Biography

Parliamentary service

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

Committee service

• Joint Select: Northern Australia served from 5.12.2013 to 30.6.2014
• Joint Standing: Migration served from 10.11.1997 to 4.2.2009; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 1.7.2002 to 19.3.2008; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 2.12.2013 to 30.6.2014
• Joint Statutory: Intelligence and Security served from 13.11.2013 to 30.6.2014
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs: Legislation served from 1.7.1996 to 30.6.1999; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served from 1.7.1996 to 9.11.1998; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 1.7.1996 to 15.5.1997; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 13.2.1997 to 19.6.1997; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served from 26.2.1997 to 3.9.1997; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served from 26.2.1997 to 3.12.1998; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 28.2.1997 to 28.2.1997; Employment, Education and Training: Legislation served as Substitute member from 12.11.1997 to 12.11.1997; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 4.6.1998 to 4.6.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served from 24.11.1998 to 24.11.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served from 24.11.1998 to 26.11.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served as Chair from 25.11.1998 to 10.9.2006; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 3.12.1998 to 30.3.1999; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served as Substitute member from 15.2.1999 to 29.3.1999; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 4.5.1999 to 6.5.1999; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served from 30.6.1999 to 12.8.1999; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 2.5.2000 to 2.5.2000; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 7.2.2001 to 28.8.2001; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 19.9.2002 to 19.9.2002; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 24.9.2002 to 24.9.2002; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 26.9.2002 to 26.9.2002; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served as Substitute member from 11.10.2002 to 11.10.2002; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 22.11.2002 to 22.11.2002; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served from 11.9.2006 to 11.9.2006; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served as Chair from 12.9.2006 to 11.2.2008; Economics served from 12.2.2008 to 13.5.2009; Economics: References served as Chair from 14.5.2009 to 27.9.2010; Economics: Legislation served from 14.5.2009 to 27.9.2010; Economics: Legislation served from 9.2.2011 to 30.6.2014; Economics: References served as Chair from 9.2.2011 to 6.7.2011; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served from 7.7.2011 to 13.11.2013; Economics: References served from 7.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served as Chair from 7.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served from 12.11.2013 to 30.6.2014; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Chair from 14.11.2013 to 30.6.2014
• Senate Select: Victorian Casino Inquiry served as Substitute member from 11.7.1996 to 6.8.1996; Lindeberg Grievance served from 1.4.2004 to 15.11.2004
• Senate Standing: Privileges served from 1.7.1996 to 21.8.2002; Procedure served from 1.7.1996 to 20.6.2007; Selection of Bills served from 26.8.2002 to 10.10.2005; Selection of Bills served as Chair from 11.10.2005 to 7.2.2006; Selection of Bills served from 8.2.2006 to 12.9.2006

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 5th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Vancouver, Canada, January 1997.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 45th CPA Conference, Trinidad and Tobago, September 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Indonesia and Republic of Korea, July 2001.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand, April 2002.
• Attended Inter-Parliamentary Information Technology Conference, Republic of Korea, July 2002.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Vietnam and Indonesia, September 2002.
• Attended Asia-Pacific Security Conference, Taiwan, January 2003.
• Member, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Delegation to Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria, April 2003.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 13th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Ha Long City, Vietnam, January 2005.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Republic of Korea, February-March 2010.
• Parliamentary Adviser, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), New York, September-December 2010.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Cambodia, September 2011.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 01.07.1996 to 30.06.2014
• Government Deputy Whip in the Senate from 22.8.2002 to 11.9.2006.

Party positions

• President of the Liberal Club (University of Western Australia).
• Member of the Liberal Party State Council (WA) from 1976 to 1996.
• Member of the Liberal Party State Executive (WA) from 1980 to 1985.
• President of the Liberal Party Kalgoorlie North, Pilbara and Kimberley Division (WA) from 1980 to 1984.
• Vice-President of the Liberal Party State Executive (WA) from 1981 to 1985.
• Member of the Liberal Party Joint Policy Committee (WA) from 1988 to 2008.
• President of the Liberal Party Kalgoorlie North, Pilbara and Kimberley Division (WA) from 1992 to 1996.
• Member of the Liberal Party State Executive (WA) from 1992 to 1996.

Other positions

• Member of the Parliamentary Education Office Advisory Committee.

Personal

• Born: 30.12.1941, Busselton, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Single

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• DRACOG (Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists).
• DObs (Murdoch University).
• FRACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners).
• LRCP (Royal College of Physicians).
• MRCS (Royal College of Surgeons).
• BA (Murdoch University).
• Medical practitioner from 1969 to 1996.

Local Government service

• Councillor, Town of Port Hedland from 1988 to 1996.
• Deputy Mayor, Town of Port Hedland from 1992 to 1993.
• Mayor, Town of Port Hedland from 1993 to 1996.
• Member, Pilbara Development Commission from 1994 to 1996.

Honours

• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, 10.6.2019.