Mark Bishop
Encyclopedia
Thomas Mark Bishop has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Australian Senate
representing the state of Western Australia
since July 1996. He was born in Adelaide
, South Australia
and was educated at the University of Adelaide
and Harvard University
. He was an industrial officer and union secretary before entering politics.
Bishop has been Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs 2001-04, Shadow Minister for Customs 2003-04 and Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel 2005-2006.
In December 2006, Bishop announced that he would not recontest his Senate seat, due to expire on 30 June 2008. However, before the 2007 he decided to recontest and was re-elected for a further six-year term.
In November 2006, Senator Bishop met with Brian Burke
after his party's national secretariat had banned contact with the disgraced former Western Australian premier. Although such contact was claimed to be "of a personal nature", Bishop was counselled by ALP leadership in March 2007.
In the Rudd Labor Government, Senator Bishop is Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, as well as being a member of a number of other Joint House and Senate committees.
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
representing the state of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
since July 1996. He was born in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and was educated at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He was an industrial officer and union secretary before entering politics.
Bishop has been Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs 2001-04, Shadow Minister for Customs 2003-04 and Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Procurement and Personnel 2005-2006.
In December 2006, Bishop announced that he would not recontest his Senate seat, due to expire on 30 June 2008. However, before the 2007 he decided to recontest and was re-elected for a further six-year term.
In November 2006, Senator Bishop met with Brian Burke
Brian Burke
Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...
after his party's national secretariat had banned contact with the disgraced former Western Australian premier. Although such contact was claimed to be "of a personal nature", Bishop was counselled by ALP leadership in March 2007.
In the Rudd Labor Government, Senator Bishop is Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, as well as being a member of a number of other Joint House and Senate committees.