Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Western Australia 1996. Re-elected 2001 and 2007. Retired with the expiration of term 2014.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 12.2.2008 to 30.6.2014.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 1.7.2002 to 19.8.2002; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 14.2.2008 to 30.6.2014
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit served from 10.5.2006 to 5.8.2013; Australian Crime Commission served from 27.3.2007 to 17.10.2007; Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity served from 29.3.2007 to 17.10.2007; Public Works served from 14.2.2008 to 24.6.2009; Intelligence and Security served from 1.7.2011 to 30.6.2014
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: References served from 1.7.1996 to 9.11.1998; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 11.9.1996 to 9.10.1996; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 11.10.1996 to 11.10.1996; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 17.10.1996 to 4.12.1996; Community Affairs: References served as Chair from 13.5.1997 to 9.11.1998; Economics: Legislation served from 4.9.1997 to 9.11.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served from 24.11.1998 to 11.2.2002; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served from 24.11.1998 to 11.2.2002; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 26.11.1998 to 9.12.1998; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 13.2.2002 to 1.7.2002; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served from 1.7.2002 to 19.8.2002; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 19.9.2002 to 19.9.2002; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 23.6.2003 to 4.12.2003; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served as Substitute member from 23.6.2003 to 12.8.2004; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 4.12.2003 to 22.3.2004; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served from 18.11.2004 to 1.7.2005; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served from 6.10.2005 to 10.9.2006; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served from 6.10.2005 to 10.9.2006; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 9.12.2005 to 7.2.2006; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 11.9.2006 to 13.2.2008; Economics served from 12.2.2008 to 1.7.2008; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served as Chair from 14.2.2008 to 13.5.2009; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Chair from 14.5.2009 to 6.7.2011; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served from 14.5.2009 to 11.11.2013; Environment, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served as Substitute member from 25.5.2010 to 25.5.2010; Economics: References served from 1.7.2011 to 13.11.2013; Economics: Legislation served from 1.7.2011 to 3.7.2011; Economics: Legislation served as Chair from 4.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served from 7.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Economics: References served as Chair from 14.11.2013 to 30.6.2014; Economics: Legislation served from 11.2.2014 to 30.6.2014
• Senate Select: Uranium Mining and Milling served from 1.7.1996 to 15.5.1997; Information Technologies served as Deputy Chair from 31.3.1999 to 7.12.2000
• Senate Standing: Publications served from 24.11.1998 to 1.7.2002; Scrutiny of Bills served from 14.2.2008 to 11.11.2013; Senators' Interests served from 12.11.2013 to 30.6.2014

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the AIPO General Assembly, Nusa Dua, Bali, and bilateral visits to Thailand and Laos, September 1997.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 45th CPA Conference, Trinidad and Tobago, September 1999.
• Study tour, China and North Korea, April-May 2000.
• Study tour, USA, July 2000.
• Parliamentary Delegation to 60th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, February 2002.
• Parliamentary Delegation to 60th Anniversary of the Battle of the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea, August 2002.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Papua New Guinea, October-November 2002.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Cambodia, July 2003.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, September-October 2003.
• Official visits to UK, November 2003.
• Official visits to Turkey, April 2004.
• Official visits to Turkey, April 2005.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Republic of Korea and USA, September 2006.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Chile and Peru, November 2006.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to UK and Belgium, November 2009.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Ethiopia, April 2011.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to UK, Spain, Germany and USA, April-May 2012.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Canada, May 2012.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.07.1996 to 30.06.2014
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary representing the Shadow Minister for Communications in the Senate from 20.10.1998 to 25.11.2001.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 20.10.1998 to 25.11.2001.
• Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs from 25.11.2001 to 24.6.2005.
• Shadow Minister for Customs from 2.7.2003 to 26.10.2004.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 2.7.2003 to 26.10.2004.
• Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel from 24.6.2005 to 10.12.2006.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee from 1984 to 1986.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference from 1985.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Executive from 1992.

Personal

• Born: 29.6.1954, Adelaide, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• LLB (University of Adelaide).
• MPA (Harvard University).
• Industrial officer from 1979 to 1984.
• Union secretary from 1984 to 1996.