Career
Born at Roma, Queensland, he was a research assistant before becoming state organiser of the Queensland Labor Party 1967-1972. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the member for Everton at the 1972 state election, but was defeated in the landslide Labor loss of 1974. He was a Labor Party Executive Officer 1976-1977 and State Secretary 1977-1980.
In 1980, he was elected to the Australian Senate as a Labor Senator for Queensland.
He remained in the Senate until his retirement in 1996.