Bill was born in Oshawa, Ontario. He studied Canadian History and Political Science at the University of Toronto and graduated with a B.A. in 1978. In 1979, Bill moved to British Columbia, and studied at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia.

Always active in student politics, Bill was the Prime Minister of his high school student parliament and President of the Victoria University Students' Administrative Council at the University of Toronto.

In September 1986, Bill began work as an Assistant to former MP Svend Robinson. In that capacity, he helped thousands of Burnaby residents and dozens of Burnaby organizations access government services. Bill also worked on issues such as the abolition of capital punishment, reproductive choice for women, anti-poverty initiatives, human rights, and physician-assisted suicide. He represented Svend on the Local Advisory Council to the Canada Employment Centre, the Burnaby Interagency Council, and the Burnaby Poverty Initiative.

An active member of the New Democratic Party for more than 20 years, Bill has served on provincial and federal riding associations, and numerous committees. Since 1984, he has worked on election campaigns in Burnaby, Vancouver and Ottawa. In 1997, Bill was the federal NDP candidate in Vancouver Centre.

As a lifelong member of the United Church of Canada, Bill has been a very active layperson in church affairs. He has served as a church representative on the Victoria University (at the University of Toronto) Board of Regents. Bill also served on the National Task Force on the Changing Roles of Women and Men in Church and Society, and he has chaired the church's National Pastoral Relations Committee.

Bill has also been an activist with Affirm United, the organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered United Church members and adherents. Bill was a candidate for the ministry in the United Church in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was one of the first gay or lesbian people to come out in the process toward ordination, and was a leader of the campaign that saw gay and lesbian church members secure the right to be considered for ordination and commissioning in the United Church.

Until his election Bill was a member of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union Local 232 and a delegate to the New Westminster and District Labour Council.

Bill is the NDP Party critic for Canadian Heritage, Housing, and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Transsexual issues. Member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Bill and his partner Brian Burke have been together for 27 years. Brian is a United Church minister and serves at St. John’s United Church in Vancouver. They live in the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood of the Burnaby-Douglas riding.