Rob Hulls
Encyclopedia
Rob Justin Hulls has been a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
since 1996, representing the electorate of Niddrie
. As well as previously serving as the Deputy Premier of Victoria, he was also the state Attorney-General and Minister for Racing.
Rob Hulls was born in Melbourne and was privately educated at the exclusive Xavier College from 1969-72 and then moved to the private Peninsula School
from 1973-75. He then completed a law degree at RMIT
.
Hulls was previously a Solicitor for the Legal Aid Commission Victoria from 1984-86. He was also Principal, Rob Hulls & Associates Mount Isa, from 1986-90.
. He was elected in 1990, succeeding the long-standing National Party member, Bob Katter, Sr.
, who had retired from politics (he died just prior to the election).
In 1993, he was defeated by Bob Katter
, the former member's son, who had been a minister in the Bjelke-Petersen
, Ahern and Cooper
ministries at state level in Queensland.
, Jim Kennan
, former Attorney-General, who resigned from State Parliament shortly after. Rob Hulls stayed on as Chief of Staff under Kennan's replacement John Brumby
who was Victoria's State Premier from 2007 - 2010. Following his election to the State Parliament, in the lower-house seat of Niddrie, Rob Hulls' replacement as Brumby's Chief of Staff was Julia Gillard
, who is now Australia's Prime Minister.
In his state political career Rob Hulls has held the offices of Attorney-General
; Minister for Manufacturing Industry and Minister for Racing from 1999-2002; Minister for WorkCover from 2002-2005; Minister for Planning January 2005-December 2006; Minister for Racing from December 2006 - November 2010 and Minister for Industrial Relations from December 2002 - November 2010.
As Attorney-General, Rob Hulls instigated significant changes in Victoria's legal system which saw the establishment of the state's first Charter of Human Rights and reform to Victoria's Upper House. He established special courts for Victoria's indigenous community and introduced an open tender process for applicants to Victoria's judiciary.
He was unsuccessful in a campaign to defrock the legal profession and ban the wearing of wigs in courts, a move that was actively opposed by the Victorian Bar Association. Rob Hulls was quoted as saying that "members of the legal profession could continue to wear wigs in the privacy of their homes if they so wished but the wearing of wigs by the legal profession in the 21st century was outdated and elitist".
He was appointed as Deputy Premier on 30 July 2007 after the retirement of John Thwaites
serving as deputy under John Brumby who he had been Chief of Staff to some years earlier and retained the position as Attorney-General until his party's defeat at the election on 27 November 2010.
with his second wife and has four children. Rob Hulls is a keen supporter of the Geelong Football Club
.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
since 1996, representing the electorate of Niddrie
Electoral district of Niddrie
The Electoral district of Niddrie is a metropolitan electorate approximately 8 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Australia in Victoria's Legislative Assembly....
. As well as previously serving as the Deputy Premier of Victoria, he was also the state Attorney-General and Minister for Racing.
Rob Hulls was born in Melbourne and was privately educated at the exclusive Xavier College from 1969-72 and then moved to the private Peninsula School
The Peninsula School
The Peninsula School is an independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school, located in Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia.Founded in 1961, the school is set on the large hilly green fields overlooking Port Phillip Bay in the Mornington Peninsula and is a member of the Associated...
from 1973-75. He then completed a law degree at RMIT
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
.
Hulls was previously a Solicitor for the Legal Aid Commission Victoria from 1984-86. He was also Principal, Rob Hulls & Associates Mount Isa, from 1986-90.
Federal Parliament
Rob Hulls served one term in Federal Parliament from 1990-93 as the member for Kennedy, QueenslandDivision of Kennedy
The Division of Kennedy is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The division is notable for its size, relative to other electoral divisions...
. He was elected in 1990, succeeding the long-standing National Party member, Bob Katter, Sr.
Bob Katter, Sr.
Robert Cummin "Bob" Katter was an Australian federal politician and Minister for the Army. He was a Country Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for over 23 years.-Early years and background:...
, who had retired from politics (he died just prior to the election).
In 1993, he was defeated by Bob Katter
Bob Katter
Robert Carl "Bob" Katter is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party...
, the former member's son, who had been a minister in the Bjelke-Petersen
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
, Ahern and Cooper
Second Cooper Ministry
The Cooper Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Country Party Premier Russell Cooper and Deputy Premier Bill Gunn...
ministries at state level in Queensland.
Victorian State Parliament
Rob Hulls left Queensland soon after the losing his Federal Parliament seat, and in 1994 on returning to Melbourne was appointed Chief of Staff to the Victorian Opposition LeaderLeader of the Opposition (Victoria)
The Leader of the Opposition in Victoria is the leader of the largest political party in parliament but not in government. He or she is always a member of the Legislative Assembly...
, Jim Kennan
Jim Kennan
James Harley "Jim" Kennan SC was an Australian politician and later Adjunct Professor of Law at Deakin University.He earned a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne...
, former Attorney-General, who resigned from State Parliament shortly after. Rob Hulls stayed on as Chief of Staff under Kennan's replacement John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
who was Victoria's State Premier from 2007 - 2010. Following his election to the State Parliament, in the lower-house seat of Niddrie, Rob Hulls' replacement as Brumby's Chief of Staff was Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
, who is now Australia's Prime Minister.
In his state political career Rob Hulls has held the offices of Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Victoria (Australia)
The Attorney-General of Victoria is a ministry of the Government of Victoria with responsibility for the state's courts and tribunals. The Attorney General is a senior minister in the state government and the First Law Officer of the State....
; Minister for Manufacturing Industry and Minister for Racing from 1999-2002; Minister for WorkCover from 2002-2005; Minister for Planning January 2005-December 2006; Minister for Racing from December 2006 - November 2010 and Minister for Industrial Relations from December 2002 - November 2010.
As Attorney-General, Rob Hulls instigated significant changes in Victoria's legal system which saw the establishment of the state's first Charter of Human Rights and reform to Victoria's Upper House. He established special courts for Victoria's indigenous community and introduced an open tender process for applicants to Victoria's judiciary.
He was unsuccessful in a campaign to defrock the legal profession and ban the wearing of wigs in courts, a move that was actively opposed by the Victorian Bar Association. Rob Hulls was quoted as saying that "members of the legal profession could continue to wear wigs in the privacy of their homes if they so wished but the wearing of wigs by the legal profession in the 21st century was outdated and elitist".
He was appointed as Deputy Premier on 30 July 2007 after the retirement of John Thwaites
John Thwaites (Australian politician)
Johnstone William "John" Thwaites , Australian politician, was Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria from 1999 to 2007.-Early life :...
serving as deputy under John Brumby who he had been Chief of Staff to some years earlier and retained the position as Attorney-General until his party's defeat at the election on 27 November 2010.
Personal life
Hulls married twice and lives in Brunswick WestBrunswick West, Victoria
Brunswick West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
with his second wife and has four children. Rob Hulls is a keen supporter of the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
.