Biography

Parliamentary service

• Territory: Cabinet portfolios of Finance, Primary Producers' Board, Housing, Local Government and Community Development from 1974 to 1977.
• Federal: Elected to the House of Representatives for the Northern Territory 1980. Defeated at general elections 1983. Elected to the Senate for the Northern Territory 1987. Re-elected 1990 and 1993, 1996 and 1998. Retired with the expiration of term 2001.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Development from 11.3.1996 to 14.10.1996.
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Security from 14.10.1996 to 21.10.1998.
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Aged Care from 21.10.1998 to 26.11.2001.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Aboriginal Affairs served from 4.12.1980 to 4.2.1983
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 9.10.1987 to 17.5.1990
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 26.11.1980 to 4.2.1983
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group E served from 24.9.1987 to 7.5.1990; Estimates Group F served from 9.5.1990 to 24.8.1990; Estimates Group C served from 6.5.1993 to 8.2.1994; Estimates Group C served as Substitute member from 8.2.1994 to 9.10.1994; Estimates Group F served as Substitute member from 12.5.1994 to 9.10.1994
• Senate Standing: Senators' Interests served as Substitute member from 24.3.1994 to 24.3.1994; Parliamentary Library served from 2.5.1996 to 9.11.2001

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the European Parliamentary Institutions, Switzerland, Belgium and France, September-October 1990.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 13th General Assembly of AIPO, Jakarta, Indonesia, and bilateral visits to Thailand and Papua New Guinea, from September-October 1992.
• Official visits to New Zealand, June 1999.
• Official visits to Vietnam, China and Thailand, November 1999.
• Official visits to New Zealand, July 2000.

Parliamentary party positions

• National Country Party. Served: 18.10.1980 to 16.10.1982
• National Party of Australia. Served: 16.10.1982 to 05.03.1983, 11.07.1987 to 09.11.2001
• Shadow Minister for Regional Development, External Territories and Northern Australia from 11.4.1990 to 28.4.1992.
• Shadow Minister for Community Services, External Territories and Northern Australia from 28.4.1992 to 7.4.1993.
• Shadow Minister for Public Housing and Community Services from 7.4.1993 to 17.1.1994.
• Shadow Minister for Housing and Community Services from 17.1.1994 to 26.5.1994.
• Shadow Minister for Housing, External Territories and Northern Development from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
• National Party Whip in the Senate from 14.9.1987 to 11.4.1990.
• Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate from 10.4.1990 to 23.3.1993.
• Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate from 11.5.2000 to 9.11.2001.

Other positions

• Justice of the Peace.

Personal

• Born: 20.6.1943, Wondai, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Insurance and business consultant.
• Company Director.
• Newsagent.
• Deputy Chair of the Town Planning Authority (NT).

State/Territory Government service

• Cabinet portfolios of Finance, Primary Producers' Board, Housing, Local Government and Community Development from 1974 to 1977.
• Elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Fannie Bay, 1974. Resigned 12.8.1977.
• Deputy Leader of the Parliamentary Country Liberal Party from 1976 to 1977.

Local Government service

• Alderman, Darwin City Council from 1972 to 1974.

Honours

• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, 26.1.2011.