Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Western Australia 1996. Re-elected 2001. Retired with the expiration of term 2008.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 9.8.2005 to 30.6.2008.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Retailing Sector served from 10.12.1998 to 30.8.1999
• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 6.2.1997 to 17.10.2007
• Joint Statutory: Corporations and Securities served from 1.7.1996 to 8.10.2001; Public Accounts and Audit served from 1.1.1998 to 30.6.2008; Corporations and Financial Services served from 14.2.2002 to 30.6.2008
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: Legislation served from 1.7.1996 to 10.9.2006; Economics: References served from 1.7.1996 to 30.9.1999; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 1.7.1996 to 30.9.1999; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 1.7.1996 to 10.9.2006; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served from 3.3.1997 to 2.3.1998; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served from 27.6.1997 to 2.3.1998; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 2.3.1998 to 25.6.1998; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: Legislation served as Substitute member from 24.11.1998 to 11.2.2002; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: References served as Substitute member from 24.11.1998 to 11.2.2002; Economics: References served as Substitute member from 11.10.1999 to 13.3.2000; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 14.10.1999 to 22.11.1999; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 29.6.2000 to 30.8.2001; Economics: References served as Substitute member from 20.6.2001 to 8.10.2001; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 20.8.2001 to 8.10.2001; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served as Substitute member from 13.2.2002 to 31.8.2004; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: References served as Substitute member from 13.2.2002 to 18.11.2002; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 11.3.2002 to 14.5.2002; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 6.3.2003 to 16.10.2003; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 6.3.2003 to 15.11.2004; Economics: References served as Substitute member from 15.9.2003 to 25.6.2004; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 24.6.2004 to 6.12.2005; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: References served as Substitute member from 18.11.2004 to 17.10.2007; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served as Substitute member from 18.11.2004 to 17.10.2007; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 7.12.2004 to 17.3.2005; Economics: References served as Substitute member from 15.3.2005 to 22.6.2005; Economics: References served from 23.6.2005 to 10.9.2006; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served as Chair from 23.6.2005 to 7.11.2005; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 23.6.2005 to 10.9.2006; Economics served from 11.9.2006 to 30.6.2008; Finance and Public Administration served from 11.9.2006 to 30.6.2008; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served as Substitute member from 14.9.2006 to 6.10.2006; Community Affairs served as Substitute member from 16.6.2008 to 24.6.2008
• Senate Select: Socio-Economic Consequences of the National Competition Policy served from 8.7.1998 to 17.2.2000; New Tax System served from 26.11.1998 to 30.4.1999
• Senate Standing: Scrutiny of Bills served from 1.7.1996 to 30.6.2008; Appropriations and Staffing served from 14.2.2008 to 30.6.2008

