Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Queensland 1990. Re-elected 1996 and 2001. Resigned 5.9.2002.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 18.8.1993 to 1.5.1996.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs from 11.3.1996 to 30.1.2001.

Committee service

• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group C served as Substitute member from 11.9.1990 to 21.2.1991; Estimates Group E served as Substitute member from 21.2.1991 to 5.3.1992; Estimates Group E served from 5.3.1992 to 20.8.1992; Estimates Group D served from 3.11.1992 to 3.5.1993; Estimates Group C served as Substitute member from 12.5.1994 to 8.6.1994; Estimates Group C served from 9.6.1994 to 9.10.1994
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs served from 24.8.1990 to 9.10.1994; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 10.10.1994 to 29.4.1996; Community Affairs: References served as Chair from 10.10.1994 to 29.4.1996; Employment, Education and Training: References served as Substitute member from 26.10.1995 to 29.11.1995; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 19.2.2001 to 19.2.2001; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 13.2.2002 to 1.7.2002; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served as Substitute member from 22.2.2002 to 22.2.2002; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 16.5.2002 to 16.5.2002; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 21.8.2002 to 28.8.2002
• Senate Select: Health Legislation and Health Insurance served from 24.8.1990 to 20.12.1990; Community Standards Relevant to the Supply of Services Utilising Electronic Technologies served from 1.7.1993 to 29.4.1996; Unresolved Whistleblower Cases served from 1.12.1994 to 26.10.1995
• Senate Standing: Parliamentary Library served from 11.9.1990 to 29.4.1996; Selection of Bills served from 2.4.1992 to 29.4.1996; Privileges served from 19.8.1992 to 18.8.1993; Senators' Interests served from 8.2.2001 to 1.7.2002; Appropriations and Staffing served from 1.7.2002 to 5.9.2002; Parliamentary Library served from 1.7.2002 to 5.9.2002

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Parliamentary delegation member to the European Parliamentary Institutions, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands from September to October 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Switzerland, the UK and Canada from July to August 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Canada, the USA, Switzerland and the UK from July to August 1999.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand from July to August 2000.
• Attended study tour in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands from March to April 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 01.07.1990 to 05.09.2002
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Health from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.

Party positions

• President of the Liberal Party (Qld) from 1980 to 1984.
• President of the Liberal Party (Qld.) from 2001 to 2002.

Personal

• Born: 4.9.1932, Home Hill, Australia
• Died: 25.2.2019, Brisbane
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• MBBS (University of Queensland).
• FAMA (American Medical Association).
• FRACS (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons).
• FRCS (Royal College of Surgeons).
• FRCSE (Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh).
• General surgeon.
• Research Fellow at the Queensland Cancer Fund from 1963 to 1968.
• Visiting Surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane (Qld) from 1968 to 1974.
• Senior Surgeon at Mater Public Hospital, Brisbane (Qld) from 1974 to 1990.
• President of the Australian Medical Association (Qld) from 1988 to 1989.

Military Service

• 11th Field Ambulance 1957.
• Royal Australian Army Medical Corps Reserve 1958-82.
• RAAF Reserve 1982-88.

Honours

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

Publications

• Reconciliation, is it possible?, Federation of Parents and Friends Associations, Brisbane: 1997.
• The future of Indigenous health care: the union of body and soul, Australian Medical Association (Qld Branch), Brisbane: 1999.