He left school before obtaining a leaving certificate and began working as a post office telegram boy.
In 1962 he joined the Postmaster-General's Department as a telephone technician, receiving further training at North Sydney Technical College.
He became a paid ALP employee with the support of Graham Richardson, initially as an organiser and then as assistant general secretary of the state branch from 1976 to 1979.
[7] In 1993, the Division of Phillip was due to be abolished, and its sitting member Jeannette McHugh had become a minister and was entitled to a seat.
[7] He, Neil Andrew and Bronwyn Bishop are the only three speakers to be subject to motions of no confidence (which were defeated in all cases on party lines).
Paul McLeay was the Member for Heathcote in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2003 until his defeat at the 2011 state election.