Biography

Parliamentary service

• Chosen by the Parliament of New South Wales on 6.5.2015 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent the State in the Senate, vice the Hon. J Faulkner (resigned). Re-elected 2016 and 2022.

Ministerial appointments

• Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy from 1.6.2022.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Treaties served from 15.9.2016 to 1.7.2019
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit served from 12.11.2015 to 9.5.2016; Public Accounts and Audit served from 15.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Intelligence and Security served from 2.7.2019 to 18.10.2021; Intelligence and Security served as Deputy Chair from 19.10.2021 to 11.4.2022
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: References served from 14.5.2015 to 9.5.2016; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 12.11.2015 to 9.5.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 12.11.2015 to 15.11.2015; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 16.11.2015 to 9.5.2016; Environment and Communications: Legislation served as Substitute member from 16.3.2016 to 5.5.2016; Economics: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Economics: References served from 1.9.2016 to 1.6.2022; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 1.9.2016 to 12.9.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 1.9.2016 to 11.9.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Deputy Chair from 12.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Economics: Legislation served from 2.7.2019 to 16.3.2021; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Deputy Chair from 4.7.2019 to 5.2.2020; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 4.7.2019 to 6.2.2020; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 16.6.2021 to 1.6.2022
• Senate Select: National Broadband Network served from 13.5.2015 to 13.5.2015; Health served from 14.5.2015 to 5.5.2016; National Broadband Network served as Chair from 14.5.2015 to 12.11.2015; Murray-Darling Basin Plan served from 11.8.2015 to 17.3.2016; Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure in a Warming World served from 10.11.2016 to 7.4.2017; Fair Dinkum Power served from 5.12.2018 to 28.6.2019; Foreign Interference through Social Media served from 5.12.2019 to 9.12.2019; Foreign Interference through Social Media served as Chair from 10.12.2019 to 21.4.2022
• Senate Standing: Appropriations, Staffing and Security served from 28.7.2022 to present

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 06.05.2015 to present
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities from 21.8.2018 to 2.6.2019.
• Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet from 2.6.2019 to 23.5.2022.
• Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 2.6.2019 to 23.5.2022.
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence from 11.8.2020 to 23.5.2022.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 30.8.2016 to 21.8.2018.

Party positions

• President of the Federal Australian Labor Party from 2011 to 2015.

Personal

• Born: 4.7.1973, Murwillumbah, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA(Hons) (University of Sydney).
• Adviser to the Minister for Environment (NSW) from 2002 to 2006.
• Public Servant (NSW) from 2006 to 2010.
• Director at AECOM from 2010 to 2015.