Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Macarthur, New South Wales, 1984. Re-elected 1987, 1990. Elected to the House of Representatives for Cunningham, New South Wales, 1993, following electoral redistribution. Re-elected 1996, 1998 and 2001. Resigned 16.8.2002.

Parliamentary positions

• Speaker of the House of Representatives from 4.5.1993 to 29.1.1996.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 27.12.1991 to 24.3.1993.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Expenditure served from 28.2.1985 to 5.6.1987; House served from 28.2.1985 to 3.3.1992; Finance and Public Administration served as Chair from 8.10.1987 to 2.1.1992; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 16.5.1990 to 3.3.1992; Banking, Finance and Public Administration served as Chair from 28.11.1991 to 27.12.1991; House served as Chair from 12.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 12.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Televising of the House of Representatives served as Chair from 26.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Members' Interests served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Procedure served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Environment, Recreation and the Arts served from 30.5.1996 to 17.11.1997; Publications served from 26.6.1996 to 31.8.1998; Financial Institutions and Public Administration served from 17.11.1997 to 31.8.1998
• Joint Select: Telecommunications Interception served as Chair from 19.8.1986 to 20.11.1986; Certain Aspects of the Operation and Interpretation of the Family Law Act served from 16.4.1991 to 3.3.1992
• Joint Standing: Migration served from 27.6.1996 to 2.9.1997; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 8.12.1998 to 16.8.2002
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 8.10.1987 to 19.2.1990; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served as Chair from 26.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 30.1.1996 to 31.8.1998

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Official visits to Colombia, February 1992.
• Official visits to Noumea, March 1992.
• Official visits to Papua New Guinea, April 1992.
• Official visits to USA, July 1992.
• Official visits to Japan, Thailand and UK, August-September 1992.
• Official visits to Fiji, October 1992.
• Official visits to France, Kuwait and Belgium, November-December 1992.
• Official visits to New Zealand, December 1992.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to South Pacific Conference and bilateral visit to Fiji, October-November 1992.
• Attended Pacific Community Institute Conference, April 1993.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the USA, June-July 1993.
• Official visits to Nauru, January-February 1993.
• Attended 12th Commonwealth Speakers' and Presiding Officers' Conference, Port Moresby, January 1994.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 91st IPU Conference, Paris, March 1994 and bilateral visit to Turkey, March-April 1994.
• Leader, Delegation to the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan, July 1994.
• Member, Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum Annual Meeting, Acapulco, December 1994-January 1995.
• Member, Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum Executive Committee Meeting, Phuket, Thailand, September 1995.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 93rd IPU Conference, Madrid and bilateral visits to Egypt and Israel, March-April 1995.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 94th IPU Conference, Bucharest, and bilateral visit to Slovenia, October 1995.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 95th IPU Conference, Istanbul, April 1996.
• Attended 13th CPA Presiding Officers' and Clerks' Conference, Cyprus, January 1996.
• Leader, Official Delegation to the 4th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum Annual Meeting, Cha'am, January 1996.
• Member, Official Australian Observer Mission to the Indonesian Elections, June 1999.
• Official visit to East Timor, December 1999.
• Study tour, Republic of Korea and Japan, February-March 2000.
• Study tour, China and North Korea, April-May 2000.
• Study tour, Singapore and Malaysia, June 2000.
• Study tour, Japan and Hong Kong, August 2000.
• Study tour, Japan, July 2001.
• Study tour, China and Japan, February-March 2002.
• Study tour, USA, July 2002.
• Study tour, Singapore and Japan, July 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.12.1984 to 16.08.2002
• Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs from 20.3.1996 to 27.3.1997.
• Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism from 20.3.1996 to 20.10.1998.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 20.3.1996 to 16.8.2002.
• Shadow Minister for Small Business and Customs from 27.3.1997 to 20.10.1998.
• Shadow Minister for Defence from 20.10.1998 to 25.11.2001.
• Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism from 25.11.2001 to 16.8.2002.

Party positions

• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (NSW).
• Officeholder of the Australian Labor Party Wollongong Branch (NSW).
• Officeholder of the Australian Labor Party Balgownie Branch (NSW).
• President of the Australian Labor Party Corrimal State Electorate Council (NSW) from 1982 to 1985.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party National Resources Development Policy Committee from 1987 to 1990.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party National Economic Development Policy Committee from 1990 to 1993.

Personal

• Born: 24.6.1948, Wollongong, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• PhD (University of Wollongong).
• MTCP (University of Sydney).
• DipEd (University of New South Wales).
• MA (University of Alberta).
• BA (Australian National University).
• High school teacher in the Department of Education (NSW) from 1970 to 1973.
• Lecturer at the University of Wollongong from 1974 to 1977.
• Town Planner and Regional Manager (Macarthur Region) at the Department of Environment and Planning (NSW) from 1977 to 1984.

Local Government service

• Alderman, Wollongong City Council from 1983 to 1985.

Electorate

• Name: Cunningham
• Location: Wollongong and south coast of New South Wales; it includes the city of Wollongong and the surrounding suburbs of Austinmer, Balgownie, Bellambi, Bulli, Clifton, Coalcliff, Coledale, Coniston, Cordeaux Heights, Corrimal, Darkes Forest, Fairy Meadow, Figtree, Gwynneville, Helensburgh, Keiraville, Mt Keira, Mt Kembla, Mt Ousley, Mt Saint Thomas, Otford, Russell Vale, Scarborough, Stanwell Park, Tarrawanna, Thirroul, Towradgi, Unanderra, Wombarra and Woonona.
• Area: 490 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 81,540 (at 10.11.2001)
• Industries: Tourism, tertiary education, steel production, coal mining, brick manufacturing, textiles and dairy farming.
• Includes: Cunningham includes the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Keira, and parts of Heathcote, Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Wollongong.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 13.6.2022.