[1] Sherry started his working life as a night cashier and auditor at the Wrest Point Hotel and Casino in Hobart.

While working at Wrest Point, Sherry joined the Federated Liquor and Allied Industries Employees' Union and became State Secretary of the then FLAIEU between 1979 and 1990.

He also held Shadow Ministries for financial services, banking, superannuation, business regulation, consumer affairs and intergenerational finance.

His suicide attempt again gained media attention after Greg Wilton became the first Australian Federal Parliamentarian to take his own life, in June 2000.

These include Senate Standing committees on Scrutiny of Bills, Appropriations and Staffing, Privileges and Regulations and Ordinances.

As Australia's first Minister for Superannuation, Sherry spoke often about the need to lower fees in the industry to provide better retirement incomes for Australians.

During the global financial crisis Minister Sherry implemented a range of measures aimed at stabilising aspects of the regulatory system and enhancing the oversight of key market participants.

These measures included a legislative ban on naked short selling, improved regulation and disclosure of covered short selling, the introduction of oversight and compliance arrangements for credit rating agencies and the transition of the remaining financial and consumer credit services from the Australian states and territories to the Federal Government.

Sherry also signed several financial services mutual recognition agreements with key Australian partners, including the United States and New Zealand.

Sherry held the portfolio of Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law until 9 June 2009, at which point he was promoted to Assistant Treasurer.

[5] As Assistant Treasurer Sherry assisted the Treasurer in the development, implementation and administration of policies in the Treasury portfolio, including a specific focus on taxation, tax design and the national tax reform program (known as Australia's Future Tax System review, or the Henry Review), foreign investment matters, productivity reform issues, international economic regulation, international mutual recognition arrangements and global accounting standards.