Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for La Trobe, Victoria, 1990. Re-elected 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2001. Retired prior to general elections 2004.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust from 24.6.1996 to 11.8.2004.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Employment, Education and Training served from 16.5.1990 to 11.5.1993; Procedure served from 14.9.1992 to 8.2.1993; Employment, Education and Training served as Deputy Chair from 12.5.1993 to 29.5.1996; Industry, Science and Technology served from 12.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Employment, Education and Training served as Chair from 30.5.1996 to 22.10.1997; House served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Members' Interests served from 23.5.2001 to 8.10.2001; House served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004
• Joint Select: Republic Referendum served as Chair from 2.6.1999 to 9.8.1999
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served as Chair from 22.10.1997 to 1.1.1998; Public Accounts and Audit served as Chair from 1.1.1998 to 31.8.2004; Public Accounts served from 2.1.1998 to 31.8.1998

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the Pacific, July 1993.
• Study tour, China, April 1999.
• Study tour, USA, July-August 2000.
• Member, Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Canberra, January 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Egypt, August-September 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 24.03.1990 to 31.08.2004
• Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet from 25.9.1994 to 11.3.1996.

Party positions

• Chair of the Liberal Party Government Committee on Industrial Relations from 1996.
• Member of the Liberal Party Government Committee on Treasury, Finance, Public Administration, Financial Services and Regulation from 1998.
• Member of the Liberal Party Government Committee on Industry, Science, Resources, Sport and Tourism from 1998.
• Member of the Liberal Party Government Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Employment Services from 1998.

Other positions

• Member of the Lord Baden-Powell Society Leadership Group.
• Member of the Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce from 1987.
• Member of the Boronia Chamber of Commerce from 1990.
• Member of the Save the Dandenongs League from 1990.
• Chair of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees from 1999 to 2000.

Personal

• Born: 24.7.1936, Covington, Kentucky, United States of America
• Died: 17.4.2016
• Gender: Male

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BSc(MechEng) (Purdue University).
• Fellow, Institution of Engineers Australia.
• International Marketing Manager from 1965 to 1970.
• Managing Director at an instrument company from 1970 to 1973.
• Chairman and Managing Director of a construction company from 1973 to 1994.

Electorate

• Name: La Trobe
• Location: eastern outskirts of Melbourne covering the Dandenong Ranges; it includes the suburbs of Bayswater, Beaconsfield, Belgrave, Berwick, Boronia, Cockatoo, Emerald, Ferntree Gully, Gembrook, Narre Warren, Officer, Olinda, Sassafras and Upwey.
• Area: 549 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 88,269 (at 10.11.2001)
• Industries: household products, car accessories and other light industries.
• Includes: La Trobe includes parts of the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorates of Bayswater, Berwick, Dandenong, Knox, Monbulk and Pakenham.