Biography

Parliamentary service

• Chosen by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia on 5.5.1981, pursuant to Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, to represent the Australian Capital Territory in the Senate, vice J Knight (deceased). Re-elected 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2001. Resigned 14.2.2003.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the Advisory Council on Australian Archives from 22.2.1985 to 27.6.1996.

Parliamentary positions

• Deputy President of the Senate from 9.5.1995 to 19.8.1996.
• Chair of Committees from 9.5.1995 to 19.8.1996.
• President of the Senate from 20.8.1996 to 18.8.2002.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Certain Aspects of the Operation and Interpretation of the Family Law Act served from 17.4.1991 to 8.2.1993; Certain Family Law Issues served from 18.5.1993 to 28.11.1995
• Joint Standing: Australian Capital Territory served from 7.5.1981 to 12.5.1981; Australian Capital Territory served as Chair from 13.5.1981 to 10.5.1983; Australian Capital Territory served as Deputy Chair from 11.5.1983 to 30.5.1989; New Parliament House served from 11.5.1983 to 19.2.1990; Australian Capital Territory served from 31.5.1989 to 7.5.1992; Parliamentary Zone served from 10.9.1991 to 8.2.1993; National Capital served as Deputy Chair from 7.5.1992 to 8.2.1993; National Capital and External Territories served from 20.5.1993 to 20.8.1996
• Joint Statutory: Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings served from 20.8.1996 to 18.8.2002
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group A served from 26.8.1981 to 4.2.1983; Estimates Group C served from 23.9.1982 to 4.2.1983; Estimates Group F served from 4.5.1983 to 24.3.1987; Estimates Group E served from 24.3.1987 to 5.6.1987; Estimates Group F served from 24.9.1987 to 29.9.1988; Estimates Group D served from 29.9.1988 to 7.5.1990
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Education and the Arts served from 25.8.1981 to 4.2.1983; Transport, Communications and Infrastructure served from 11.5.1990 to 11.9.1990; Transport, Communications and Infrastructure served as Substitute member from 11.9.1990 to 3.3.1991
• Senate Select: Legislation Procedures served from 31.8.1988 to 1.12.1988
• Senate Standing: Procedure served from 9.10.1987 to 1.5.1996; Selection of Bills served from 8.5.1990 to 9.5.1995; House served from 1.7.1993 to 8.5.1995; Senators' Interests served from 24.3.1994 to 29.4.1996; House served as Chair from 9.5.1995 to 20.8.1996; Procedure served as Chair from 2.5.1996 to 19.8.1996; Procedure served from 20.8.1996 to 18.8.2002; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 20.8.1996 to 9.11.1998; Appropriations and Staffing served as Chair from 20.8.1996 to 9.11.1998; Parliamentary Library served from 10.11.1998 to 23.11.1998; Appropriations and Staffing served from 10.11.1998 to 23.11.1998; Appropriations and Staffing served as Chair from 24.11.1998 to 11.2.2002; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 24.11.1998 to 11.2.2002; Parliamentary Library served from 12.2.2002 to 12.2.2002; Appropriations and Staffing served from 12.2.2002 to 12.2.2002; Appropriations and Staffing served as Chair from 13.2.2002 to 18.8.2002; Parliamentary Library served as Chair from 13.2.2002 to 18.8.2002; Privileges served from 21.8.2002 to 14.2.2003; Senators' Interests served from 29.8.2002 to 14.2.2003

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, 74th IPU Conference, Ottawa, September 1985.
• Delegate, 34th CPA Conference, Canberra, September 1988.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to South Pacific, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Western Samoa, July-August 1989.
• Delegate, 30th South Pacific Conference, Noumea, October 1990.
• Delegate, Asia Pacific Regional Colloquy of the Strasbourg Conference on Parliamentary Democracy, Canberra, 1991.
• Delegate, 37th CPA Conference, India, September 1991.
• Member, 91st IPU Conference, Paris, March 1994.
• Bilateral visit to Turkey, March-April 1994.
• Attended 11th CPA Australian and Pacific Regional Seminar, Western Samoa and Adelaide, September 1994.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 23rd CPA Regional Conference, Cook Islands, September 1995.
• Attended 27th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference, Hobart, July 1996.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Poland, Hungary and Germany, September-October 1996.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to France and Belgium, June-July 1997.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 43rd CPA Conference, Mauritius, and bilateral visit to South Africa, September 1997.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 44th CPA Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, and bilateral visits to Samoa and Fiji, October 1998.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to UK and Germany, June 1998.
• Member, Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers, Trinidad and Tobago, and CPA Working Party meeting, New Delhi, India, January 1998.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meeting, Swaziland and bilateral visit to China, April-May 1998.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meeting, Singapore, May 1999.
• Attended 30th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference, Fiji, July 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 7th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Lima, Peru, and bilateral visit to Brazil and Argentina, January 1999.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 45th CPA Conference, Trinidad and Tobago, September 1999.
• Attended 553rd Wilton Park Seminar, London, UK, and bilateral visit to the Republic of Ireland, February-March 1999.
• Attended funeral of HRH Prince Tu'ipelehake, Nuku'alofa, Tonga, April 1999.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Canada and USA, October-November 1999.
• Attended 15th Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers, Canberra, January 2000.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, April-May 2000.
• Attended Centenary of Federation Official Visit, London, UK, July 2000.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Ireland and China, July 2000.
• Official Parliamentary Visit to Paris, and Expo Hanover, Germany, July 2000.
• Attended Conference of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments, New York, August-September 2000.
• Attended 20th CPA Conference for Small Countries, Jersey, September 2000.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 46th CPA Conference, London, UK, September-October 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 8th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Canberra, January 2000.
• Attended 31st Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference, Norfolk Island, August 2000.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meeting, Gibraltar and bilateral visit to Singapore, April 2000.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meeting, Barbados, April-May 2001.
• Attended 32nd Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, June-July 2001.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to 47th CPA Conference, Canberra, September 2001.
• 21st CPA Conference for Small Countries, Darwin, September 2001.
• Official visit to Portugal and Spain, January 2002.
• Attended CPA Conference to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, London, UK, March 2002.
• Leader, Parliamentary Delegation to Austria, Finland and Germany, April 2002.
• Attended CPA Executive Committee meeting, Kiribati, April-May 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 05.05.1981 to 14.02.2003
• Government Deputy Whip in the Senate from 18.11.1982 to 4.2.1983.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 21.4.1983 to 14.9.1987.
• Opposition Whip in the Senate from 14.9.1987 to 9.5.1995.

Personal

• Born: 28.5.1935, Crystal Brook, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• LLB (University of Adelaide).
• Barrister and solicitor.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 14.6.2004.