Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Tasmania 1977. Re-elected 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1996 and 2001. Retired prior to general elections 2007.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Executive.
• Member of the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust from 10.2.1994 to 30.6.2008.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 10.5.1995 to 30.6.2008.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: National Capital and External Territories served from 30.6.1999 to 10.8.1999; National Capital and External Territories served as Chair from 11.8.1999 to 8.12.1999; National Capital and External Territories served from 9.12.1999 to 19.3.2002
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 17.8.1978 to 2.12.1985; Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 4.5.1983 to 5.6.1987; Public Accounts served as Deputy Chair from 3.12.1985 to 6.10.1987; Public Accounts served from 7.10.1987 to 11.5.1993; Public Accounts served as Deputy Chair from 12.5.1993 to 19.8.1993; Public Accounts served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Public Accounts and Audit served from 1.1.1998 to 30.6.2008
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group F served from 20.9.1978 to 1.4.1980; Estimates Group A served from 21.8.1980 to 2.4.1981; Estimates Group D served from 2.4.1981 to 4.2.1983; Estimates Group E served from 6.9.1983 to 4.4.1984; Estimates Group D served from 26.3.1985 to 9.4.1986; Estimates Group B served from 31.3.1987 to 29.4.1987; Estimates Group C served from 24.3.1988 to 18.5.1988; Estimates Group A served from 9.5.1990 to 24.8.1990
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: National Resources served from 26.11.1980 to 4.2.1983; Employment, Education and Training served from 27.10.1987 to 24.8.1990; Finance and Public Administration served from 17.9.1990 to 9.10.1994; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 10.10.1994 to 1.12.1998; Economics: Legislation served from 10.10.1994 to 1.6.1995; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 25.9.1995 to 26.10.1995; Economics: Legislation served from 8.5.1996 to 10.9.2006; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 8.5.1996 to 30.6.1999; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: References served as Substitute member from 19.2.1999 to 19.2.1999; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: References served as Substitute member from 4.3.1999 to 4.3.1999; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 30.6.1999 to 10.9.2006; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 2.5.2000 to 2.5.2000; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 24.11.2000 to 24.11.2000; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served as Substitute member from 24.11.2000 to 24.11.2000; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 22.11.2002 to 22.11.2002; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 15.2.2006 to 17.2.2006; Finance and Public Administration served from 11.9.2006 to 30.6.2008; Economics served as Substitute member from 14.2.2007 to 16.2.2007; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations served from 12.2.2008 to 30.6.2008
• Senate Select: Superannuation served from 21.6.1991 to 30.6.1993; Superannuation served as Chair from 1.7.1993 to 9.11.1998; New Tax System served as Substitute member from 26.11.1998 to 30.4.1999; Superannuation and Financial Services served from 29.9.1999 to 29.9.1999; Superannuation and Financial Services served as Chair from 30.9.1999 to 8.10.2001; Superannuation served from 14.3.2002 to 19.3.2002; Superannuation served as Chair from 20.3.2002 to 10.9.2003; Lindeberg Grievance served from 1.4.2004 to 26.4.2004; Lindeberg Grievance served as Chair from 27.4.2004 to 15.11.2004
• Senate Standing: Disputed Returns and Qualifications served from 22.8.1978 to 4.2.1983; Publications served from 9.10.1987 to 11.9.1990; Publications served as Chair from 18.11.2004 to 13.9.2006; Regulations and Ordinances served as Chair from 1.7.2005 to 11.2.2008; Publications served from 14.9.2006 to 14.9.2006; Privileges served from 10.9.2007 to 11.2.2008

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended Independence celebrations of Vanuatu, July 1980.
• Member, Parliamentary Exchange Visits to New Zealand, July 1980.
• Member, Parliamentary Exchange Visits to New Zealand, March-April 1982.
• Member, IPU Spring Meeting, Helsinki, April 1983.
• Deputy Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 70th IPU Conference, Seoul, October 1983.
• Deputy Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 71st IPU Conference, Geneva, April 1984.
• Deputy Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to the 72nd IPU Conference, Geneva, September 1984.
• Deputy Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Council of Europe, Strasbourg, October 1984.
• Member, 33rd CPA Conference, Kuala Lumpur, August-September 1987.
• Commonwealth Parliamentary Visit, London, May 1988.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the USA, June-July 1993.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to AIPO, Singapore and bilateral visit to Thailand, September 1995.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to European Parliamentary Institutions, France and Belgium, and bilateral visits to UK (Northern Ireland) and Republic of Ireland, September-October 1996.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 97th IPU Conference, Seoul, and bilateral visit to Japan, April 1997.
• Bilateral visits to Sweden and Estonia, October 1999.
• Study tour, USA and Canada, November 1999.
• Study tour, Canada and USA, May-June 2001.
• CPA Study Group on Public Accounts Committees, Toronto, Canada, May-June 2001.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, September-October 2003.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, November 2003.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Saudi Arabia and China, June-July 2007.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Malaysia and Indonesia, August 2007.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 01.07.1978 to 30.06.2008
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 11.4.1990 to 7.4.1993.
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 26.5.1994 to 25.9.1994.

Other positions

• Executive Member of the Tasmanian Chamber of Manufactures.
• Executive Member of the Tasmanian Chamber of Industries.
• Secretary of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship from 1983 to 1986.

Personal

• Born: 25.1.1937, Launceston, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• FCIS (Chartered Institute of Secretaries).
• FAIM (Australian Institute of Management).
• FPA (Certified Practicing Accountants).
• FCA (Institute of Chartered Accountants).
• FTIA (Taxation Institute of Australia).
• BCom (University of Tasmanina).
• BEc (University of Tasmanina).
• Chartered accountant.
• Company director.
• Part-time Lecturer at the College of Advanced Education (Tas.).
• Member of the Scotch College Council, Launceston (Tas.).
• Primary producer.
• General Manager of a textile manufacturing company.
• Part-time Lecturer at Launceston Technical College (Tas.).

Military Service

• CMF (Army Reserve).

Honours

• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, 9.6.2014.