Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Warringah, New South Wales at by-election 1994, vice the Hon. M MacKellar (resigned). Re-elected 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016. Defeated at general elections 2019.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs from 11.3.1996 to 21.10.1998.
• Minister for Employment Services from 21.10.1998 to 30.1.2001.
• Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business from 30.1.2001 to 26.11.2001.
• Cabinet Minister from 30.1.2001 to 3.12.2007.
• Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 26.11.2001 to 7.10.2003.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service from 26.11.2001 to 7.10.2003.
• Minister for Health and Ageing from 7.10.2003 to 3.12.2007.
• Prime Minister from 18.9.2013 to 15.9.2015.
• Cabinet Minister from 18.9.2013 to 15.9.2015.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Select: Address in Reply served from 12.11.2013 to 13.11.2013
• House of Representatives Standing: Banking, Finance and Public Administration served from 5.5.1994 to 29.1.1996; Family, Community, Housing and Youth served from 11.3.2008 to 3.2.2010; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs served from 11.3.2008 to 3.2.2010

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 26.03.1994 to 18.05.2019
• Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services, Indigenous Affairs and the Voluntary Sector from 6.12.2007 to 22.9.2008.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 6.12.2007 to 18.9.2013.
• Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs from 22.9.2008 to 1.12.2009.
• Leader of the Opposition from 1.12.2009 to 18.9.2013.
• Leader of the House from 12.2.2002 to 17.10.2007.
• Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party from 1.12.2009 to 14.9.2015.

Personal

• Born: 4.11.1957, London, England
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BEc (University of Sydney).
• LLB (University of Sydney).
• MA (University of Oxford).
• Rhodes Scholar.
• Journalist.
• Plant Manager for Pioneer Concrete.
• Press secretary and political adviser to the Leader of the Opposition, Dr J Hewson from 1990 to 1993.
• Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy from 1993 to 1994.

Electorate

• Name: Warringah
• Location: Northern Sydney; it includes the suburbs of Allambie Heights, Balgowlah, Brookvale, Cremorne Point, Curl Curl, Fairlight, Forestville (part), Frenchs Forest (part), Killarney Heights, Manly, Manly Vale, Mosman, Neutral Bay, Queenscliff and Seaforth.
• Area: 68 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 102,645 (at 2.7.2016)
• Industries: Manufacturing, construction, retail, professional, scientific and technical services, health care and social assistance, service and leisure industries.
• Includes: Warringah includes the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Manly, and parts of North Shore, Wakehurst and Willoughby.

Honours

• Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, 7.6.2020.

Publications

• The minimal monarchy: and why it still makes sense for Australia, Wakefield Press, Kent Town, SA: 1995.
• How to win the constitutional war and give both sides what they want, Australians for Constitutional Monarchy in association with Wakefield Press, 1997.
• The brother countries, Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust, Melbourne: 2004.
• Battlelines, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic.: 2009.
• A strong Australia: the values, directions and policy priorities of the next Coalition Government, Bambra Press, Melbourne: 2012.
• Our common challenges: strengthening security in the region, ISEAS Publishing, Singapore: 2015.