The Day After Tomorrow

A CASSE Symposium on Breakthrough Recognition

SPEAKER PROFILE: The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP

Member for Isaacs, Shadow Attorney General, Shadow Minister for National Security, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business (House)

Mark was elected to parliament in 2007 as the Member for Isaacs. He studied Arts and Law at the University of Melbourne.

A former Director of the Law Council of Australia, Mark served on the Victorian Bar Ethics Committee and Victorian Bar Council. In 1999 he was appointed as a Queen’s Counsel.

Mark has always been a strong advocate for social justice and believes in creating a sustainable environment for our future generations.

During his time in the law, Mark worked with Australia’s Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and was involved in the landmark Stolen Generations case before the High Court.

“I believe our laws should provide a framework that allows us to protect and care for all Australians, including our elderly, our sick, our injured, our workers, our new arrivals, our indigenous people, our young and our outspoken writers, artists and journalists, reflecting our national values of fairness and equality of opportunity.”

His passion for a sustainable future included assisting Labor to put a price on carbon pollution to help reduce Australia’s emissions and protect our environment in his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

Mark is the son of a composer and teacher. His father came to Australia as refugee from Germany at the age of eleven having fled from the Nazi regime.

In February 2013 Mark was sworn in as Attorney-General and Minister for Emergency Management and in March 2013 took on the additional responsibilities of Minister for the Public Service and Integrity and Special Minister of State.

Mark is a passionate but long-suffering member of the St Kilda Football club and enjoys cycling, swimming and spending time with his family.

In October 2013, Mark was appointed to the positions of Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for the Arts. Mark was a leading figure against the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cuts to arts funding and its attempts to scrap Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

In July 2016, Mark was re-appointed as Shadow Attorney-General and given additional responsibilities as the Shadow Minister for National Security.