Chosen by the Parliament of Queensland on 16.5.2000 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent that State in the Senate, vice the Hon. WR Parer (resigned)(term ended 30.6.2005). Elected 2004 (term began 1.7.2005) and 2010.

Parliamentary Representative on the Council of the National Library of Australia from 14.3.05 to 21.3.07.

Temporary Chair of Committees from 18.9.02 to 6.2.07.

Minister for the Arts and Sport from 30.1.07 to 3.12.07.

Senate Standing: House from 8.6.00 to 19.3.02; Regulations and Ordinances from 8.6.00 to 1.7.02; Senators' Interests from 8.6.00 to 19.3.02; Procedure from 1.7.02 to 25.3.03 and from 12.5.10 to 21.3.11; Library from 15.3.05 to 7.12.05; Privileges from 13.2.08 to 14.5.10.

Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs: Legislation Committee from 8.6.00 to 11.2.02; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: Legislation and References Committees from 8.6.00 to 11.2.02; Employment, Workplace Relations and Education: Legislation and References Committees from 13.2.02 to 19.3.02; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation Committee from 8.6.00 to 11.9.06; Economics: Legislation Committee from 13.2.02 (Chair from 14.2.02) to 11.9.06 and References Committee from 14.2.02 to 11.9.06; Economics from 11.9.06 to 8.2.07; Legal and Constitutional Affairs from 11.9.06 to 8.2.07.

Senate Select: A Certain Maritime Incident from 11.3.02 to 23.10.02; Free Trade Agreement - Australia and the United States of America from 12.2.04 to 5.8.04; Scrafton Evidence from 30.8.04 to 9.12.04.

Joint Statutory: Corporations and Financial Services from 14.2.02 to 28.2.07; Intelligence and Security from 6.7.11.

Joint Standing: Electoral Matters from 28.8.02 to 26.2.07; Parliamentary Library from 2.3.06 to 20.3.07.

Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from 29.11.12.

Member, Parliamentary Delegation to UK, November 2006.

Official visit to Canada and USA, September 2007.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 3.5.10.

Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry from 6.12.07. Shadow Attorney-General from 6.12.07; Shadow Minister for the Arts from 14.9.10.

State President, Young Liberals (Qld) 1981.

Chair, Constitution and Rules Committee, Liberal Party (Qld) 1993-94 and 1999-2000.

Chair, Agenda Committee, Liberal Party (Qld) 1993-95 and 1997-99.

Vice-President, Liberal Party (Qld) 1994-95.

Chair, Ryan Federal Electorate Council 1996-99.

Life Member, Young Liberal Movement.

Born 22.6.1957, Sydney, NSW.

Divorced.

BA(Hons), LLB(Hons) (Qld).

BCL (Oxon).

Barrister from 1985.

Appointed Senior Counsel, November 2006.

Liberals face the future: essays on Australian liberalism (with T Harley and D Markwell), Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1984.

Australian liberalism: the continuing vision (with Y Thompson and T Harley), Melbourne: The Liberal Forum, 1986.