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Switzerland, June 1999.
• Member, Official Australian Observer Mission to the Zimbabwe Elections, June 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Ireland and China, July 2000.
• Member, Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee on Community Affairs visit to UK and Canada, April 2001.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands, April-May 2004.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Denmark and Sweden, October 2005.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Malta and Spain, April 2007.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Democrats. Served: 01.07.1996 to 30.06.2008
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Communications (excluding Broadcasting); Industry, Transport and Regional Development; Accountability; Small Business and Commerce; Tourism from 1.7.1996 to 25.2.1997.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Industrial Relations; Attorney-General and Justice; Accountability; Industry; Transport; Regional Development; Small Business; Tourism from 25.2.1997 to 20.10.1997.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Attorney-General and Justice (excluding Human Rights); Electoral Matters; Industrial Relations; Industry; Small Business; Treasury and Finance from 20.10.1997 to 12.12.1997.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Finance and Taxation; Industrial Relations; Industry; Customs; Small Business; Electoral Matters from 12.12.1997 to 1.1.1999.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Business and Corporate Affairs; Customs; Finance and Administration; Financial Services and Regulation; Industry; Small Business; Workplace Relations from 1.1.1999 to 1.7.1999.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Business and Corporate Affairs; Customs; Small Business; Workplace Relations from 1.7.1999 to 14.2.2002.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Business and Corporate Affairs; Customs; Finance and Administration; Small Business; Tax Reform; Workplace Relations from 14.2.2001 to 14.4.2001.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Business and Corporate Affairs; Customs; Electoral Matters; Finance and Administration; Small Business; Taxation; Workplace Relations from 14.4.2001 to 1.7.2002.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Business and Corporate Affairs; Customs; Electoral Matters; Finance and Administration; Small Business; Special Minister of State; Taxation; Workplace Relations from 1.7.2002 to 28.7.2002.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Business and Corporate Affairs; Customs; Electoral Matters; Finance and Administration; Small Business; Special Minister of State; Taxation; Workplace Relations from 12.8.2002 to 24.10.2002.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Customs; Electoral Matters and Public Administration; Public Service; Taxation, Finance and Corporate Affairs; Workplace Relations from 24.10.2002 to 1.7.2005.
• Australian Democrats Spokesperson on Accountability; Electoral Matters; Taxation, Finance and Corporate Affairs; Workplace Relations from 1.7.2005 to 30.6.2008.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Democrats from 1994.
• Deputy Convener of the Australian Democrats (WA) from 1994 to 1996.
• Campaign Manager of the Australian Democrats (WA) from 1995 to 1998.

Other positions

• Honorary Life Member of the National Union of South African Students from 1969.
• Honorary Life Member of the Federated Hotel Liquor and Catering Association of South Africa from 1977.

Personal

• Born: 29.1.1947, Hove, England
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA(Hons) (Rhodes University).
• MA (University of Oxford).
• Rhodes Scholar.
• Businessman from 1973 to 1996.

Military Service

• Territorial Member, Rhodesian Air Force 1969-77.

Publications

• A conspiracy of giants: the South African liquor industry (with M Fridjhon), Divaris Stein, South Africa: 1986.
• Leases, landlords and tenants, A Murray, West Perth, WA: 1997.
• Labour market deregulation, Australian Democrats, Canberra: 1997.
• Judging the Judges (with Felicity Maher), Alternative Law Journal 23(4), 1998.
• The Northern Territory: In What State Now? (with Marilyn Rock), Australian Quarterly, 1998.
• State of the Territory (with Marilyn Rock), Australian Quarterly, 1999.
• The Dangerous Art of Giving (with Marilyn Rock), Australian Quarterly, 2000.
• 'Using the Popular Vote to Decide National Questions', in Trusting the people: an elected President for an Australian republic, introduced by Andrew Murray, Design by Design Practitioners, Perth: 2001.
• The Enduring Legacy of Growing Up in Care in 20th Century Australia (with Marilyn Rock), Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Perth: 2005.
• One Regulator One System One Law: The Case for Introducing a New Regulatory System for the Not for Profit Sector, A Murray, 2006.
• A Proposal for Simplifying the Legal Form and Regulation of Small For-Profit Businesses and Not-For-Profit Entities, A Murray, 2008.
• The Forgotten Australians: Identity, Records and Their Search for the Past, Fourth International Conference on the History of Records and Archives, Perth: 2008.
• Review of Operation Sunlight: Overhauling budgetary transparency [Report to the Government], A Murray, Canberra: 2008.
• Can Better Political Governance Give Australia an Improved Political Class?, Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform 16.3, 2009.
• "Essential Linkages - Situating Political Governance Transparency and Accountability in the Broader Reform Agenda" in Critical Reflections on Australian Public Policy: selected essays [John Wanna ed.], ANU E Press, 2009.
• Budgets and Finance: Sunlight and the Dark Arts, Department of the Senate, 2011.
• "Applying Fiduciary Duty in Real Politik", in Fiduciary Duty and the Atmospheric Trust [K Coghill, C Sampford and T Smith eds.], Ashgate Publishing, 2012.
• Children in Need: Why Records Are Central to Identity and Justice, Geoffrey Bolton Invitation Lecture, Perth: 2016.