Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Hotham, Victoria, 1990. Re-elected 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010. Retired prior to general elections 2013.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Science and Technology from 4.4.1990 to 4.6.1991.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Science from 4.4.1990 to 4.6.1991.
• Minister Assisting the Treasurer from 4.4.1990 to 4.6.1991.
• Minister for Primary Industries and Energy from 4.6.1991 to 23.12.1993.
• Cabinet Minister from 4.6.1991 to 11.3.1996.
• Minister for Employment, Education and Training from 23.12.1993 to 11.3.1996.
• Minister for Trade from 3.12.2007 to 28.6.2010.
• Cabinet Minister from 3.12.2007 to 21.3.2013.
• Minister for Education from 28.6.2010 to 14.9.2010.
• Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 28.6.2010 to 14.9.2010.
• Minister for Social Inclusion from 28.6.2010 to 14.9.2010.
• Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government from 14.9.2010 to 21.3.2013.
• Minister for the Arts from 14.9.2010 to 21.3.2013.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Primary Industries, Resources and Rural and Regional Affairs served from 29.5.1996 to 17.11.1997
• Joint Standing: National Capital and External Territories served from 14.5.2013 to 5.8.2013

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended official meetings in the USSR, Japan and South Korea, July 1990.
• Attended official meetings in the USA and Canada, September 1990.
• Attended official meetings in Malta, Spain, Italy, Germany and France, November 1990.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, July 1991.
• Attended official meetings in Europe and the UK, November 1991.
• Attended official meetings in France, March 1992.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, April 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Asia and the USA from July to August 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, November 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Japan, the USA, UK, Czech Republic, Russia and Norway, June 1993.
• Attended official meetings in Europe, October 1993.
• Attended official meetings in Japan and Italy from October to November 1993.
• Attended official meetings in France, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Malaysia, June 1994.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, South Korea and Japan, December 1994.
• Attended official meetings in China, the UK and Turkey from July to August 1995.
• Attended official meetings in France and Germany, January 1996.
• Delegate to the 7th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum meeting, Peru, January 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, UK, Netherlands and France from October to November 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the UK, USA and France, February 2001.
• Attended official meetings in China from April to May 2002.
• Attended official meetings in East Timor, May 2002.
• Attended official meetings in the UK, USA, France, Belgium and Switzerland, July 2002.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia and Singapore from September to October 2003.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, October 2003.
• Attended official meetings in the UK, November 2003.
• Parliamentary delegation member to Mozambique and Kenya, July 2004.
• Delegate to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Wilton Park Seminar, UK, June 2005.
• Parliamentary delegation member to Morocco, Algeria and Nigeria from August to September 2006.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, December 2007.
• Attended official meetings in India, Japan, Switzerland, Belgium and the USA from January to February 2008.
• Attended official meetings in China, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea, April 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, May 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Peru, the USA and France from May to June 2008.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, June 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Switzerland from July to August 2008.
• Attended official meetings in China and Singapore, August 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, October 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Belgium, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from October to November 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Peru, November 2008.
• Attended official meetings in the USA and China, December 2008.
• Attended official meetings in Switzerland from January to February 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Thailand from February to March 2009.
• Attended official meetings in the USA and China from March to April 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand, April 2009.
• Attended official meetings in China and New Zealand, May 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Belgium, France, Samoa and Indonesia, June 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore, Vietnam and China, July 2009.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand and Thailand, August 2009.
• Attended official meetings in India, September 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Japan, South Korea and the USA, October 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Singapore, November 2009.
• Attended official meetings in Switzerland from November to December 2009.
• Attended official meetings in the UK, Switzerland and South Africa from January to February 2010.
• Attended official meetings in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Micronesia, April 2010.
• Attended official meetings in India, China and France, May 2010.
• Attended official meetings in Japan, June 2010.
• Attended official meetings in New Zealand, January 2011.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 24.03.1990 to 05.08.2013
• Shadow Minister for Industry and Regional Development from 20.3.1996 to 20.10.1998.
• Manager of Opposition Business in the House from 20.3.1996 to 20.10.1998.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 20.3.1996 to 3.12.2007.
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 19.10.1998 to 22.11.2001.
• Shadow Treasurer from 20.10.1998 to 25.11.2001.
• Leader of the Opposition from 22.11.2001 to 2.12.2003.
• Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House from 8.12.2003 to 26.10.2004.
• Shadow Treasurer from 8.12.2003 to 26.10.2004.
• Shadow Minister for Trade from 26.10.2004 to 24.6.2005.
• Shadow Minister for Regional Development from 24.6.2005 to 10.12.2006.
• Shadow Minister for Trade and Regional Development from 10.12.2006 to 3.12.2007.
• Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party from 19.10.1998 to 22.11.2001.
• Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party from 22.11.2001 to 2.12.2003.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Vic.) from 1977 to 1985.
• Senior Vice-President of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Vic.) from 1979 to 1981.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party Federal Conference from 1980.

Personal

• Born: 26.2.1949, Melbourne, Australia
• Died: 25.6.2023
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BEc (Monash University).
• LLB (Monash University).
• Assistant General Secretary of the Federated Storemen and Packers Union from 1976 to 1979.
• General Secretary of the Federated Storemen and Packers Union, from 1979 to 1985.
• Vice-President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1981 to 1983.
• Member of the National Labour Consultative Council from 1981 to 1990.
• Senior Vice-President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1983 to 1985.
• Member of the Economic Planning and Advisory Council from 1984 to 1990.
• President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1985 to 1990.
• Member of the International Labour Organisation Governing Body from 1986 to 1990.
• Board Member of QANTAS from 1987 to 1990.
• Board Member of the Australian Industry Development Corporation from 1988 to 1990.

Electorate

• Name: Hotham
• Location: south-eastern Melbourne; it includes the suburbs of Bentleigh East, Carnegie, Clayton, Clayton South, Cheltenham, Dingley Village, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Noble Park, Oakleigh, Oakleigh South, Springvale and Springvale South.
• Area: 72 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 89,581 (at 21.8.2010)
• Industries: retail and service industries, light engineering and warehousing.
• Includes: Hotham includes parts of the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorates of Bentleigh, Brighton, Clayton, Lyndhurst, Mordialloc, Oakleigh and Sandringham.

Honours

• Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, 10.6.2024.