Bob McMullan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Manager of Opposition Business | |
| In office 20 October 1998 – 25 November 2001 | |
| Leader | Kim Beazley |
| Preceded by | Simon Crean |
| Succeeded by | Wayne Swan |
| Minister for Trade | |
| In office 30 January 1994 – 11 March 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Keating |
| Preceded by | Peter Cook |
| Succeeded by | Tim Fischer |
| Minister for the Arts | |
| In office 24 March 1993 – 30 January 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Keating |
| Preceded by | Ros Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Michael Lee |
| Minister for Administrative Services | |
| In office 24 March 1993 – 25 March 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | Paul Keating |
| Preceded by | Nick Bolkus |
| Succeeded by | Frank Walker |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forFraser | |
| In office 3 October 1998 – 19 July 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Dargavel |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Leigh |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forCanberra | |
| In office 2 March 1996 – 3 October 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Brendan Smyth |
| Succeeded by | Annette Ellis |
| Senator forthe Australian Capital Territory | |
| In office 16 February 1988 – 6 February 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Susan Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Kate Lundy |
| National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party | |
| In office 28 July 1981 – 7 April 1988 | |
| Preceded by | David Combe |
| Succeeded by | Bob Hogg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-12-10)10 December 1947 (age 78) |
| Party | Labor |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation | Politician |
Robert Francis McMullan (born 10 December 1947) is a former Australian politician. A member of theAustralian Labor Party (ALP), he was acabinet minister in theKeating government asMinister for Arts and Administrative Services (1993–1994) andMinister for Trade (1994–1996). He was a member of federal parliament for over 22 years, initially as aSenator for theAustralian Capital Territory from 1988 to 1996 and then as a member of theHouse of Representatives from 1996 to 2010. Prior to entering parliament he was state secretary of the ALP inWestern Australia from 1975 to 1981 and national secretary from 1981 to 1988.
McMullan was born inPerth on 10 December 1947.[1] He attended Guildford Primary School andGovernor Stirling Senior High School.[2] He was raised in a working-class family; his older brothers left school prematurely to support the family, but he was able to continue to Year 12 after receiving a state government bursary.[3]
McMullan graduated from theUniversity of Western Australia with aBachelor of Arts in economics and aBachelor of Economics in industrial relations.[2] He was the first member of his family to attend university.[3] He was active in the movement against theVietnam War and wasconscripted for military service in 1968 but successfully argued in court that he was aconscientious objector.[4] After university he tutored in industrial relations and worked as a freelance industrial advocate from 1971 to 1973.[2]
McMullan joined the Australian Labor Party in 1967 while at university. Active in student politics, he was elected to the ALP state executive the following year and in 1971 became the state president ofYoung Labor.[2]
McMullan was appointed state secretary of theWestern Australian branch of the ALP in 1975. He was elected national secretary in 1981,[1] and moved to Canberra.[5] His tenure included the ALP's victory at the1983,1984 and1987 federal elections. In December 1987 he announced he would seek ALP preselection to fill the casual vacancy caused bySusan Ryan's resignation from the Senate.[6]
On 16 February 1988,[7] McMullan was chosen by a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to fill acasual vacancy in the representation of theAustralian Capital Territory in the Senate, caused by the resignation ofSusan Ryan.[8] This was the second (and last) time that a territory senate vacancy was filled in this way.[9]
McMullan was Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer 1990–93,Minister for the Arts andMinister for Administrative Services 1993–94, Minister for Administrative Services 1994 andMinister for Trade 1994–96 in the government ofPaul Keating.
As Arts Minister he was shadowed by Opposition leaderJohn Hewson who had appointed himself as Shadow Arts Minister.[10]
On 6 February 1996 he resigned his Senate seat in order to contest theDivision of Canberra in the House of Representatives at theMarch election; he was successful. He was the first person to represent theAustralian Capital Territory inboth houses of federal parliament. The Keating government having been defeated byJohn Howard, Labor went into opposition and McMullan was elected as a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry. In 1998, following a redistribution, McMullan moved to the neighbouringseat of Fraser.[citation needed]
McMullan became Manager of Opposition Business (opposite number to theLeader of the House) in 1998, and following Labor's2001 electoral defeat he was made Shadow Treasurer. In July 2003 McMullan was replaced as Shadow Treasurer byMark Latham and relegated to the post of Shadow Minister for Finance, taking on additional responsibility for Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs. McMullan then became Shadow Minister for Finance and Shadow Minister for Small Business.[citation needed]
InQuestion Time in Parliament, McMullan gained a reputation for repeatedly asking the same question in different words if he did not get a direct answer. After the2004 election, McMullan did not stand for election to the Shadow Cabinet, in what was widely seen as an expression of lack of confidence in the leadership ofMark Latham.[citation needed]
Following the election ofKevin Rudd on 4 December 2006 as Opposition Leader in place ofKim Beazley, McMullan returned to the front bench in the junior role of Labor spokesperson on Federal-State Relations,[11] the reform of which was one of Rudd's declared priorities.[citation needed]
In the2007 federal election McMullan held his seat of Fraser, albeit with a two-party preferred swing to Labor of less than 2%, one-third of the national average swing to Labor.[12]
When theFirst Rudd Ministry was sworn in on 3 December 2007, McMullan was given the junior post of Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance.[13] On 19 January 2010, McMullan announced he would not contest the next federal election.[14] He retired prior to the2010 federal election.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for the Arts 1993–1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Administrative Services 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Trade 1994–1996 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Senator for theAustralian Capital Territory 1988–1996 Served alongside:Margaret Reid | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member forCanberra 1996–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member forFraser 1998–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party 1981-1988 | Succeeded by |
First Keating ministry (1991–93) | ||
|---|---|---|
Prime Minister:Paul Keating | ||
| Cabinet |  | |
| Outer Ministry | ||
| Parliamentary Secretaries | ||
| International | |
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| People | |
