Early involvement

Quirke joined the ALP in 1979 and served as president of its Mount Lofty branch. He was elected to the state executive in 1986 and was a delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference. He first stood for parliament at the 1984 federal election, losing to Alexander Downer in the Division of Mayo. He then stood unsuccessfully for the seat of Alexandra at the 1985 South Australian state election. In the same year he joined the staff of Senator Dominic Foreman.^[1]

State politics

Quirke was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly at the 1989 state election, retaining the seat of Playford for the Labor Party following the retirement of Terry McRae. As a backbencher he was known as a strong opponent of the Multifunction Polis development. He was re-elected at the 1993 election, which saw the defeat of the incumbent ALP government, and subsequently joined Mike Rann's shadow cabinet.^[3] He held numerous portfolios, including that of Shadow Treasurer from February 1994. Quirke was originally a member of the party's Centre Left faction, but joined the Labor Right faction in 1995 as part of a mass defection following a preselection dispute. He was known as a factional powerbroker.^[1]

Senate

In September 1997, Quirke resigned his seat in the House of Assembly in order to be appointed to the Senate, filling a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Dominic Foreman. He was elected in his own right at the 1998 federal election and was subsequently elected as a deputy whip. Quirke chaired the Select Committee on the Socio-Economic Consequences of the National Competition Policy, which was established in 1998 and reported in 2000. He supported the "Yes" vote in the 1999 Australian republic referendum.^[1]

Quirke resigned from the Senate due to ill health in August 2000, following a collapse at an ALP conference. Geoff Buckland was chosen as his replacement.^[1]