24 Facts About Mark Dreyfus

Mark Alfred Dreyfus was born on 3 October 1956 and is an Australian politician and lawyer who has been attorney-general of Australia and cabinet secretary since June 2022, having held both roles previously in 2013 and from 2010 to 2013 respectively.

Mark Dreyfus would hold these positions for less than three months, as Labor was defeated in the 2013 election.

Mark Dreyfus ordered the discontinuation of the prosecution of whistleblower Bernard Collaery, and has pledged reform to the Privacy Act in response to several high-profile data breaches that have taken place in Australia.

Mark Dreyfus was born in Perth, Western Australia, the son of George Mark Dreyfus, a noted composer who came to Australia from Nazi Germany.

Mark Dreyfus was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne on a full scholarship and the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Ormond College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.

Mark Dreyfus represented Michael Danby in a defamation suit against the LaRouche movement.

Mark Dreyfus served as a director of the Law Council of Australia and on the Victorian Bar Council and Victorian Bar Ethics Committee.

In March 2006, Mark Dreyfus successfully challenged the sitting Labor member for the Division of Isaacs, Ann Corcoran, for the right to contest the 2007 election.

At the 2010 Australian federal election, Mark Dreyfus was re-elected, gaining a further 3.33-point swing to Labor.

In September 2010, Mark Dreyfus was appointed as Cabinet Secretary as well as Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in the Second Gillard Ministry.

Mark Dreyfus took on additional responsibilities in December 2011 when he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation.

Mark Dreyfus is a strong advocate for action on climate change and for the establishment a federal anti-corruption agency.

Mark Dreyfus was a vocal supporter of the 'yes' campaign during the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey and a vocal opponent against Abbott government era funding reductions to climate science research at the CSIRO.

On 2 February 2013, Mark Dreyfus was promoted to Attorney-General and as Minister for Emergency Management after the resignation of Nicola Roxon.

Mark Dreyfus was given additional responsibilities on 1 July 2013 as Special Minister of State and Minister for the Public Service and Integrity following the decision by Gary Gray to resign from the ministry following the June 2013 Labor leadership spill.

Mark Dreyfus served as Labor's Shadow Attorney-General from 2013 to 2022, where he championed the establishment of a Federal Integrity Commission and greater funding for community legal centres.

In September 2022, Mark Dreyfus presented the legislation to create a national anti-corruption commission to Parliament, and the bill was passed on 30 November.

On 7 July 2022 Mark Dreyfus used his powers as Attorney-General to discontinue the prosecution of lawyer Bernard Collaery, which had been initiated by his predecessor Christian Porter.

Mark Dreyfus led the establishment of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, announcing the Letters Patent on 25 August 2022 alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Mark Dreyfus is a member of the Parliamentary Friends of the IHRA, which has been advocating for universities to adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism.

Mark Dreyfus lives in Malvern with his Chilean-born wife Deborah.

Mark Dreyfus is a keen swimmer, cyclist and runner and is a frequent participant in open water swims and fun runs within his electorate.

Mark Dreyfus speaks fluent Spanish and has stated that, had he not become a lawyer, he would have liked to become a park ranger in the Alpine National Park.

Mark Dreyfus is a supporter of the St Kilda Football Club.