Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Richmond, New South Wales, 2004. Re-elected 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2022.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Ageing from 3.12.2007 to 14.9.2010.
• Parliamentary Secretary for Trade from 14.9.2010 to 4.2.2013.
• Assistant Minister for Social Services from 1.6.2022.
• Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence from 1.6.2022.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Health and Ageing served from 2.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Regional Australia served from 6.2.2013 to 5.8.2013; Publications served from 14.5.2013 to 15.5.2013; Publications served as Chair from 16.5.2013 to 5.8.2013; Petitions served as Deputy Chair from 4.12.2013 to 9.5.2016; Petitions served from 15.9.2016 to 11.4.2019; Petitions served as Deputy Chair from 24.7.2019 to 11.4.2022
• Joint Standing: Treaties served from 6.2.2013 to 14.5.2013
• Joint Statutory: Law Enforcement served from 4.12.2013 to 16.7.2014; Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity served from 16.7.2014 to 9.5.2016; Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity served from 15.9.2016 to 11.4.2022; Law Enforcement served from 22.7.2019 to 11.4.2022

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party from 1995.
• President of the Australian Labor Party Tweed Coast Branch from 2003 to 2004.

Personal

• Born 29.7.1967, Brisbane, Australia
• Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• GradDipHR&IR (Griffith University).
• BA (University of Queensland).
• Police officer from 1990 to 1997.
• Juvenile Justice Conference Convener, Department of Juvenile Justice (NSW) from 2002 to 2003.

Electorate

• Name: Richmond
• Location: Richmond covers an area from the New South Wales/Queensland border in the north to Ballina and Pimlico in the south. The main towns include Ballina, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads, Burringbar, Byron Bay, Hastings Point, Kingscliff, Lennox Head, Mullumbimby, Murwillumbah, Suffolk Park, and Tweed Heads.
• Area: 2,148 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 119,332 (at 7.6.2019)
• Industries: Tourism, commercial fishing, agriculture including dairy, beef cattle, tropical fruits, sugarcane, coffee and macadamia nuts, sugar processing, timber, light engineering, boat building and cottage industries.