Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Gellibrand, Victoria, 1998. Re-elected 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010. Retired prior to general elections 2013.

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Health and Ageing from 3.12.2007 to 14.12.2011.
• Cabinet Minister from 3.12.2007 to 4.2.2013.
• Attorney-General from 14.12.2011 to 4.2.2013.
• Minister for Emergency Management from 5.3.2012 to 4.2.2013.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Legal and Constitutional Affairs served as Deputy Chair from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Industry, Science and Resources served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 2.12.2004 to 6.2.2007; Privileges and Members' Interests served from 5.2.2013 to 5.2.2013; Privileges and Members' Interests served as Chair from 6.2.2013 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Select: Republic Referendum served from 9.6.1999 to 9.8.1999
• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 14.5.2013 to 5.8.2013

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Syria, Lebanon and Israel, November 2003.
• Official visits to France and Malaysia, October 2010.
• Official visits to China, April 2011.
• Official visits to USA, September 2011.
• Official visits to USA, May 2012.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 03.10.1998 to 05.08.2013
• Shadow Minister for Child Care, Family Support and Youth from 25.11.2001 to 23.8.2002.
• Shadow Minister for Children and Youth from 23.8.2002 to 2.7.2003.
• Shadow Minister for Status of Women from 18.2.2003 to 2.7.2003.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 2.7.2003 to 3.12.2007.
• Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on the Status of Women from 2.7.2003 to 26.10.2004.
• Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration from 2.7.2003 to 8.12.2003.
• Shadow Attorney-General from 8.12.2003 to 10.12.2006.
• Shadow Minister for Health from 10.12.2006 to 3.12.2007.

Party positions

• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (Vic.).
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Public Office Selection Committee.
• Convener of the Australian Labor Party National Women's Network from 1999 to 2004.

Personal

• Born: 1.4.1967, Sydney, Australia
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA (University of Melbourne).
• LLB(Hons) (University of Melbourne).
• Associate to the Hon. Justice M Gaudron, High Court of Australia from 1992 to 1994.
• Organiser for the National Union of Workers from 1994 to 1996.
• Industrial lawyer and Senior Associate at Maurice Blackburn and Co. from 1996 to 1998.

Electorate

• Name: Gellibrand
• Location: western Melbourne; it includes the suburbs of Altona, Altona Meadows, Altona North, Braybrook, Brooklyn, Footscray, Footscray West, Kingsville, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, Newport, Seabrook, Seaholme, South Kingsville, Spotswood, Tottenham, Williamstown, Williamstown North and Yarraville.
• Area: 91 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 95,611 (at 21.8.2010)
• Industries: food processing, petrochemical and carbon products, marine engineering facilities, transport facilities, warehousing, tertiary education, tourism and retail industries.
• Includes: Gellibrand includes the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorate of Williamstown, and parts of Altona and Footscray.

Publications

• Potential and reality: women workers and the structural efficiency principle, Centre for Industrial Relations and Labour Studies, Melbourne: 1991.