Gary served in the House of Representatives and was Special Minister of State and Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations in the second Keating government.
He served as an Associate Commissioner of the Commonwealth Productivity Commission and was the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commissioner 2017-2022.
He received the Centenary Medal for ‘service to Australian society through the advancement of economic, social and political issues’ and the 2002 Fulbright Professional Award in Australian-United States Alliance Studies, served at Georgetown University Washington DC.
He is the author of The Burden of Culture (Quadrant) and chair of Close the Gap Research.