Senator Evans was elected to Federal Parliament in 1993.
He was Chair of the Joint Native Title Committee and was appointed as the Opposition Whip in the Senate following the 1996 Election.
He was appointed to the Shadow Ministry after the 1998 Election as the Shadow Minister for Family Services and the Aged. Following the 2001 Election he was appointed Shadow Minister for Defence, and in 2004 became the Shadow Minister for Defence Procurement, Science and Personnel.
In October 2004 Chris was elected as the Federal Labor Leader in the Senate, and also became the Shadow Minister for Social Security. In June 2005 he became Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services, and in December 2006 became Shadow Minister for National Development, Resources and Energy. Chris's work within the ALP has spanned a number of policy areas. He has served on the Party's National Executive and has convened Labor's National Social Justice Policy Committee.Prior to entering Federal Parliament he was the State Secretary of the Labor Party's WA Branch and before that was Secretary of the Fire Fighters Union in WA.
Chris is married with two sons. He is very keen about rugby and is also stubbornly loyal to the Fremantle Dockers Football Club.