Biography

Parliamentary service

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

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.

Committee service

• Joint Statutory: Law Enforcement from 5.12.2013 to 16.7.2014; Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity from 16.7.2014 to 9.5.2016; Law Enforcement from 22.7.2019.
• Joint Standing: Treaties from 6.2.2013 to 14.5.2013; Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity from 15.9.2016.
• House of Representatives Standing: Health and Ageing from 2.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Regional Australia from 6.2.2013 to 9.5.2016; Publications from 14.5.2013 to 9.5.2016; Petitions from 4.12.2013 to 9.5.2016 (Deputy Chair from 11.12.2013 to 9.5.2016); Petitions from 15.9.2016 (Deputy Chair from 24.7.2019).

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

• GradDipHumanResources&IndustrialRelations (Griffith University).
• BA (University of Queensland).
• Police officer 1990-97.
• Juvenile Justice Conference Convener, NSW Dept of Juvenile Justice 2002-03.

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.