Biography

Parliamentary service

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

Committee service

• House of Representatives Select: Address in Reply served from 10.11.1998 to 10.11.1998
• House of Representatives Standing: Primary Industries and Regional Services served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Industry, Science and Resources served from 8.3.2000 to 8.10.2001; Members' Interests served from 20.3.2002 to 17.10.2007; Family and Community Affairs served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; Industry and Resources served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; Privileges served as Chair from 1.12.2004 to 17.10.2007
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; National Capital and External Territories served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 26.5.2005 to 17.10.2007
• Joint Statutory: Australian Crime Commission served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended official meetings in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from September to October 2003.
• Attended official meetings in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, October 2005.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 03.10.1998 to 24.11.2007

Party positions

• Director of the Liberal Party Campaign Committee, 1997.
• Chair of the Liberal Party Bremer Branch (Qld), 1998.

Personal

• Born: 1.10.1960, Rockhampton, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Radio journalist from 1983 to 1986.
• Press Secretary to the Hon. T Harris, MLA (NT) from 1987 to 1990.
• Press Secretary to the Hon. S Stone, MLA (NT) from 1990 to 1993.
• Chief of Staff to the Hon. J Sheldon, MLA (Qld) from 1993 to 1997.
• Senior Policy Adviser in the Department of Tourism, Small Business and Industry (Qld), 1998.

Electorate

• Name: Blair
• Location: south-east Queensland, west of Brisbane; it includes the northern and western parts of the city of Ipswich, and the centres of Crows Nest, Esk, Gatton, Kingaroy, Kilcoy, Laidley, Nanango, Toogoolawah and Yarraman.
• Area: 14,860 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 91,529 (at 9.10.2004)
• Industries: bean and grain crops, peanuts, vegetables, lucerne, sunflower and deer farming, grazing, open-cut coal mining, power stations and water supply, educational facilities, defence facilities, motor sports.
• Includes: Blair includes the Queensland Legislative Assembly electorate of Ipswich West, and parts of Darling Downs, Lockyer and Nanango.