Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Menzies, Victoria at by-election 1991, vice Hon. N Brown, QC (resigned). Re-elected 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016.

Parliamentary positions

• Member, Speaker's Panel from 4.3.98 to 8.10.01
• Member, Speaker's Panel from 18.2.08 to 23.2.10

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Ageing from 26.11.2001 to 7.10.2003.
• Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 7.10.2003 to 30.1.2007.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service from 7.10.2003 to 30.1.2007.
• Cabinet Minister from 7.10.2003 to 3.12.2007.
• Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from 30.1.2007 to 3.12.2007.
• Minister for Social Services from 18.9.2013 to 23.12.2014.
• Cabinet Minister from 18.9.2013 to 21.9.2015.
• Minister for Defence from 23.12.2014 to 21.9.2015.

Committee service

• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit from 8.12.1998 to 11.2.2002.
• Joint Standing: Treaties from 11.3.2008 to 10.11.2008; Migration from 22.10.2015 to 9.5.2016; National Disability Insurance Scheme from 5.9.2016 (Chair from 5.9.2016); Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings from 14.9.2016; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade from 14.9.2016.
• Joint Select: Certain Family Law Issues from 26.5.1993 to 28.11.1995; Intelligence Services from 28.6.2001 to 27.8.2001.
• House of Representatives Standing: Long Term Strategies from 21.6.1991 to 8.2.1993; Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 19.12.1991 to 8.2.1993; Privileges from 25.6.1992 to 8.10.2001; Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 30.5.1996 to 8.10.2001 (Chair from 30.5.1996 to 8.10.2001); Members' Interests from 14.10.1996 to 8.10.2001; Family and Community Affairs from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 11.3.2008 to 3.2.2010; Health and Ageing from 11.3.2008 to 10.11.2008; Economics from 10.11.2008 to 3.2.2010; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs from 3.2.2010 to 19.7.2010; Family, Community, Housing and Youth from 3.2.2010 to 19.7.2010; Privileges and Members' Interests from 14.9.2016.
• House of Representatives Select: Intergenerational Welfare Dependence from 28.6.2018.

Parliamentary party positions

• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition from 7.8.1992 to 7.4.1993.
• Shadow Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
• Member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry from 8.12.2009 to 18.9.2013.
• Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services from 8.12.2009 to 18.9.2013.

Party positions

• Chairman, Coalition's Federalism Taskforce from 6.4.08 to 16.9.08
• Chairman, Coalition Policy Review Committee and Chairman, Coalition Policy Coordination Committee from 14.10.08 to 8.12.09
• Deputy Chairman, Coalition Policy Development Committee from 8.12.09

Personal

• Born 9.11.1955, Sale, Australia
• Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• B.A (Melb)
• LL.B (Melb)
• LL.M (Monash)
• Research solicitor, Law Institute of Victoria 1980-81
• Co-ordinator, Continuing Legal Education, Law Institute of Victoria 1981-83
• Associate to the Hon. Sir James Gobbo, Supreme Court of Victoria 1983-85
• Barrister-at-law, Victoria 1985-91

Electorate

• Description: Outer Metropolitan
• Location: eastern Melbourne; it includes the suburbs of Bulleen, Croydon Hills, Doncaster, Doncaster East, Donvale, Park Orchards, Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Warrandyte, Warrandyte South, and parts of Croydon North, Ringwood North, Warranwood and Wonga Park.
• Area: 125 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 99205 (at 2.7.2016)
• Industries: various light industries

Publications

• Rights and Freedoms in Australia (chapter, ed. J Wallace and T Pagone), Federation Press, Sydney: 1990
• Trends in Biomedical Regulation (chapter, ed. H Caton), Butterworths, Sydney: 1990
• Issues in Biomedical Ethics (chapter, ed. Dr CJ Vas and EJ de Souza), Macmillan, Delhi: 1990
• The Heart of Liberalism: the Albury Papers (co-editor with K Aldred and P Filing), The editors, Mitcham, Vic: 1994
• Changing Australia: social, cultural and economic trends shaping the nation (co-author with M Curtis), Federation Press, Sydney: 1998