Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for South Australia 1980. Re-elected 1983, 1987, 1990, 1996 and 2001. Resigned 15.3.2006.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the National Library of Australia Council from 22.2.1985 to 21.11.1989.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for the Environment from 11.3.1996 to 21.10.1998.
• Cabinet Minister from 11.3.1996 to 20.1.2006.
• Minister for the Environment and Heritage from 21.10.1998 to 26.11.2001.
• Minister for Defence from 26.11.2001 to 20.1.2006.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs and Defence served from 23.9.1981 to 5.6.1987; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 9.10.1987 to 19.2.1990; Australian Capital Territory served from 31.5.1989 to 6.9.1989
• Joint Statutory: National Crime Authority served from 11.10.1984 to 26.10.1984; National Crime Authority served from 9.10.1987 to 19.2.1990
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group E served from 26.8.1981 to 10.9.1982; Estimates Group A served from 9.9.1982 to 21.8.1986; Estimates Group E served from 24.3.1987 to 3.4.1987; Estimates Group C served from 31.3.1987 to 29.4.1987; Estimates Group D served from 29.9.1988 to 6.9.1989; Estimates Group B served from 6.9.1989 to 7.5.1990; Estimates Group B served from 24.8.1990 to 3.12.1992; Estimates Group E served as Substitute member from 20.8.1992 to 8.2.1993
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Constitutional and Legal Affairs served from 25.8.1981 to 5.6.1987; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 24.9.1987 to 7.5.1990
• Senate Select: South West Tasmania served from 24.9.1981 to 20.4.1983
• Senate Standing: Parliamentary Library served from 25.8.1981 to 4.2.1983; Scrutiny of Bills served from 19.11.1981 to 4.2.1983; Parliamentary Library served from 24.9.1987 to 6.9.1989; Appropriations and Staffing served from 8.5.1990 to 27.1.2006; Procedure served from 8.5.1990 to 20.1.2006

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Parliamentary delegation member to Africa from July to August 1982.
• Delegate to the South Pacific Conference, Northern Mariana Islands from September to October 1983.
• Delegate to the 30th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference, the UK from September to October 1984.
• Delegate to the UN General Assembly, the USA from September to December 1986.
• Delegate to the Political Exchange Committee meetings, Canada, October 1987.
• Parliamentary delegation member to the USSR, 1988.
• Parliamentary delegation member to New Caledonia, April 1989.
• Parliamentary delegation member to Europe, October 1991.
• Official observer to the referendum, Eritrea, April 1993.
• Attended official meetings in the Philippines, China, Switzerland, France and the USA, July 1996.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, October 1996.
• Attended official meetings in Chile and Argentina, November 1996.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, April 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Canada, June 1997.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, June 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Japan from July to August 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, September 1997.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, October 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Japan, November 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Japan, December 1997.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, December 1997.
• Delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Canberra, February 1998.
• Attended official meetings in France from March to April 1998.
• Attended official meetings in the USA and Slovakia from April to May 1998.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, June 1998.
• Attended official meetings in South Africa, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand, November 1998.
• Attended official meetings in Antarctica and New Zealand, January 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the UK and Kenya from January to February 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, Mexico, Cuba and Canada, April 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the Solomon Islands and Palau, May 1999.
• Attended official meetings in France, July 1999.
• Attended official meetings in Germany and Poland, September 1999.
• Attended official meetings in Germany, Spain and Portugal from October to November 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the UK and Kenya from January to February 2000.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, February 2000.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, March 2000.
• Attended official meetings in French Polynesia and the USA, April 2000.
• Attended official meetings in China, May 2000.
• Attended official meetings in Finland, Denmark and Sweden from May to June 2000.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, September 2000.
• Attended official meetings in the Netherlands from October to November 2000.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, April 2001.
• Attended official meetings in China and France, May 2001.
• Attended official meetings in Germany and the UK, July 2001.
• Attended official meetings in East Timor, December 2001.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, UK and Kuwait, January 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore, January 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, March 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, April 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Afghanistan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, May 2002.
• Attended official meetings in East Timor, May 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Malaysia and Singapore from May to June 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Kyrgyzstan and the UK, July 2002.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, September 2002.
• Attended official meetings in the USA from October to November 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, November 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, April 2003.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore and Malaysia from May to June 2003.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore, July 2003.
• Attended official meetings in China, Japan and Guam from September to October 2003.
• Attended official meetings in Iraq, Sweden and the USA, November 2003.
• Attended official meetings in the UK, France, Germany, Turkey, Oman and Kuwait, April 2004.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore, June 2004.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, France, Spain and the UK from June to July 2004.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand and the Solomon Islands, July 2004.
• Attended official meetings in Bahrain, December 2004.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, December 2004.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, Malaysia and the UK, January 2005.
• Attended official meetings in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia, April 2005.
• Attended official meetings in Iran, Egypt and Libya from April to May 2005.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore and China, June 2005.
• Attended official meetings in Belgium, the UK, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan, September 2005.
• Attended official meetings in the Philippines and South Korea, October 2005.
• Attended official meetings in Iraq and Sudan, November 2005.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 01.07.1981 to 15.03.2006
• Shadow Minister for Justice, the Australian Capital Territory and the Status of Women from 16.9.1988 to 14.6.1989.
• Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs from 14.6.1989 to 7.4.1993.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 14.6.1989 to 11.3.1996.
• Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 11.4.1990 to 11.3.1996.
• Shadow Minister for Defence and Public Administration from 7.4.1993 to 17.1.1994.
• Shadow Minister for Public Administration from 17.1.1994 to 26.5.1994.
• Shadow Minister for Education, Science and Technology from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
• Leader of the Government in the Senate from 11.3.1996 to 20.1.2006.

Party positions

• Chair of the Liberal Party Campaign Committee (SA) from 1975 to 1977.
• Vice-President of the Liberal Party (SA) from 1977 to 1979.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Constitution Committee from 1977 to 1981.
• President of the Liberal Party (SA) from 1985 to 1987.
• Member of the Liberal Party Federal Executive from 1985 to 1987.
• Member of the Liberal Party Federal Executive from 1990 to 1993.

Personal

• Born: 25.9.1946, Adelaide, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• LLB (University of Adelaide).
• LLM (University of London).
• BA (University of Adelaide).
• Barrister and solicitor.

Honours

• Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, 11.6.2012.