Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Indi, Victoria, 2001. Re-elected 2004, 2007 and 2010. Defeated at general elections 2013.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Select: Recent Australian Bushfires served from 27.3.2003 to 5.11.2003
• House of Representatives Standing: Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 20.3.2002 to 17.10.2007; Employment and Workplace Relations served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry served from 14.2.2007 to 17.10.2007; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 11.3.2008 to 3.2.2010; Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government served from 11.3.2008 to 10.11.2008; Family, Community, Housing and Youth served from 10.11.2008 to 30.11.2009
• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 5.12.2002 to 25.2.2007; National Capital and External Territories served from 1.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Treaties served from 1.12.2004 to 14.2.2007; Electoral Matters served as Chair from 26.2.2007 to 17.10.2007; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 11.3.2008 to 10.3.2009; Parliamentary Library served from 11.3.2008 to 12.5.2010; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 25.10.2010 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Statutory: Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund served from 20.3.2002 to 5.12.2002

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Elected Delegate to the Australian Constitutional Convention, February 1998.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Italy, Austria, France and Switzerland, October 2009.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 10.11.2001 to 07.09.2013
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government from 6.12.2007 to 22.9.2008.
• Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth from 22.9.2008 to 8.12.2009.
• Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research from 8.12.2009 to 14.9.2010.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 8.12.2009 to 18.9.2013.
• Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science from 14.9.2010 to 18.9.2013.

Party positions

• President of the Liberal Club (University of Melbourne).
• Vice-President of the Liberal Party Students' Federation.
• Member of the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.).
• Member of the Liberal Party Workplace Relations Task Force.
• Member of the Liberal Party from 1987.

Other positions

• Member of the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy Victorian Council from 1993.
• Member of the 'No Campaign' for Referendum Committee, 1999.

Personal

• Born: 27.10.1968, Melbourne, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BCom (University of Melbourne).
• LLB (University of Melbourne).
• LLM (University of Melbourne).
• Solicitor and articled clerk from 1995 to 1997.
• Barrister from 1998 to 2001.

Electorate

• Name: Indi
• Location: north-eastern Victoria; it includes the centres of Beechworth, Benalla, Bright, Corryong, Euroa, Mansfield, Mt Beauty, Myrtleford, Rutherglen, Tallangatta, Violet Town, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Yackandandah.
• Area: 28,008 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 92,956 (at 21.8.2010)
• Industries: tourism, forestry, woodchipping, tobacco, viticulture, agriculture, timber processing and manufacturing.
• Includes: Indi includes the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorate of Benambra, and parts of Benalla and Murray Valley.