Mark was born and raised in South Australia and graduated with a Bachelor Of Law (LLB) from the University of Adelaide in 1982 and gained a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard in 1994.
Mark shifted to Perth, Western Australia in 1983 and held senior positions in the Australian Labor Party and the trade union movement, principally as Secretary of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Union.
In 1996 Mark entered politics as a Senator and has been a member of the Senate since that time.
From 1988 until2006 Mark held a number of positions on the front bench of the Australian Labor Party including:
Parliamentary Secretary representing the Shadow Minister for Communications 1998 – 2001;
Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs 2001 – 2005 and Shadow Minister for Customs 2003 – 2004;
Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel 2005 – 2006.
From the election of the Labor government in 2007 Mark was elected Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee and holds positions on a number of other defence/foreign affairs/public accounts and audit committees. He is also Deputy Chair of the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee.
In his time in parliament Mark has shown continuing policy interest in veterans’ affairs, defence and foreign affairs matters and has chaired a number of authoritative reports on a range of defence matters.
He has a particular interest in defence policy personnel and procurement areas.
Mark is the Duty Senator for the electorates of Swan, Pearce and Tangney.
Electorate Profile
Pearce
State:
WA
Name Derivation:
Named after Sir George Pearce 1870-1952, Western Australian Senator 1901-38, Minister for Defence during World War I.
Area and Location Description:
The division consists of the eastern region of outer metropolitan Perth and surrounding rural areas. Pearce covers an area of approximately 14 401 sq km and includes the coastal area from Quinns Rock to Lancelin; the country centres of Gingin, Bindoon and Toodyay in the north, Northam and Grass Valley in the east, and York and Beverley to the south, plus the eastern portion of the Darling Ranges and the Swan Valley. Local government authorities in the division include the Shires of Beverley, Chittering, Gingin, Northam, Toodyay, and York; the majority of Mundaring Shire and the City of Swan; part of the City of Wanneroo and the eastern portion of Kalamunda Shire.
Products/Industries of the Area:
Fishing and tourism on the coast; grain crops, sheep, cattle, and fruit growing in the rural inland areas; restaurants, vineyards and wineries; RAAF pilot training at Pearce Air Base; Agricultural Colleges at Muresk and Narrogin, and historic country tourist centres at Beverley, Toodyay and York.
First Proclaimed/Election:
1989/1990
Demographic Rating:
Outer Metropolitan
Members:
- Moylan, J (LP) 1993-
- Chaney, F M (LP) 1990-1993
Swan
State:
WA
Name Derivation:
Named after the Swan River which was discovered and named by the Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh in 1697, after the famous black swans of the area.
Area and Location Description:
Swan covers an area of approximately 126 sq km bordered by the Swan River in the north and west, the Canning River and High Road in the south, and the Roe Highway and Perth Airport in the east. Suburbs include Ascot, Beckenham, Belmont, Bentley, Burswood, Cannington, Carlisle, Cloverdale, Como, East Cannington, East Victoria Park, Ferndale, Karawara, Kensington, Kewdale, Langford, Lathlain, Lynward, Manning, Queens Park, Redcliffe, Rivervale, Salter Point, St James, South Perth, Victoria Park, Waterford, Welshpool and Wilson. The traditional owners of the land are the Noongar people.
Products/Industries of the Area:
Light industry, commercial and retail trade, transport including trucking, railway marshalling yards and Perth international and domestic airport terminals, education including Curtin University of Technology, and sport and tourism including Burswood Entertainment Complex.
First Proclaimed/Election:
1901
Demographic Rating:
Inner Metropolitan
Members:
- Irons, S (LP) 2007-
- Wilkie, K (ALP) 1998-2007
- Randall, D (LP) 1996-1998
- Beazley, K C (ALP) 1980-1996
- Martyr, J R (LP) 1975-1980
- Bennett, A F (ALP) 1969-1975
- Cleaver, R (LP) 1955-1969
- Webb, C H (ALP) 1954-1955
- Grayden, W L (LP) 1949-1954
- Hamilton, L W (CP) 1946-1949
- Mountjoy, D A (ALP) 1943-1946
- Marwick, T W (CP) 1940-1943
- Gregory, H (CP) 1922-1940
- Prowse, J H (CP) 1919-1922
- Corby, E W (ALP) 1918-1919
- Forrest, J (PROT/WAP/LIB/NAT) 1901-1918
Tangney
State:
WA
Name Derivation:
Named after Dame Dorothy Tangney 1911-85, first woman member of the Australian Senate 1943-68.
Area and Location Description:
Tangney covers an area of approximately 96 sq km from the Swan and Canning Rivers to the north and east. The main suburbs include Applecross, Alfred Cove, Ardross, Attadale, Bateman, Booragoon, Bull Creek, Canning Vale, Kardinya (part), Leeming, Melville, Mount Pleasant, Murdoch, Myaree, Parkwood, Riverton, Rossmoyne, Shelley, Willetton and Winthrop. Most are fully built up areas with the exception of Canning Vale which is showing strong housing growth with many new developments.
Products/Industries of the Area:
Some light industry and commercial businesses in Canning Vale, Willetton and Myaree with standard suburban housing throughout the remainder. Murdoch University and St John of God Hospital, Murdoch are located in the south-west of the division.
First Proclaimed/Election:
1973/1974
Demographic Rating:
Inner Metropolitan
Members:
- Jensen, D (LP) 2004-
- Williams, D (LP) 1993-2004
- Shack, P D (LP) 1984-1993
- Gear, G (ALP) 1983-1984
- Shack, P D (LP) 1977-1983
- Richardson, P A (LP/IND) 1975-1977
- Dawkins, J S (ALP) 1974-1975