Background
Marles was born in Geelong, Victoria. He is the son of Donald Marles, a former headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, and Faye Marles, Victoria"s first Equal Opportunity Commissioner and later Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
Marles was born in Geelong, Victoria. He is the son of Donald Marles, a former headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, and Faye Marles, Victoria"s first Equal Opportunity Commissioner and later Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
Marles was educated at Geelong Grammar School and the University of Melbourne where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws with Honours.
He was briefly the Minister for Trade from July to September 2013 and has been the member for the Victorian federal seat of Corio, based on Geelong, since 2007. Marles previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs between 2012 and 2013. He was also the General Secretary of the National Union of Students in 1989
He started his career as a solicitor with Melbourne industrial law firm Slater and Gordon.
In 1994, he became legal officer for the national office of the Transport Workers" Union (TWU).
He was elected TWU National Assistant Secretary four years later. In 2000 he joined Australia"s peak national union body, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), as Assistant Secretary.
In the local ballot Marles polled 57% of the vote, and his endorsement was then confirmed by the party"s public office selection committee. Marles was elected member for Corio on 24 November 2007 in the election that returned the Labor party to office under the leadership of Kevin Rudd.
From February 2008 to June 2009 he was chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.
In June 2009 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry. Marles retained his seat in the 2010 election and was sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs in the First Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010. Marles arrived in Wallis and Futuna to attend a ceremony with King Kapiliele Faupala in Mata-Utu marking the 50th anniversary of the islands" status as a French Overseas collectivity.
Marles had previously visited New Caledonia in October 2010 and French Polynesia in March 2011.
In the ministerial reshuffle of 2 March 2012, Marles was given the additional role of Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. On 21 March 2013 he resigned these roles after expressing support for Kevin Rudd to challenge Julia Gillard for the leadership.
A challenge that did not eventuate. From February 2016, Marles will co-host weekly television program Pyne & Marles on Sky News Live with Liberal Member of Parliament Christopher Pyne.
In July 2011, Marles became the first Australian member of parliament to visit Wallis and Futuna. In June 2013, he was appointed the Minister for Trade and a member of the Cabinet, succeeding Craig Emerson, who resigned following the June 2013 leadership spill that saw Kevin Rudd defeat Julia Gillard for leadership of the Labor Party.