Biography & Family Life

Jenny and I live in Port Hacking with our two young daughters, Abbey and Lily, who are the centre of our lives. There is no better place to live and raise a family than in the Shire. As a husband, father and as the local federal MP for Cook, I am working hard to keep it that way.

That is why I am proud to serve as a patron, member, and supporter of numerous local community and sporting groups including the local Bate Bay Surf Life Saving Clubs, local RSLs, Rotary Clubs, Camp Kookaburra, Sylvanvale Foundation, Sharks Leagues Club, Southern Districts Rugby Club, Sutherland Shire Football Association, Shire Relay for Life, Little Athletics and Cronulla-Sutherland Water Polo, to name a few. It is also why I established the Cook Community Classic to raise funds and support more than thirty local charities and sporting clubs across the Shire.

Only by focusing on community, can we build our capacity to work together to address the many challenges we face – from caring for our local environment, to helping young people prepare for their future, supporting families to stay together as they cope with rising costs of living and looking after the needs of our older residents.

My strong commitment to community is a product of the values inherited from my parents, who taught me that success in life was about what you contributed, rather than what you accumulated.

I grew up in Bronte. My father was a policeman and my mother worked in various administrative jobs to support our family. Outside their day jobs, my parents volunteered to run youth programs for our local church for more than forty years. My father was also involved in aged care and served as a Mayor and local councillor for 16 years.

I was educated at public schools, completing by HSC in 1985 at Sydney Boys High, before studying at the University of NSW, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in applied economic geography.

Growing up, I was heavily involved in music, drama, rowing and rugby, and enjoyed our local beach lifestyle. Today I still enjoy these pursuits, and get down to Forshaw Park to watch the Southern Districts Rebels whenever I can.

To keep active, I enjoy kayaking on Port Hacking and when training for our regular mateship treks, you will find me suffering on the Wanda sand dunes. I have been active in church life from a young age and today my family and I are members of ShireLive Church at Sutherland. My Christian faith remains the driving force for my family, beliefs and values.

Prior to entering politics I worked for 15 years as a CEO and senior executive in various industry bodies and government agencies, both within Australia and overseas, including Managing Director of Tourism Australia and State Director of the Liberal Party and National Policy and Research manager for the now Property Council of Australia.