Lavalla Catholic College Traralgon 1985-1990.
Elected to represent the electorate of McMillanin 1998 and re-elected in 2001.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Communications and Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.
Served as: a Director of the Victorian Energy Networks Corporation; Chair of the Victorian Government's Sustainable Timber Industry Council; Chairman of the Australian Government's $1 billion Regional Development Australia Fund Advisory Panel; a Director of two Aboriginal organisations in the Kimberley, Waardi Limited and Nyimarr Limited; a Founding Director of the Regional Australia Institute; Chief Executive Officer of Wunan Foundation; Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "significant service to rural and regional development, to the advancement of Indigenous welfare, and to the Australian Parliament" in June 2018