Summary heading

Hon Bob McMullan (CP 614)

Unregistered links

20 Oct 1988 – 13 Apr 1989:  Joint Select Committee on Corporations Legislation – Member

13 Aug 1991 – 18 May 1993:  Senate Standing Committee on Procedure – Member

Person descriptive note

Summary heading

Hon Bob McMullan (CP 614)

Career within Commonwealth

Robert Francis (Bob) McMullan was born in Perth, Western Australia. He was educated at Guilford Primary School, Governor Stirling Senior High School, the University of Western Australia and, later, the Australian National University. He joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1967 and became a member of its Western Australian State Executive the following year. A tutor at the University of Western Australia (1971-1972) and freelance industrial advocate (1971-1973), McMullan was State Secretary of the ALP (1975-1991) and the Party’s National Secretary (1981-1988).

In 1988, pursuant to the Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, McMullan entered federal Parliament as an ALP Senator for the Australian Capital Territory. He resigned in February 1996, a month prior to the election of the Howard Liberal Coalition Government, and was elected to the House of Representatives as Member for Canberra at that time. In 1998, following the 1997 electoral redistribution, he was elected Member for Fraser (ACT).

In the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments, McMullan was Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer (1990-1993), Manager of Government Business in the Senate (1991-1993), Minister for the Arts and Administrative Services (1993-1994), Minister for Administrative Services (1994) and Minister for Trade (1994-1996). He also served on Parliamentary Committees relating to Regulations and Ordinances, Corporations Legislation and Administration of Aboriginal Affairs (1988-1989); Senate Estimates, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and Transport, Communications and Infrastructure (1988-90); Public Accounts, the Australian Capital Territory, Health Legislation and Health Insurance (1989-1990); Procedure (1991-1993); and made many official visit overseas.

McMullan was a prominent member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry (1996- 2007) during the period of the Howard Government, holding various Shadow portfolios relating particularly to industrial relations, finance, the arts, industry and technology, reconciliation and indigenous affairs. He was Shadow Minister for Federal/State Relations and Shadow Minister for International Development Assistance from 2006 - 2007 and from 1998-2001 he was Manager of Opposition Business in the House. His Parliamentary Committee service has included being a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Financial Institutions and Public Administration (1996-1997) and Joint Committee on Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund (2001-2002).

Following the 2007 Federal Election, McMullan was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance on 3 December 2007 by the Rudd Labor Government and held this position until 19 July 2010 when he retired from the House of representatives. On 11 October 2010 Kevin Rudd appointed Bob McMullan as the Special Envoy of the Australian Government to Africa.

Bob McMullan is a well-known figure in Canberra, patron of various local sporting and other community organisations and was a strong advocate for the establishment of an ACT Office of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, the National Museum of Australia and the re-opening of Old Parliament House to the public.

Sources

ABC website

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/11/3035265.htm, accessed 23 November 2010

Parliament of Australia Website

http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=12687&TABLE=BIOGS, accessed 5 February 2007 and 24 January 2008

Who’s Who in Australia 2004, p 1335