Bob McMullan

The Honourable Bob McMullan
Member of the Australian Parliament for Canberra
In office 2 March 1996 – 3 October 1998
Preceded by	Brendan Smyth
Succeeded by	Annette Ellis
Member of the Australian Parliament for Fraser
In office 3 October 1998 – 19 July 2010
Preceded by	Steve Dargavel
Succeeded by	Andrew Leigh
Personal details
Born	10 December 1947 (1947-12-10) Perth, Western Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Alma mater	University of Western Australia
Occupation	Unionist

Robert Francis (Bob) McMullan (born 10 December 1947) is an Australian former politician who represented the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

He was born in Perth, Western Australia, and educated at the University of Western Australia, studying economics and arts. Active in the movement against the Vietnam War, McMullan was conscripted for military service in 1968 but successfully argued in court that he was a conscientious objector. McMullan became an industrial advocate for the trade unions, joining the Labor Party in 1973.

In 1975, McMullan became the Labor Party's Western Australian State Secretary. In 1981 he became National Secretary, based in Canberra, where he has lived ever since. He played a minor role in the 1983 election, at which Labor under Bob Hawke was successful.^{[citation needed]}.

On 19 January 2010, McMullan announced he would retire at the next federal election.

Parliamentary career

On 16 February 1988, McMullan was chosen by a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to fill a casual vacancy in the representation of the Australian Capital Territory in the Senate, caused by the resignation of Susan Ryan. This was the second (and last) time that a territory senate vacancy was filled in this way.

McMullan was Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer 1990–93, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Administrative Services 1993–94, Minister for Administrative Services 1994 and Minister for Trade 1994–96 in the government of Paul Keating.

On 6 February 1996 he resigned his Senate seat in order to contest the Division of Canberra in the House of Representatives at the March election; he was successful. The Keating government having been defeated by John 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 neighbouring seat of Fraser.

McMullan became Manager of Opposition Business (opposite number to the Leader of the House) in 1998, and following Labor's 2001 electoral defeat he was made Shadow Treasurer (finance minister). In July 2003 McMullan was replaced as Shadow Treasurer by Mark Latham and relegated to the post of Shadow Minister for Finance, taking on additional responsibility for Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs. When Latham became Leader he gave the job of Shadow Treasurer to his predecessor Simon Crean, despite having promised the job to McMullan.^{[citation needed]} McMullan then became Shadow Minister for Finance and Shadow Minister for Small Business.

In Question Time in Parliament, McMullan has gained a reputation for repeatedly asking the same question in different words if he does not get a direct answer.^{[citation needed]} After the 2004 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 of Mark Latham.^{[citation needed]}

Following the election of Kevin Rudd on 4 December 2006 as Opposition Leader in place of Kim Beazley, McMullan returned to the front bench in the junior role of Labor spokesperson on Federal-State Relations, the reform of which was one of Rudd's declared priorities.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2007 federal election McMullan successfully held his seat of Fraser, albeit with a two-party preferred to Labor swing of 3% less than the national average.

When the First Rudd Ministry was sworn in on 3 December 2007, McMullan was given the junior post of Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance.

He retired prior to the 2010 federal election.

External links

• Biographical and other Details on Official Labor Party Web Site Accessed 15 September 2008

References

Political offices
Preceded by Ros Kelly	Minister for the Arts 1993–94	Succeeded by Michael Lee
Preceded by Nick Bolkus	Minister for Administrative Services 1994	Succeeded by Frank Walker
Preceded by Peter Cook	Minister for Trade 1994–96	Succeeded by Tim Fischer
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Susan Ryan	Senator for the Australian Capital Territory 1988–96	Succeeded by Kate Lundy
Preceded by Brendan Smyth	Member for Canberra 1996–98	Succeeded by Annette Ellis
Preceded by Steve Dargavel	Member for Fraser 1998–2010	Succeeded by Andrew Leigh