Education
Born and educated in Melbourne, Jenkins graduated in science and medicine from the University of Melbourne, and in arts from Deakin University.
Born and educated in Melbourne, Jenkins graduated in science and medicine from the University of Melbourne, and in arts from Deakin University.
In the Victorian Parliament he was Shadow Minister for Health. Jenkins then moved to the Federal Parliament. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the Division of Scullin at the 1969 election.
After the dismissal of the Whitlam government, Jenkins came under pressure to stand aside from Scullin to allow the President of the ACTU, Bob Hawke, an entry into Parliament at the 1975 election.
But he resisted this and Hawke was not to enter politics until 1980. In May 1983, on the election of the Hawke government, Jenkins was elected Speaker of the House, a position he held until his retirement in 1985.
After leaving politics, Jenkins was appointed Australian Ambassador to Spain, a post he held until 1988.
He worked as a general practitioner until 1961, when he was elected as a Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the seat of Reservoir, where he served until 1969.