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Ruddock was born in Sydney , New South Wales , the son of Max Ruddock , who was a Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly . He was educated at Barker College in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby and the University Of Sydney , and became a solicitor. He joined the firm Berne, Murray and Tout, and was promoted to partner. In 1973 , he was elected to the House Of Representatives , as a Liberal member for the seat of Parramatta . He shifted to the seat of Dundas in 1977 and to Berowra in 1993 . In the 1980s and early 1990s , he was an active member of the parliamentary group of Amnesty International . Ruddock was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry from 1983 to 1985 and from 1989 to 1996 . In 1988 , while a backbencher, he "crossed the floor" to support a Labor move to ensure that immigration did not discriminate on the basis of race. Crossing the floor, or voting against a parliamentary party decision is unusual in Australian politics, although more so now than in 1988. In 1996 , when the Liberals gained office, Ruddock was appointed to the Cabinet as Immigration Minister. In this role, he presided over the Howard government's hardline policies on Asylum Seekers . He maintained and extended the practice of Mandatory Detention of asylum seekers, and played a key role in both the Tampa Crisis and Children Overboard Affair . The asylum seekers issue played a role in the Liberal victory at the 2001 election, and Ruddock was subsequently rewarded with the additional portfolio of Indigenous Affairs. By 2001 he had become a high-profile figure enjoy considerable support within the Liberal Party, while being strongly opposed by left-wing activists and some Human Rights advocates. At one point he was one of the few senior ministers (besides the prime minister) to have needed personal security details. Areas in Ruddock's portfolio and some of his decisions were highly controversial in Australian politics, and led to Amnesty International 's public attempt to distance the organisation from him by asking him to remove his lapel badge. In 2003 , Ruddock was accused by the Labor immigration spokesperson, Julia Gillard , of personally intervening to give a Filipino with a criminal record, Dante Tan, favourable treatment in exchange for donations to the Liberal Party. Ruddock acknowledged his role in the representing a constituent but strongly denied any linkage between his actions and any financial support for the Liberal Party. Soon afterwards Ruddock was promoted to the position of Attorney-General in a ministerial shakeup. He is now responsible for the government's policy on national security, and has introduced legislation giving greater powers to Australia's security agency, ASIO . Ruddock is the Longest Serving Member Of The House Of Representatives or the Father Of The House . His name had been mentioned in some circles as a potential deputy leader for the federal Liberal Party in the late 1990s. This possibility now seems remote. In 2006, Philip Ruddock blocked a gay Australian man from marrying in Europe. Ruddock refused to grant a gay man living in the Netherlands a 'Certificate of No Impedimen' document required by some European countries before marriage, to prove foreigners are in fact single. Ruddock decided that such documents were not to be released to gay and lesbians individuals intending to marry overseas {Link without Title} . The government made the statement, ""Following the advice of the Australian Attorney-General's Department we herewith certify that Australian law does not allow the issue of a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage to persons wishing to enter into a same-sex marriage." He went on to say that he did not believe there was community support for same-sex marriage. RELATED ARTICLE
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