Responsibilities

Parliamentary Service

• Elected to the Senate for the Australian Capital Territory, 6.3.1996. (Territory Senators serve for the same term as the House of Representatives).
• Re-elected to the Senate for the Australian Capital Territory, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.

Parliamentary Party Positions

Current (as of February 2011):

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

Previous:

• September 2010 – February 2011 – Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary to Immigration and Citizenship
• November 2007 – Government Senator, Chair Joint Standing Committee National Capital and External Territories.
• December 2006 – Shadow Minister for Local Government, Sport, Recreation and Health Promotion
• June 2005 – Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation
• November 2004 – Shadow Minister for Manufacturing and Consumer Affairs
• August 2004 – Shadow Minister for Arts, Sport and Information Technology
• November 2001 – Shadow Minister for Information Technology and Sport
• October 1998 – Shadow Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs and Assisting on Information Technology
• August 1997 – Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism and Assistant to the Shadow Ministers for Science and Information Technology, Youth Affairs and the Arts

Committee Service

Senate and Joint House Committees

Previous membership (From 2007 until election in 2010):

• Chair, Joint Standing Committee National Capital and External Territories
• Joint Standing Committee of Cybersafety
• Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts (and participating member)
  
• Joint Standing Committee Public Accounts and Audit
• Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network
• Appropriations and Staffing Committee—Standing Committee
• Agricultural and Related Industries—Select Committee
• Community Affairs—References Committee
• Economics—Legislation Committee
• Economics—References Committee
• Education, Employment and Workplace Relations—Legislation Committee
• Education, Employment and Workplace Relations—References Committee
• Environment, Communications and the Arts—References Committee
• Finance and Public Administration—Legislation Committee
• Finance and Public Administration—References Committee
• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Legislation Committee
• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—References Committee
• Fuel and Energy—Select Committee
• Legal and Constitutional Affairs—Legislation Committee
• Legal and Constitutional Affairs—References Committee
• Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities—Select Committee
• Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport—Legislation Committee
• Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport—References Committee
• Deputy Chair Environment, Communications, IT and the Arts Legislation Committee
• Full member, Environment, Communications IT and the Arts References Committee
• Participating Member, Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee
• Participating Member, Finance and Public Administration References Committee
• Participating Member, Economics Legislation and References Committees
• Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation and References Committees
• Senate Select Information Technologies from 30.9.97 to 27.1.98.
• Deputy Chair Joint Standing Committee National Capital and External Territories

NOTE: list not exhaustive

Patron Responsibility

• ACT Cricket Association Vice President
• ACT Tennis Association (Tennis ACT)
• ACT Touch Association
• ACT Wrestling Inc
• AFL Canberra Junior League
• Asthma in Parliament Friend
• Australian Touch Association
• Canberra Eid Mela Society
Canberra Rowing Club
Canberra Skateboarders Association
Capital Community Housing
Charnwood Community Health Care
Chinese Arts and Cultural Organisation
Construction Industry Traning Council
Dragons Abreast Co-patron with Dr Linda Reaby
Majura Junior Soccer Club Co-Patron
Motorcycling Against Cancer
MS Society Co-patron with Senator Gary Humphries
Parliamentary Group on Population and Development member
Parliamentary Prayer Network designated school Trinity Christian School
Sids and Kids Pushathon
Women in Information and Communications
• Women into Building Project

Conferences, Delegations and Visits

• Delegation Leader: 7th Australia-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program, 5 – 14 October 1997 Report arising from Delegation to Japan
• Parliamentary Delegate to the Australian Constitutional Convention, Canberra, February 1998.
• European Community Visitors Program Report, January 2000
• IT Trade Mission to Israel and Silicon Valley, The Australian Experience in San Francisco and Computers Freedom and Privacy Conference in Toronto, Canada. May 2000
• International Parliamentarians Association for Information Technology (IPAIT), Seoul, Korea August 2002
• ALP Trade Delegation to China 20 February to 1 March 2005

Party Positions and other memberships

• Member, ALP from 1987
• Delegate, ALP Branch Council and Branch Conference (ACT) from 1988
• Founding member, Emily’s List 1996 onwards

Personal

• Born 15.12.67 at Sydney, NSW
• Lived in Quirindi, NSW, 1968 – 1974
• Canberra, since 1975 – and love it!

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Year 10 Certificate Ginninderra High School, Canberra
• Asbestos Removal Labourer 1984-86.
• Organiser: Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (ACT Branch) 1986-96 (formerly Building Worker’s Industrial Union)
• Vice President: Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (ACT Branch) 1987-96 (formerly Building Worker’s Industrial Union)
• Scaffolding Certificate and Licence 1992
• Member, Vice president, ACT Trades and Labour Council Executive 1988-1996
• President, ACT Trades and Labour Council 1993-96.