Summary heading
Hon David
Peter Maxwell Hawker
Career within Commonwealth
David
Hawker was born on 1 May 1949 in Adelaide, SA. He was educated at the Church of
England Grammar School then studied at the University of Melbourne where he
completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree. Prior to entering Parliament he was
a farmer and grazier running a farm in Western Victoria.
David
Hawker was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Wannon, Victoria, at a by-election on 7 May 1983. The
by-election resulted from the resignation from Parliament of the The Rt
Hon John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH on 31 March 1983. David Hawker was re-elected in
1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007.
He
became a member of the Speaker’s Panel on 23 November 1998 and was the 27th
Speaker of the House of Representatives from
16 November 2004 to 11 February 2008.
Since
his election in 1983 he has been involved in several Parliamentary delegations
and has contributed to the work on various Parliamentary committees including
being Chair of the Financial Institutions and Public
Administration committee from 30 May 1996 to 31 August 1998.
He
has held a number of Parliamentary Party Positions including the position of
the Deputy Opposition Whip from 12 May 1989 to 11 April 1990 and again from 26
May 1994 to 2 June 1994. On 2 June 1994 he held the position of Opposition Whip
until 11 March 1996.
He
was a Member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry and also Spokesman on Land Transport from 11
April 1990 to 7 April 1993.
In June 2009 he announced that
he would retire from Parliament following the 2010 election.
Sources
Who’s Who
in Australia 1998, p 747
Parliament
of Australia web
site, accessed 23 January 2008 and 14 February 2008.
Unregistered links
Committee Service
House of Representatives Standing Committee – Library - 17
May 1983 to 26 October 1984
House of Representatives Standing Committee – Selection – 18
February 2002 to 31 August 2004