Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Victoria 2007. Re-elected 2013 and 2016. Resigned 13.10.2021.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 15.6.2009 to 28.9.2010.
• President of the Senate from 13.11.2017 to 13.10.2021.

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

• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 24.6.2009 to 19.7.2010; Electoral Matters served from 12.5.2011 to 9.12.2011
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Finance and Public Administration served from 1.7.2008 to 13.5.2009; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 14.5.2009 to 4.2.2010; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 14.5.2009 to 31.1.2010; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 1.2.2010 to 27.9.2010; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Deputy Chair from 5.2.2010 to 27.9.2010; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Economics: References served as Substitute member from 6.10.2011 to 6.10.2011
• Senate Select: Reform of the Australian Federation served from 11.5.2010 to 30.6.2011; Australia's Food Processing Sector served from 16.6.2011 to 16.8.2012
• Senate Standing: Regulations and Ordinances served from 18.11.2010 to 11.11.2013; Appropriations, Staffing and Security served as Chair from 13.11.2017 to 1.7.2019; Procedure served from 13.11.2017 to 1.7.2019

Parliamentary party positions

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

Party positions

• Honorary Life Member of the Melbourne University Liberal Club.
• Honorary Life Member of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation.
• Member of the Liberal Party (Vic.) from 1990.
• President of the Melbourne University Liberal Club, 1994.
• Chair of the Liberal Party (Vic.) Constitutional Committee from 2004 to 2008.
• Member of the Liberal Party (Vic.) Constitutional Committee from 2004.
• Member of the Liberal Party (Vic.) Administrative Committee from 2005 to 2007.
• Vice-President of the Liberal Party (Vic.) from 2006 to 2007.
• Member of the Liberal Party Futures Committee from 2007 to 2010.

Personal

• Born: 12.5.1973, Brisbane, Australia
• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA(Hons) (University of Melbourne).
• Tutor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Melbourne from 1998 to 1999.
• Speechwriter, Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, 1999.
• Office of the Leader of the Opposition (Vic.) from 2000 to 2002.
• GlaxoSmithKline Australia from 2002 to 2007.
• Consultant from 2007 to 2008.
• Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs from 2007 to 2008.