I have spent the last 20 years working across government and private sector in Australia and New Zealand. I have worked as a senior adviser to Finance Ministers in both countries and to a Prime Minister of New Zealand.
In the private sector I have served as Company Secretary and Executive Director, Legal and Corporate Affairs for an award winning training organisation and I am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Now I am a Senior Director in the ACT Government in Canberra, leading a team delivering strategic infrastructure projects for the Territory.
I am a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.
I hold both Australian and New Zealand citizenship.
QUALIFICATIONS
Company Director Course (GAICD) 2015, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Certificate in Governance Practice (CertGIA) 2016, Governance Institute of Australia
Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) 2002 Victoria University of Wellington
Master of Arts (First Class Honours) Politics 1998 University of Auckland.
Bachelor of Arts 1995 University of Queensland
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Senior Director March 2020 - current
Chief Minister’s, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate
ACT Government, Canberra
I lead a team coordinating strategic infrastructure projects for the Australian Capital Territory such as the University of NSW Canberra City campus, a $1 billion project, expected to deliver over 2,000 jobs.
Chief of Staff August 2016 – February 2020
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
As the Chief of Staff in a large office I led a team of 14 staff. I regularly negotiated with other political parties on legislation and other parliamentary processes. I represented the Shadow Minister in meetings and liaised directly with other Shadow Ministers on her behalf.
In April and May 2019 I was seconded to Campaign Headquarters to be the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Opposition campaign. This leadership role included supervision of the nearly 150 staff working in a high pressure environment and drew on a range of management, leadership and problem solving skills.
Executive Director, Legal and Corporate Affairs April 2015 – August 2016
Charlton Brown
Charlton Brown is a Registered Training Organisation that focuses on early childhood education and care, aged care, and community services training. In November 2015 Charlton Brown won the International Training Provider of the Year award in the Australian Training Awards.
I served as Company Secretary, as a member of the board and had direct executive supervisory responsibilities for staff working in the accounting and compliance teams.
I was the country contact on the Executive Leadership Team for the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and northern Europe and represented the company at events overseas.
Chief of Staff April 2014 to April 2015
South Australian Minister for Manufacturing
Following the 2014 South Australian state election, I spent a year working as Chief of Staff to the Hon Susan Close PhD, the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation and Minister for the Public Sector in the South Australian Government.
Following a Cabinet reshuffle, I took on the temporary role of Chief of Staff to Hon Kyam Maher MLC, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation.
In both cases I worked with newly promoted Ministers to establish their offices, lead their teams and set up effective processes and protocols for working with the public service.
Company Secretary November 2013 – April 2014
Charlton Brown
In this role, I was responsible for advising the Company Board and senior management on legislative compliance and representation of Charlton Brown at Asian Development Bank events in the Philippines.
Director, Legal August 2013 - September 2013
ALP Campaign Headquarters
From the issuing of the writs for the 2013 Australian Federal Election until election day I worked as Director of the Campaign Legal Unit out of the ALP Campaign Headquarters.
I was principal legal adviser to the Campaign Director and oversaw a team of legal and support staff providing advice on a wide range of legal issues including administrative law, electoral law, copyright and defamation.
Deputy Chief of Staff/Senior Adviser January 2011 – October 2013
Australian Minister for Finance and Deregulation
I worked closely with officials in the Department of Finance on budgets and economic and fiscal updates, as well as advising on procurement and government advertising policy.
A particular focus my role was advising on accountability and legislative issues and issues management.
Director, Policy and Advice November 2008 – December 2010
Hon Phil Goff MP, Leader of the Opposition, Wellington
I managed a team of advisers and researchers and was the primary adviser on budget, economic and legal issues. I also led legislative drafting and all associated parliamentary work.
Senior Advisor November 2005 – November 2008
Hon Dr Michael Cullen MP
Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Leader of the House and Attorney-General
As Senior Adviser to the Hon Dr Michael Cullen in his roles as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance and Leader of the House my primary responsibility was day-to-day relationship management with crossbench parties to ensure smooth progress of legislation in Parliament through negotiating support for legislation with other parliamentary parties.
