1. Nick Bolkus was a member of the Senate from July 1981 to June 2005, representing the state of South Australia.
20 Facts About Nick Bolkus
1. 2.
Nick Bolkus was a lawyer in 1974 and 1975 before moving into political advising as a research officer for a number of Australian Labor Party members including Clyde Cameron.
3.
Nick Bolkus unsuccessfully ran for the district of Torrens at the 1975 state election and for the Senate at the 1977 federal election.
4.
Nick Bolkus entered politics as a Senator for South Australia following the 1980 Australian federal election.
5.
Nick Bolkus was appointed to the outer Ministry as Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Prices.
6.
Nick Bolkus was appointed as Minister for Administrative Services, and then Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs.
7.
Nick Bolkus was first elected to the Federal Ministry in February 1988 as Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Prices.
8.
Nick Bolkus introduced the Banking Ombudsman, streamlining National Uniform Food Laws, introducing a series of Codes of Conduct protecting consumers, and initiating enquiries into the pricing practices of the computer software, music and book industries.
9.
Nick Bolkus was appointed to Cabinet in 1990 as Minister for Administrative Services, a portfolio which he held until the 1993 election.
10.
Nick Bolkus transitioned the department to a commercialized, corporatized and competitive body.
11.
Nick Bolkus used the extensive reach of a department n such areas as Commonwealth property ownership, construction, purchasing and the Australian Electoral Commission, to pursue the government's environmental and industry policy agenda, particularly in the Information Technology area.
12.
In 1993, Nick Bolkus was appointed Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs.
13.
Nick Bolkus has served on and Chaired a number of Parliamentary Committees in the areas of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Industrial Relations, Corporation Legislation, Indigenous Affairs, and Human Rights He was Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs.
14.
Nick Bolkus represented the Australian Parliament at the 1983 and 1984 Constitutional Conventions and at the 41st General Assembly of the United Nations in 1986.
15.
In 2003, Nick Bolkus was accused and personally attacked by Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott for failing to declare donations made by Dante Tan.
16.
Abbott accused Nick Bolkus of having breached the legal requirements of accepting a political donation.
17.
Nick Bolkus successfully sued Nationwide News in the District Court of South Australia for defamation in Nick Bolkus v Nationwide News.
18.
Until 2015, Nick Bolkus was a partner at Bespoke Approach, a corporate advisory firm.
19.
Nick Bolkus is the Chairman of Directors of Nuturf Australia Pty Ltd, and Envirogreen Pty Ltd.
20.
Nick Bolkus is currently a Director of the industry based Australian Fisheries Academy.