Career
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.
In September 1996 the NSW parliament chose Heffernan to replace the long-serving Liberal Senator Michael Baume, whose resignation created a casual vacancy. He 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.
Read more about this topic: Bill Heffernan
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