Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Tasmania 1987. Re-elected 1990, 1996 and 2001. Resigned 29.8.2007.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 14.6.1989 to 4.3.1997.
• Temporary Chair of Committees from 3.9.1997 to 19.8.2002.
• President of the Senate from 19.8.2002 to 14.8.2007.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Intelligence Services served from 28.6.2001 to 27.8.2001
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 30.6.1999 to 19.8.2002
• Joint Statutory: Public Works served from 24.8.1990 to 11.5.1993; Public Works served as Deputy Chair from 12.5.1993 to 28.5.1996; Public Works served from 29.5.1996 to 18.8.2002; Australian Security Intelligence Organization served from 30.6.1999 to 8.10.2001; ASIO, ASIS and DSD served from 14.2.2002 to 19.8.2002; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 19.8.2002 to 15.11.2004; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served as Deputy Chair from 16.11.2004 to 14.8.2007
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group E served as Substitute member from 6.9.1989 to 7.9.1989; Estimates Group C served as Substitute member from 9.5.1990 to 11.9.1990; Estimates Group D served from 1.9.1991 to 1.10.1991; Estimates Group E served from 5.3.1992 to 3.5.1993; Estimates Group F served from 6.5.1993 to 7.2.1994; Estimates Group F served as Substitute member from 8.2.1994 to 12.5.1994
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Finance and Public Administration served from 24.9.1987 to 17.9.1990; Employment, Education and Training served from 14.2.1991 to 3.5.1993; Rural and Regional Affairs served from 10.9.1991 to 21.10.1993; Rural and Regional Affairs served from 7.12.1993 to 9.10.1994; Employment, Education and Training: References served from 10.10.1994 to 30.11.1994; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served from 10.10.1994 to 9.8.1999; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served from 10.10.1994 to 8.3.1995; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: References served from 17.10.1994 to 29.4.1996; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served from 30.5.1995 to 9.8.1999; Employment, Education and Training: References served as Substitute member from 21.9.1995 to 29.9.1995; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served as Substitute member from 9.5.1997 to 9.5.1997; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 4.6.1997 to 5.6.1997; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 5.6.1997 to 5.6.1997; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 12.11.1997 to 12.11.1997; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 4.5.1999 to 4.5.1999; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 3.6.1999 to 3.6.1999; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served as Substitute member from 7.6.1999 to 8.6.1999; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served from 30.6.1999 to 5.4.2000; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 1.10.1999 to 1.10.1999; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 5.10.1999 to 6.10.1999; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 20.10.1999 to 5.6.2000; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 3.12.1999 to 3.12.1999; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served from 5.4.2000 to 1.7.2002; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 11.5.2000 to 8.6.2000; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 29.6.2000 to 29.6.2000; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 10.11.2000 to 15.12.2000; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 12.2.2001 to 12.2.2001; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 14.2.2001 to 16.2.2001; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 21.2.2001 to 21.2.2001; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 22.2.2001 to 22.2.2001; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 29.5.2001 to 1.6.2001; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 9.8.2001 to 8.10.2001; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 14.2.2002 to 20.2.2002; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served as Substitute member from 20.2.2002 to 21.2.2002; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 6.6.2002 to 6.6.2002
• Senate Select: Animal Welfare served from 24.9.1987 to 3.9.1991; Public Interest Whistleblowing served from 27.9.1993 to 31.8.1994; Information Technologies served from 1.9.1997 to 7.12.2000; A Certain Maritime Incident served from 14.2.2002 to 11.3.2002
• Senate Standing: Publications served from 17.9.1990 to 19.8.2002; Selection of Bills served from 9.5.1995 to 10.2.1997; Selection of Bills served as Chair from 11.2.1997 to 19.8.2002; House served from 13.2.1997 to 12.11.2002; Appropriations and Staffing served as Chair from 19.8.2002 to 15.11.2004; Procedure served from 19.8.2002 to 14.8.2007; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 19.8.2002 to 15.11.2004; House served as Chair from 13.11.2002 to 15.11.2004; House served from 16.11.2004 to 17.11.2004; Appropriations and Staffing served from 16.11.2004 to 17.11.2004; Parliamentary Library served from 16.11.2004 to 17.11.2004; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 18.11.2004 to 14.8.2007; Appropriations and Staffing served as Chair from 18.11.2004 to 14.8.2007; House served as Chair from 18.11.2004 to 14.8.2007

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Singapore, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, July-August 1988.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to USSR, Mongolia and Japan, September-October 1990.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 91st IPU Conference, Paris, March 1994.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 91st IPU Conference, bilateral visit to Turkey, March-April 1994.
• Deputy Leader, Official Delegation to 92nd IPU Conference, Denmark and bilateral visits to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, August-September 1994.
• Deputy Leader, Official Delegation to 93rd IPU Conference, Madrid, and bilateral visits to Egypt and Israel, March-April 1995.
• Deputy Leader, Official Delegation to 94th IPU Conference, Bucharest, and bilateral visit to Slovenia, October 1995.
• Leader, Bilateral visit to Chile, August-September 1998.
• Study tour, Slovenia, September 1999.
• Study tour, Thailand and UK, September-October 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to UK, September-October 2000.
• Member, Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs Legislation visit to New Zealand, May 2001.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 47th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Melbourne and Canberra, September 2001.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 48th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Namibia, September 2002.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee Meeting, Malaysia, April 2003.
• Official visit to UK and Ireland, April-May 2003.
• Attended 34th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference, Tonga, June-July 2003.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Japan and Republic of Korea, December 2003.
• Attended CPA Mid-Year Executive Committee Meeting, Uganda, April 2004.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Belgium, the Netherlands and France, April-May 2004.
• Official visit to China, June 2004.
• Attended ANZAC Day Observance, London, April 2005.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the Russian Federation and bilateral visit to Italy, April-May 2005.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Fiji Islands, September 2005.
• Attended 18th Commonwealth Speakers' and Presiding Officers' Conference, Kenya, and official visit to the United Kingdom, January 2006.
• Attended Mid-Year CPA Executive Committee Meeting, Isle of Man, April 2006.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago and the USA, July 2006.
• Official visit to Cambodia and Vietnam, March 2007.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Malta and Spain, and official visit to Kuwait, April 2007.
• Official visit to London and Belfast, July 2007.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 11.07.1987 to 29.08.2007
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 9.5.1995 to 11.3.1996.
• Government Deputy Whip in the Senate from 11.3.1996 to 11.2.1997.
• Government Whip in the Senate from 11.2.1997 to 19.8.2002.

Personal

• Born: 19.1.1940, Hobart, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• CertAg ().
• Orchardist.
• Wool grower.
• President of the Royal Agricultural Society (Tas.) from 1987 to 1990.

Local Government service

• Councillor, Municipality of Clarence, Tasmania from 1976 to 1988.
• Deputy Warden, Municipality of Clarence, Tasmania from 1981 to 1983.
• Warden, Municipality of Clarence, Tasmania from 1983 to 1987.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 8.6.2009.