Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Victoria 2007. Re-elected 2013 and 2016.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 15.6.09 to 28.9.10
• President of the Senate from 13.11.17

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education from 18.9.2013 to 23.12.2014.
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training from 23.12.2014 to 21.9.2015.
• Assistant Cabinet Secretary from 21.9.2015 to 18.2.2016.
• Minister for Vocational Education and Skills from 18.2.2016 to 19.7.2016.
• Minister Assisting the Cabinet Secretary from 19.7.2016 to 24.1.2017.
• Special Minister of State from 19.7.2016 to 13.11.2017.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cabinet from 24.1.2017 to 13.11.2017.

Committee service

• Senate Standing: Regulations and Ordinances from 18.11.2010 to 11.11.2013.
• Senate Select: Reform of the Australian Federation from 11.5.2010 to 30.6.2011; Australia's Food Processing Sector from 16.6.2011 to 16.8.2012.
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Finance and Public Administration from 1.7.2008 to 14.5.2009; Finance and Public Administration: References from 14.5.2009 to 27.9.2010 (Chair from 1.2.2010 to 27.9.2010); Finance and Public Administration: Legislation from 14.5.2009 to 27.9.2010 (Deputy Chair from 5.2.2010 to 27.9.2010); Finance and Public Administration: References from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation from 7.7.2011 to 11.11.2013.
• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters from 24.6.2009 to 5.8.2013.

Parliamentary party positions

• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition from 14.9.2010 to 18.9.2013.
• Assistant Manager of Government Business in the Senate from 30.9.2015 to 19.7.2016.

Party positions

• Honorary Life Member and President (1994), Melbourne University Liberal Club
• Patron and Honorary Life Member, Australian Liberal Students' Federation
• Delegate, State Council
• Member, Liberal Party (Vic.) from 1990
• Chair, Constitutional Committee 2004-08
• Member, Administrative Committee 2005-07
• Vice-President (Metropolitan Male), Administrative Committee 2006-07
• Delegate, Federal Council 2007
• Member, Liberal Party Futures Committee 2007-10

Personal

• Born 12.5.1973, Brisbane, Australia.
• Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• B.A (Hons)(Melb.)
• Tutor, Dept of Political Science, University of Melbourne 1998-99
• Dept of Industry, Tourism and Resources 1999
• Office of the Leader of the Opposition (Vic.) 2000-02
• GlaxoSmithKline Australia 2002-07
• Consultant 2007-08
• Research Fellow, Institute of Public Affairs 2007-08