Biography

Parliamentary service

• Chosen by the Parliament of Victoria on 7.5.1986 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent that State in the Senate, vice A Missen (deceased). Elected to the Senate for Victoria, 1987. Re-elected 1990 and 1996 and 2001. Resigned 10.2.2004.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Communications and the Arts from 11.3.1996 to 9.10.1997.
• Cabinet Minister from 11.3.1996 to 7.10.2003.
• Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts from 9.10.1997 to 21.10.1998.
• Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts from 21.10.1998 to 7.10.2003.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Corporations Legislation served from 20.10.1988 to 13.4.1989
• Joint Statutory: National Crime Authority served from 9.10.1987 to 19.2.1990; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 27.10.1989 to 19.2.1990
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group A served from 21.8.1986 to 6.9.1989; Estimates Group B served as Substitute member from 29.9.1988 to 19.2.1990; Estimates Group C served from 21.2.1991 to 20.8.1992; Estimates Group B served as Substitute member from 20.8.1992 to 3.12.1992; Estimates Group A served as Substitute member from 8.2.1994 to 9.10.1994
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Constitutional and Legal Affairs served from 3.6.1986 to 5.6.1987; Finance and Public Administration served from 24.9.1987 to 17.9.1990; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 24.9.1987 to 24.8.1990
• Senate Select: Superannuation served from 21.6.1991 to 1.7.1993; Subscription Television Broadcasting Services served from 26.6.1992 to 16.9.1992; Functions, Powers and Operation of the Australian Loan Council served from 5.11.1992 to 18.8.1993; Matters Arising from Pay Television Tendering Processes served from 27.5.1993 to 16.12.1993; Certain Aspects of Foreign Ownership Decisions in relation to the Print Media served from 14.12.1993 to 14.12.1993; Certain Aspects of Foreign Ownership Decisions in relation to the Print Media served as Chair from 15.12.1993 to 30.3.1995; Australian Broadcasting Corporation Management and Operations served from 22.9.1994 to 12.10.1994; Australian Broadcasting Corporation Management and Operations served as Chair from 13.10.1994 to 30.3.1995

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to India and Sri Lanka, November 1986.
• Member, 77th IPU Conference, Managua, Nicaragua, April-May 1987.
• Official visits to New Zealand, June-July 1996.
• Official visits to USA and Canada, July-August 1996.
• Official visits to India, October-November 1996.
• Official visits to UK and USA, January 1997.
• Official visits to Japan, USA, UK, Ireland and Malaysia, July-August 1997.
• Official visits to Indonesia and Republic of Korea, November-December 1997.
• Official visits to USA, February 1998.
• Official visits to Singapore and Malaysia, May-June 1998.
• Official visits to South Africa, UK, Switzerland and Italy, January-February 1999.
• Official visits to Hong Kong, March 1999.
• Official visits to USA, May-June 1999.
• Official visits to South Africa, June 1999.
• Official visits to Israel, Russia, Finland, Sweden and Germany, July 1999.
• Official visits to USA and UK, November 1999.
• Official visits to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil and Mexico, May 2000.
• Official visits to Israel and UK, November 2000.
• Official visits to India and China, December 2000.
• Official visits to United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, April-May 2001.
• Official visits to USA and Canada, January 2002.
• Official visits to Republic of Korea, China and Japan, May-June 2002.
• Official visits to UK, France, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and USA, September-October 2002.
• Official visits to Belgium, Germany and Hungary, March 2003.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 07.05.1986 to 10.02.2004
• Shadow Minister for Communications from 12.5.1989 to 11.4.1990.
• Shadow Minister for Social Security, Child Care and Retirement Incomes from 11.4.1990 to 28.4.1992.
• Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Social Policy from 11.4.1990 to 28.4.1992.
• Shadow Minister for Social Security, Child Care and Superannuation from 28.4.1992 to 23.5.1992.
• Shadow Minister for Superannuation and Child Care from 23.5.1992 to 7.4.1993.
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 23.3.1993 to 11.3.1996.
• Shadow Minister for Communications from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 7.4.1993 to 11.3.1996.
• Shadow Minister for Communications and the Arts from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
• Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from 11.3.1996 to 7.10.2003.

Party positions

• Member of the Liberal Speakers Group from 1972.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Constitutional Committee from 1977 to 1979.
• Member of the Liberal Party State Executive (Vic.) from 1977 to 1980.
• President of the Liberal Party (Vic.) from 1979 to 1982.
• Member of the Liberal Party Federal Executive from 1979 to 1982.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Finance Committee (Vic.) from 1979 to 1982.
• Member of the Liberal Party Administrative Committee from 1980 to 1985.
• Member of the Liberal Party Policy Assembly from 1982.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Constitutional Committee from 1982 to 1987.

Personal

• Born: 19.12.1941, Perth, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BCom (University of Melbourne).
• MBA (Monash University).
• LLB (University of Melbourne).
• BA (University of Melbourne).
• LLM (Monash University).
• Barrister.
• President, United Nations Association of Australia from 1977 to 1979.
• Chair, Australian Council for Overseas Aid from 1978 to 1983.
• National Chair, International Disaster Emergencies Committee from 1978 to 1980.
• Executive Committee Member of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies from 1983 to 1984.
• Chair and Director of the Australian Institute of Political Science (Vic.) from 1983 to 1988.
• Chair of the Afghan-Australia Council from 1987 to 1990.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 26.1.2015.

Publications

• The Australia-UK relationship: Menzies' modern legacy, Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust, Melbourne: 2007.
• More to life then politics?, Connor Court Publishing, Redland Bay, Qld, 2020.
• Australia, the United States and China in a post-Covid world, The Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney, 2020.
• The trouble with elites: Elitism and the anti-democratic impulse, Connor Court, Cleveland, Qld, 2024.