Biography

Parliamentary service

• State: Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council, 1995. Resigned 28.2.2003.
• Federal: Elected to the House of Representatives for Page, New South Wales, 2007. Re-elected 2010. Defeated at general elections 2013.

Parliamentary positions

• Member of the Speaker's Panel from 18.2.2008 to 19.7.2010.
• Member of the Speaker's Panel from 27.5.2013 to 5.8.2013.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: House served from 19.2.2008 to 19.7.2010; Selection served from 30.9.2010 to 14.5.2013; Petitions served from 25.10.2010 to 5.8.2013; Appropriations and Administration served from 13.2.2013 to 5.8.2013; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs served from 14.5.2013 to 15.5.2013; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs served as Chair from 16.5.2013 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples served from 29.11.2012 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 18.2.2008 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Statutory: Public Works served as Chair from 25.10.2010 to 29.11.2012

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Timor-Leste, August 2009.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Japan, January 2012.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Timor-Leste, March 2012.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 24.11.2007 to 07.09.2013
• Government Whip in the House of Representatives from 27.11.2012 to 13.5.2013.

Party positions

• President of the Australian Labor Party Lismore Branch (NSW).
• President of the Australian Labor Party Lismore State Electorate Council (NSW).
• President of the Australian Labor Party Richmond Federal Electorate Council (NSW).
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party Country Conference.
• Vice-President of the Australian Labor Party Parliamentary Country Labor Committee (NSW).
• Member of the Country Labor Advocacy Committee.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party from 1982.

Personal

• Born: 1.11.1954, Ipswich, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• DipT (Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education).
• BLegSt (Macquarie University).
• Community consultant and advocate from 1990 to 1995.
• Solicitor from 1993 to 1994.
• Member of the Legislative Council (NSW) from 1995 to 2003.
• Senior Political Adviser to HE Dr Jose Ramos-Horta from 2004 to 2007.

State/Territory Government service

• Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council, 1995. Resigned 28.2.2003.

Electorate

• Name: Page
• Location: New South Wales north coast; it includes the centres of Alstonville, Ballina, Casino, Evans Head, Grafton, Iluka, Kyogle, Lismore and Yamba.
• Area: 16,143 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 94,360 (at 21.8.2010)
• Industries: dairy and beef cattle, pigs, maize, tropical fruit, sugar cane, fishing, prawning, oysters, butter and dairy factories, timber mills, several abattoirs and tourism.
• Includes: Page includes parts of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorates of Ballina, Clarence and Lismore.