Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Victoria 2007. Resigned 12.8.2013. Elected to the House of Representatives for Batman, Victoria, 2013. Re-elected 2016. Resigned 1.2.2018.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary for Defence from 14.9.2010 to 18.9.2013.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 15.9.2009 to 26.10.2010; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 4.12.2013 to 9.5.2016; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 15.9.2016 to 1.2.2018
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit served from 26.8.2008 to 19.7.2010
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 1.7.2008 to 13.5.2009; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 1.7.2008 to 13.5.2009; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served from 14.5.2009 to 14.5.2009; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served from 14.5.2009 to 27.9.2010; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served from 14.5.2009 to 27.9.2010
• Senate Select: Climate Policy served from 18.3.2009 to 15.6.2009
• Senate Standing: Publications served from 1.7.2008 to 27.9.2010; Privileges served from 14.5.2010 to 27.9.2010

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.07.2008 to 12.08.2013, 07.09.2013 to 01.02.2018
• Shadow Minister for Justice from 18.10.2013 to 23.7.2016.
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence from 18.10.2013 to 23.7.2016.
• Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs from 24.6.2014 to 23.7.2016.
• Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC from 24.6.2014 to 23.7.2016.
• Caucus Secretary of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party from 2008 to 2010.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Vic.) from 1994 to 2002.

Personal

• Born: 5.3.1970, Adelaide, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• MPPM (Monash University).
• Industrial Officer for the Transport Workers' Union from 1994 to 1998.
• Secretary and Campaign Director for the Australian Labor Party (Vic.) from 1999 to 2002.
• Director of Strategy to the Premier, the Hon. S Bracks, MLA (Vic.) from 2003 to 2004.
• Campaign Director for the Australian Labor Party (SA) from 2005 to 2006.
• Assistant Secretary for the Federal Australian Labor Party from 2005 to 2008.

Publications

• 'The ostrich sticks its head in the sand and thinks itself safe': Australia's need for a grand strategy, ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Acton, ACT: 2018.