I also advised on major policy issues across various portfolios and provided risk and issues management across a wide range of issues.
I worked closely with senior officials from the New Zealand Treasury, particularly on preparation of budgets, the development of the KiwiSaver superannuation scheme and on company tax cuts.
Senior Advisor February - November 2005
Rt Hon Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand
I provided advice on economic, business, legal and Maori Affairs issues in the Prime Minister’s Office. I also advised on parliamentary and accountability issues, including freedom of information requests and worked closely with the Leader of the House on Parliamentary procedure.
My role included liaison with Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior departmental staff, other ministerial staff and other stakeholders
Manager, Executive Services November 2004 – January 2005
Ministerial and Executive Services, Ministry of Social Development, Wellington
In November 2004 I was appointed to a public service role to establish a new team in the Ministerial and Executive Services group in the Ministry of Social Development. This team set internal policy for ministerial servicing across one of New Zealand’s largest government departments.
Key issues included freedom of information requests under New Zealand’s Official Information Act, responding to parliamentary questions, systems for ensuring accuracy in provision of answers to parliamentary questions, both for question time and for questions in writing and the systems for selecting and inducting Departmental Private Secretaries for Ministerial Offices.
Senior Private Secretary and Advisor August 2002 to November 2004
Hon John Tamihere, Minister for Small Business, Wellington
As the senior staff member I was responsible for supervision and management of 11 professional and administrative staff and had fiscal delegation. My role include co-ordination of advice to the Minister across his various responsibilities.
I was responsible for negotiating support for legislation from other parliamentary parties. I worked closely with senior departmental staff and other Ministerial offices. I also regularly acted as Press Secretary including full-time from August 2002 – April 2003 and August 2004 onwards.
Clerk November 2000 to August 2002
Māori Affairs Select Committee, Parliament of New Zealand
This was a non-political role as a parliamentary official working with members of the New Zealand Parliament’s Māori Affairs Committee.
My work primarily involved advising on matters of Parliamentary law and practice and report writing.
Report writer March to November 2000
Health Select Committee, Parliament of New Zealand, Wellington
My first public service role in New Zealand was as a report writer for the Health Committee in the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, New Zealand Parliament.
Academic roles 1997-1999 Department of Political Science, University of Western Australia
Tutor, Politics Now: Change and Identity, 1999
School of Social Sciences, Auckland Institute of Technology
Tutor and lecturer, New Zealand Politics 1998
Department of Political Studies, University of Auckland
Assistant lecturer, Introduction to Politics and the Media 1998
Tutor, Russian Study Trip 1998
Research Assistant 1997, New Zealand Election Study
Tutor, Australian Politics 1997
SCHOLARSHIPS AND ACADEMIC PRIZES
New Zealand Legal Research Foundation Student Paper Award 2003
New Zealand Electoral Commission 2003 Wallace Award for best paper by a tertiary student
Winthrop Doctoral Scholarship 1999, University of Western Australia
Australian Postgraduate Award 1999, University of Western Australia
University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship, 1998
PUBLICATIONS
“The changing role of Select Committees under MMP”, New Zealand Business and Parliamentary Trust Information Bulletin, July 2002.
“Do New Zealand’s select committees make a difference?” In Reynolds (ed) Parliament 2000: Towards a Modern Committee System Queensland Parliamentary Library: Brisbane, 2001, p81-90. (republished in Australasian Parliamentary Review – Journal of the Australasian Study of Parliament Group, Vol 16, No 2, Spring. pp. 140-150).
“Public Perceptions of the New Zealand Parliament” Legislative Studies Volume 14, Number 2, Autumn 2000.
“Henare and co probably best to stay with party", New Zealand Herald, 17 July 1998.
“Waipareira: A Four-Way Fight” In Boston, Levine, McLeay and Roberts, (eds) From Campaign to Coalition: The 1996 MMP Election. Dunmore: Wellington, 1997.