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. W Parer (resigned). Re-elected 2004, 2010 and 2016. Resigned 7.2.2018.

Member of the National Library of Australia Council from 14.3.2005 to 13.6.2007.

Temporary Chair of Committees from 18.9.2002 to 6.2.2007.

Minister for the Arts and Sport from 30.1.2007 to 3.12.2007.

Minister for the Arts from 18.9.2013 to 21.9.2015.

Attorney-General from 18.9.2013 to 20.12.2017.

Vice-President of the Executive Council from 18.9.2013 to 20.12.2017.

Cabinet Minister from 18.9.2013 to 20.12.2017.

Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples served as Deputy Chair from 29.11.2012 to 5.8.2013

Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 28.8.2002 to 26.2.2007; Parliamentary Library served from 2.3.2006 to 21.3.2007

Joint Statutory: Corporations and Financial Services served from 14.2.2002 to 30.1.2007; Intelligence and Security served from 6.7.2011 to 5.8.2013

Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs: Legislation served from 8.6.2000 to 11.2.2002; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 8.6.2000 to 10.9.2006; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: Legislation served from 8.6.2000 to 11.2.2002; Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education: References served from 8.6.2000 to 11.2.2002; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served from 13.2.2002 to 19.3.2002; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: References served from 13.2.2002 to 19.3.2002; Economics: Legislation served from 13.2.2002 to 13.2.2002; Economics: References served from 14.2.2002 to 10.9.2006; Economics: Legislation served as Chair from 14.2.2002 to 10.9.2006; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 2.9.2003 to 3.9.2003; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 6.12.2004 to 7.12.2004; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 10.2.2005 to 10.2.2005; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 11.9.2006 to 8.2.2007; Economics served from 11.9.2006 to 11.9.2006; Economics served as Chair from 12.9.2006 to 8.2.2007; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served as Substitute member from 28.9.2006 to 29.9.2006

Senate Select: A Certain Maritime Incident served from 11.3.2002 to 23.10.2002; Free Trade Agreement - Australia and the United States of America served from 12.2.2004 to 5.8.2004; Scrafton Evidence served from 30.8.2004 to 9.12.2004

Senate Standing: House served from 8.6.2000 to 19.3.2002; Regulations and Ordinances served from 8.6.2000 to 1.7.2002; Senators' Interests served from 8.6.2000 to 19.3.2002; Procedure served from 1.7.2002 to 25.3.2003; Parliamentary Library served from 15.3.2005 to 21.3.2007; Privileges served as Chair from 13.2.2008 to 13.5.2010; Procedure served from 12.5.2010 to 21.3.2011; Privileges served from 14.5.2010 to 14.5.2010; Privileges served from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Procedure served from 21.9.2015 to 9.5.2016; Appropriations, Staffing and Security served from 21.9.2015 to 9.5.2016; Appropriations, Staffing and Security served from 1.9.2016 to 7.2.2018

Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from 18.9.2013 to 21.9.2015.

Leader of the Government in the Senate from 21.9.2015 to 9.5.2016.

Shadow Attorney-General from 6.12.2007 to 18.9.2013.

Shadow Cabinet Minister from 6.12.2007 to 18.9.2013.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 3.5.2010 to 18.9.2013.

Shadow Minister for the Arts from 14.9.2010 to 18.9.2013.

Life Member of the Young Liberal Movement.

President of the Young Liberals State Branch (Qld.), 1981.

Chair of the Liberal Party Constitution and Rules Committee (Qld.) from 1993 to 1994.

Chair of the Liberal Party Agenda Committee (Qld.) from 1993 to 1995.

Vice-President of the Liberal Party State Branch (Qld.) from 1994 to 1995.

Chair of the Ryan Federal Electorate Council from 1996 to 1999.

Chair of the Liberal Party Agenda Committee (Qld.) from 1997 to 1999.

Chair of the Liberal Party Constitution and Rules Committee (Qld.) from 1999 to 2000.

Appointed Senior Counsel from November 2006.

Appointed Queen's Counsel from June 2013.

Born: 22.6.1957, Sydney, Australia

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Divorced

BA(Hons) (University of Queensland).

BCL (University of Oxford).

LLB(Hons) (University of Queensland).

Barrister from 1985.

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

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