to 20.11.1986; Certain Aspects of the Operation and Interpretation of the Family Law Act served from 16.4.1991 to 3.3.1992
• Joint Standing: Migration served from 27.6.1996 to 2.9.1997; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 8.12.1998 to 16.8.2002
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 8.10.1987 to 19.2.1990; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served as Chair from 26.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 30.1.1996 to 31.8.1998

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended official meetings in Colombia, February 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Noumea, March 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, April 1992.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, July 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Japan, Thailand and the UK from August to September 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Fiji, October 1992.
• Delegate to the South Pacific Conference, Fiji from October to November 1992.
• Attended official meetings in France, Kuwait and Belgium from November to December 1992.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, December 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Nauru from January to February 1993.
• Delegate to the Pacific Community Institute Conference, April 1993.
• Parliamentary delegation member to the USA from June to July 1993.
• Delegate to the 12th Commonwealth Speakers' and Presiding Officers' Conference, Papua New Guinea, January 1994.
• Delegate to the 91st Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Paris, March 1994.
• Attended official meetings in Turkey, April 1994.
• Parliamentary delegation member to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, July 1994.
• Delegate to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum Meeting, Mexico from December 1994 to January 1995.
• Attended official meetings in Egypt and Israel from March to April 1995.
• Delegate to the 93rd Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Madrid from March to April 1995.
• Delegate to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum Executive Committee Meeting, Thailand, September 1995.
• Attended official meetings in Slovenia, October 1995.
• Delegate to the 94th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Romania, October 1995.
• Delegate to the 13th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Presiding Officers' and Clerks' Conference, Cyprus, January 1996.
• Delegate to the 4th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum Annual Meeting, Thailand, January 1996.
• Delegate to the 95th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Turkey, April 1996.
• Official observer to the general elections, Indonesia, June 1999.
• Attended official meetings in East Timor, December 1999.
• Attended study tour in South Korea and Japan from February to March 2000.
• Attended study tour in China and North Korea from April to May 2000.
• Attended study tour in Singapore and Malaysia, June 2000.
• Attended study tour in Japan and Hong Kong, August 2000.
• Attended study tour in Japan, July 2001.
• Attended study tour in China and Japan from February to March 2002.
• Attended study tour in the USA, July 2002.
• Attended study tour in Singapore and Japan, July 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.12.1984 to 16.08.2002
• Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs from 20.3.1996 to 27.3.1997.
• Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism from 20.3.1996 to 20.10.1998.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 20.3.1996 to 16.8.2002.
• Shadow Minister for Small Business and Customs from 27.3.1997 to 20.10.1998.
• Shadow Minister for Defence from 20.10.1998 to 25.11.2001.
• Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism from 25.11.2001 to 16.8.2002.

Party positions

• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (NSW).
• Officeholder of the Australian Labor Party Wollongong Branch (NSW).
• Officeholder of the Australian Labor Party Balgownie Branch (NSW).
• President of the Australian Labor Party Corrimal State Electorate Council (NSW) from 1982 to 1985.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party National Resources Development Policy Committee from 1987 to 1990.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party National Economic Development Policy Committee from 1990 to 1993.

Personal

• Born: 24.6.1948, Wollongong, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• PhD (University of Wollongong).
• MTCP (University of Sydney).
• DipEd (University of New South Wales).
• MA (University of Alberta).
• BA (Australian National University).
• High school teacher in the Department of Education (NSW) from 1970 to 1973.
• Lecturer at the University of Wollongong from 1974 to 1977.
• Town Planner and Regional Manager (Macarthur Region) at the Department of Environment and Planning (NSW) from 1977 to 1984.

Local Government service

• Alderman, Wollongong City Council from 1983 to 1985.

Electorate

• Name: Cunningham
• Location: Wollongong and south coast of New South Wales; it includes the city of Wollongong and the surrounding suburbs of Austinmer, Balgownie, Bellambi, Bulli, Clifton, Coalcliff, Coledale, Coniston, Cordeaux Heights, Corrimal, Darkes Forest, Fairy Meadow, Figtree, Gwynneville, Helensburgh, Keiraville, Mt Keira, Mt Kembla, Mt Ousley, Mt Saint Thomas, Otford, Russell Vale, Scarborough, Stanwell Park, Tarrawanna, Thirroul, Towradgi, Unanderra, Wombarra and Woonona.
• Area: 490 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 81,540 (at 10.11.2001)
• Industries: Tourism, tertiary education, steel production, coal mining, brick manufacturing, textiles and dairy farming.
• Includes: Cunningham includes the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Keira, and parts of Heathcote, Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Wollongong.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 13.6.2022.