Labor People - Mark Bishop

Mark Bishop

Senator for Western Australia

Electorate Office
Suite 31
443 Albany Highway
Victoria Park, WA, 6100
Postal Address:
PO Box 571
Victoria Park WA 6979
(08) 9472 6177
(08) 9472 6200

Parliament House
PO Box 6022
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
(02) 6277 3101
(02) 6277 3123
Email Mark

Biography

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 Rudd Labor government in2007 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.

Electorate Profile: Pearce

State: Western Australia

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 26 251 sq km and includes the coastal area from Mindarie to Lancelin; the country centres of Gingin, Bindoon and Toodyay in the north, Northam and Grass Valley in the east and York, Beverley, Brookton, Narrogin, Williams and Boddington 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, Boddington, Brookton, Chittering, Cuballing, Gingin, Narrogin, Northam, Pingelly, Toodyay, Wandering, Williams and York; the Towns of Narrogin and Northam; 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

Electorate Profile: Swan

State: Western Australia

Name Derivation: Swan was named after the Swan River which was 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

Electorate Profile: Tangney

State: Western Australia

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 70 sq km from the Swan and Canning Rivers to the north and east, with the proposed Roe Highway forming much of its southern boundary. The main suburbs include Applecross, Alfred Cove, Ardross, Attadale (part), Bateman, Booragoon, Bull Creek, Ferndale, Langford, Leeming, Lynwood, Melville, Mount Pleasant, Murdoch, Myaree, Parkwood, Riverton, Rossmoyne, Shelley, Willetton and Winthrop.

Products/Industries of the Area: Some light industry in Willetton and Myaree with standard suburban housing throughout the remainder. Murdoch University is located in the south-west of the division.

First Proclaimed/Election: 1973/1974

Demographic Rating: Inner Metropolitan

Members: