Bill Heffernan
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Senator Bill Heffernan |
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Bill Heffernan in April 2010
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| Senator for New South Wales | |
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In office 18 September 1996 – 9 May 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Baume |
| Succeeded by | Brian Burston |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
3 March 1943 Junee, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Profession | Member of Parliament |
William Daniel Heffernan, more commonly known as Bill Heffernan, (born 3 March 1943), is an Australian former politician, who was a Liberal Party member of the Senate, representing the state of New South Wales, from September 1996 to May 2016.
Heffernan was born in Junee, New South Wales and attended St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. He has qualifications in wool classing and welding from Wagga Wagga Technical College and has been a farmer in the Junee area for 30 years. Heffernan lives with his wife Margaret.
Heffernan was a member of the Junee Shire Council 1981–96 and was President of the Council 1989–90 and 1991–93. He was active in the Liberal Party for many years and was the party's NSW State President 1993–1996.
He ran for the Liberal Party in the 1993 Federal Election in the seat of Riverina, but was unsuccessful.
In September 1996, the NSW Parliament appointed Heffernan to replace Liberal Senator Michael Baume, whose resignation created a casual vacancy. Heffernan had been a long-time friend and supporter of then Prime Minister John Howard in the NSW Liberal Party, and in October 1998, after he was elected in his own right to a six-year term in the Senate, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet, a position giving him easy access to the Prime Minister. He has since been reelected twice, in 2004 and 2010, and is currently the Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries, Rural & Regional Affairs Policy Committee, Member of Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport and Member of the Joint House Committee. His current Senate term expires on 30 June 2017.
In 2007 Heffernan was appointed Chairman of the Prime Minister's Taskforce to examine the potential and opportunities for further land and water development in Northern Australia.
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