Senator Michael Forshaw was appointed as an Australian Labor Party (ALP) Senator for NSW on 10 May 1994 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2004.
He lives with his wife Jan and three children in the Sydney suburb of Yarrawarrah, located in the Sutherland Shire.
Michael attended primary and secondary school at Cronulla. He subsequently attended Sydney University from 1970 to 1974 graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree majoring in English and Australian Literature. Michael also obtained a Law Degree from the University of NSW in 1984 and was admitted as a Barrister in 1985.
In 1975 he worked as a research and electorate officer for Senator Jim McClelland, Minister for Labour and Immigration in the Whitlam Government. After the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in November 1975 Michael worked in the Professional Employment Office of the Department before commencing work as an industrial officer with the Australian Workers Union in May 1976.
Michael remained with the Australian Workers Union for 18 years becoming Assistant General Secretary in 1989 and then General Secretary in 1991. He served as a member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Executive and the ACTU Wages Negotiating Committee for a number of years and also represented the Australian trade union movement at ILO Conferences in Geneva on three occasions in 1982, 1986 and 1994.
During this period Michael was appointed as a member of the Board of the CSIRO and a member of the Construction Industry Development Council. He also served as a director of the Construction and Building Industry Superannuation Fund and the Australian Retirement Fund.
Since entering the Senate in May 1994 Michael has been an active member of a large number of Parliamentary Committees.
He is currently the Chair of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, the largest and one of the most important Committees in the Federal Parliament. He is also a member of the Joint Committee on Intelligence & Security, the Joint Committee on Public Works, the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence & Trade, the Senators' Interests Committee and the Senate Select Committee on State Government Financial Management.
Previous committees Michael has been a member of include: Finance & Public Administration; Employment, Education & Training; Community Affairs; Aircraft Noise in Sydney; The Lucas Heights Reactor; Medicare; Mental Health; The Retailing Sector; Electoral Matters; Australian Broadcasting Corporation Management and Operations; Regulations and Ordinances; Scrutiny of Bills and Public Accounts and Audit.
Michael has also previously served as Opposition Parliamentary Secretary for the portfolio areas of Health, Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry and Family and Community Services
In 2007, Michael attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York as an Australian Parliamentary Adviser.
Michael has been an active member of the ALP since 1967. He is currently the ALP International Secretary and represents the Prime Minister on the NSW ALP Administrative Committee.
Michael enjoys golf, reading and is a supporter of the Cronulla Sharks Rugby League team.