Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Moreton, Queensland, 1996. Re-elected 1998, 2001 and 2004. Defeated at general elections 2007.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs from 26.11.2001 to 26.10.2004.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister from 7.10.2003 to 30.1.2007.
• Minister for Vocational and Technical Education from 26.10.2004 to 30.1.2007.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Communications, Transport and Microeconomic Reform served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Industry, Science and Technology served from 4.6.1998 to 31.8.1998; Publications served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Communications, Transport and the Arts served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation served from 6.2.2007 to 7.2.2007; Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation served as Chair from 8.2.2007 to 17.10.2007
• Joint Standing: Treaties served from 18.6.1996 to 8.10.2001
• Joint Statutory: National Crime Authority served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 14.2.2007 to 17.10.2007

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Delegate, Liberal Party Australian Political Exchange Program Visit, USA 1994.
• Study tour, China, April 1999.
• Study tour, UK, Ireland and USA, September 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 45th CPA Conference, Trinidad and Tobago, September 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 46th CPA Conference, London and Edinburgh, September 2000.
• Attended 31st CPA Clerks and Presiding Officers Conference, Norfolk Island, July-August 2000.
• Study tour, Ireland, April 2000.
• Member, Joint Standing Committee on Treaties visit to New Zealand, March 2000.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meetings, Gibraltar, April 2000.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meetings, Jersey and UK, September 2000.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meetings, Barbados, April-May 2001.
• Study tour, Taiwan, April 2001.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 47th CPA Conference, Melbourne and Canberra, September 2001.
• Official visits to Kenya, UK and Canada, February-March 2003.
• Official visits to China and Vietnam, August 2005.
• Official visits to Hong Kong, December 2005.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 02.03.1996 to 24.11.2007

Party positions

• Member of the Liberal Party (Qld) from 1986.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party State Conference (Qld) from 1987.
• Delegate to the Liberal-National Coalition Central Policy Committee from 1994 to 1996.
• Member of the Liberal Party Central Policy Committee from 1994 to 1996.
• Member of the Liberal Party Central Campaign Committee (Qld) from 1994 to 1995.

Personal

• Born: 5.1.1960, Caringbah, Australia
• Gender: Male

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BCom (Griffith University).
• DipMR ().
• Radio broadcaster from 1977 to 1982.
• Television presenter and journalist from 1980 to 1989.
• Radio news director, 1989.
• Media adviser to A Innes, MLA (Qld), 1989.
• Media adviser to Senator D MacGibbon from 1989 to 1996.

Electorate

• Name: Moreton
• Location: southern Brisbane; it includes the suburbs of Algester, Archerfield, Calamvale, Chelmer, Coopers Plains, Drewvale, Eight Mile Plains, Ekibin, Graceville, Macgregor, Moorooka, Nathan, Parkinson, Robertson, Rocklea, Runcorn, Salisbury, Sherwood, Stretton, Sunnybank, Sunnybank Hills, Tarragindi, Tennyson, Wellers Hill, Yeronga and Yeerongpilly, and parts of Acacia Ridge and Annerley.
• Area: 101 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 88,324 (at 9.10.2004)
• Industries: light industrial and commercial activities.
• Includes: Moreton includes the Queensland Legislative Assembly parts of the electorates of Algester, Indooroopilly, Mt Gravatt, Stretton and Yeerongpilly.