Biography

Parliamentary service

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

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training from 11.3.1996 to 9.10.1997.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service from 11.3.1996 to 17.3.1996.
• Minister Assisting the Minister for Finance for Privatisation from 17.3.1996 to 9.10.1997.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service from 18.7.1997 to 26.11.2001.
• Cabinet Minister from 9.10.1997 to 18.7.2004.
• Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs from 9.10.1997 to 21.10.1998.
• Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs from 21.10.1998 to 26.11.2001.
• Vice-President of the Executive Council from 21.10.1998 to 18.7.2004.
• Minister for the Environment and Heritage from 26.11.2001 to 18.7.2004.

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Official visits to UK and USA, June-July 1996.
• Official visits to New Zealand, July-August 1996.
• Official visits to USA, February-March 1999.
• Official visits to UK, Germany and China, July 1999.
• Official visits to Singapore, April 2000.
• Official visits to Israel and Malaysia, August 2000.
• Official visits to USA, Belgium and the Netherlands, March 2002.
• Official visits to Republic of Korea, April 2002.
• Official visits to Japan, May 2002.
• Official visits to Indonesia and Singapore, June 2002.
• Official visits to USA, UK and Belgium, July 2002.
• Official visits to South Africa, August-September 2002.
• Official visits to India, October-November 2002.
• Official visits to Papua New Guinea, November 2002.
• Official visits to USA, April-May 2003.
• Official visits to Germany, June 2003.
• Official visits to Italy, October 2003.
• Official visits to Italy, December 2003.
• Official visits to USA, April-May 2004.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 24.03.1990 to 31.08.2004
• Shadow Minister for Education from 11.4.1990 to 7.4.1993.
• Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Science from 11.4.1990 to 7.4.1993.
• Joint Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Transition to Government from 28.4.1992 to 7.4.1993.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 28.4.1992 to 11.3.1996.
• Shadow Minister for Science, Technology and Export Development from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.
• Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Party Development from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.
• Shadow Minister for Employment, Training and Family Services from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
• Shadow Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training from 19.10.1994 to 26.10.1994.

Party positions

• President of the Liberal Party Kew North Branch (Vic.) from 1967 to 1968.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1967 to 1968.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1973 to 1974.
• President of the Liberal Party Kew North Branch (Vic.) from 1973 to 1974.
• Member of the Liberal Party Joint Standing Committee on Federal Policy from 1977 to 1980.
• Member of the Liberal Party Federal Platform and Policy Review Sub-Committee from 1977 to 1980.
• Member of the Liberal Party Committee of Review (Valder Committee), 1983.
• Director of Strategy for the Liberal Party (Vic.) from 1987 to 1988.

Personal

• Born: 14.10.1941, Melbourne, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• PhD (Yale University).
• BA(Hons) (University of Melbourne).
• LLB (University of Melbourne).
• Political scientist and consultant.
• Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Melbourne from 1975 to 1979.
• Senior Adviser to the Rt Hon. J Fraser, Leader of the Opposition and Prime Minister from 1975 to 1976.
• Professor of Politics at Monash University from 1979 to 1990.
• Director of the Prime Minister's Office, 1981.

Electorate

• Name: Goldstein
• Location: south-eastern Melbourne; it includes the suburbs of Beaumaris, Bentleigh, Brighton East, Black Rock, Carnegie, Caulfield South, Cheltenham, Glenhuntly, Hampton, Hampton East, Highett, Ormond and Sandringham.
• Area: 48 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 89,948 (at 10.11.2001)
• Industries: light industrial and commercial activities.
• Includes: Goldstein includes parts of the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorates of Bentleigh, Brighton, Caulfield, Oakleigh and Sandringham.

Honours

• Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, 26.1.2017.

Publications

• Society and electoral behaviour in Australia: a study of three decades, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Qld: 1978.
• Malcolm Fraser on Australia (with D.M. White), Hill of Content, Melbourne: 1986.
• Current priorities for liberalism: the eighth Sir Robert Menzies lecture, Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust, Melbourne: 1986.
• Foundations for Australian political analysis: politics and authority, Oxford University Press, Melbourne: 1988.
• The land of dreams: how Australians won their freedom: 1788-1860, Miegunyah Press, Carlton, Vic.: 2018.
• A free country: Australians' search for Utopia 1861-1901, Miegunyah Press, Carlton, Vic.: 2019.
• A democratic nation: identity, freedom and equality in Australia 1901-1925, Miegunyah Press, Carlton, Vic., 2019.
• A liberal state: how Australians chose liberalism over socialism, 1926-1966, Miegunyah Press, Carlton, Vic: 2021.
• Consent of the people: human dignity through freedom and equality 1966-2022, Miegunyah Press, Carlton, Vic.: 2022.