He was a lawyer in 1974 and 1975 before moving into political advising as a research officer for a number of Australian Labor Party (ALP) members including Clyde Cameron.

[1] After the end of the Keating Government (due to its election defeat in 1996), Bolkus was Shadow Attorney-General and Minister for Justice from March 1996 to November 2001.

[4] In this portfolio he introduced world leading legislation to protect the privacy of individuals in their relationships with credit data agencies.

In these positions, Bolkus tried making both the Department's and Government's immigration, refugee and multicultural policies more relevant to Australia's social, economic and humanitarian needs.

[15] In 2003, Bolkus was accused and personally attacked by Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott for failing to declare donations made by Dante Tan.

[17] Abbott also accused Bolkus of money laundering,[18] however it became clear that the matter was in fact not a breach of any regulations regarding political donations.