Colin was elected to the Victorian Parliament to represent Bundoora in November 2006 after serving the community in a range of different roles. He was a councillor at Banyule City Council from 1997 to 2005 with two terms as Mayor of the City (1998/99 and 2001/02). He was also a member of the board of the Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service and was active in a number of community organisations.

Having worked for a number of senior Government Ministers before entering Parliament himself, Colin is proud to have started his working life as an electrician, working on large building sites and in railway workshops, which have provided him with a range of experiences that are important in elected office. He has since completed a Masters Degree in Communication.

During his time as a Member of Parliament he has served as the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier.
In March 2017, Colin was elected as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly serving until June 2022 when he was appointed Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers and Minister for Child Protection and Family Services. Since then he has served in Ministerial roles for Housing, Multicultural Affairs, Precincts, Development Victoria, Creative Industries and Industry.

Colin lives in Greensborough, within the electorate, with his wife and children. He enjoys fishing and following Collingwood and the Melbourne Storm.