Gear was elected for the
Australian Labor Party as the member for the seat of
Tangney at the
1983 election for the
Australian House of Representatives, defeating incumbent
Liberal Peter Shack. However, after a redistribution erased his majority and made Tangney a notional Liberal seat, Gear shifted to the nearby seat of
Canning for the
1984 election and won. He had to fend off spirited challenges from Liberal opponent
Ricky Johnston in the next four elections, particularly when his seat started shifting southward toward
Mandurah. At the
1996 federal election, Johnston was successful at her fifth attempt, making him one of eight ministers to be defeated in the 1996 election.
Federal Parliament Gear was
Government Whip from May 1990 to March 1993. During this time he was a member of the
House Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration which conducted an extensive Inquiry into Australia's banking system. He was also Chairman of the House Privileges Committee. In 1991 Gear led a
parliamentary delegation to the
United Nations General Assembly in
New York between September and December. He was attached to the Australian mission and worked as a part of their team in negotiations, speeches and chairing meetings as required. In March 1993, Gear was elected to the ministry and was appointed
Assistant Treasurer in the
Second Keating Ministry. He represented Australia at the
Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, The
World Bank and
International Monetary Fund in Washington, The
Asia Development Bank in Nice, the
Pacific Forum in Port Moresby and the annual bilateral talks with the Japanese Government in Tokyo. declaring his intention to contest the role of Mayor in the
City of Melville for the 2019
local government elections. The position had been occupied since 2007 by Russell Aubrey, whose third term as Mayor had been marred with public controversy and internal division. A long-time Melville resident, Gear ran his campaign on a platform of rebuilding confidence in the council, restoring integrity to City processes and decision-making, mending relations with ratepayers and residents and giving ratepayers better value for money. Following the conclusion of polling conducted by the
Western Australian Electoral Commission on 19 October 2019, Gear was elected as mayor, capturing 42 per cent of the votes, ahead of rivals Russell Aubrey (29 per cent) and Katy Mair (29 per cent). Gear's term as mayor ended in October 2023, when he lost the election to Katy Mair. but lost on
preferences. This was the first time that optional preferential voting had been used in local government elections; ==Notes==