Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Hughes, New South Wales, 1996. Re-elected 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007. Retired prior to general elections 2010.

Parliamentary positions

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

Ministerial appointments

• Minister for Veterans' Affairs from 26.11.2001 to 26.10.2004.
• Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence from 26.11.2001 to 7.10.2003.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Family and Community Affairs served from 29.5.1996 to 27.11.1997; Communications, Transport and Microeconomic Reform served from 9.10.1996 to 17.10.1996; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 29.9.1997 to 8.10.2001; Environment and Heritage served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Parliamentary Library served from 29.3.2001 to 8.10.2001; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs served from 1.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Science and Innovation served from 1.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs served from 10.11.2008 to 19.7.2010
• Joint Standing: Migration served as Deputy Chair from 11.3.2008 to 19.7.2010

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Bilateral visits to Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, July 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to East Timor, November 1999.
• Official visits to Singapore and Malaysia, February 2002.
• Official visits to Papua New Guinea, October-November 2002.
• Official visits to East Timor, November 2002.
• Official visits to Belgium, France and UK, April-May 2003.
• Official visits to Korea and Vietnam, July-August 2003.
• Official visits to UK and France, November 2003.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 51st CPA Conference, Fiji Islands, September 2005.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand, August 2006.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 118th IPU Conference, Cape Town, South Africa, and bilateral visit to Jordan, April 2008.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Austria, Serbia and Switzerland, October 2008.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 02.03.1996 to 19.07.2010

Party positions

• Member of the Liberal Party from 1993.
• President of the Liberal Party Gymea Branch (NSW) from 1994 to 1995.
• Delegate to the Cook Federal Electorate Conference (NSW) from 1994 to 1995.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party State Council (NSW) from 1994 to 1995.
• Delegate to the Liberal Party Miranda State Electorate Conference (NSW) from 1994 to 1995.

Personal

• Born: 14.11.1944, Sydney, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA (University of Sydney).
• LLB (University of Sydney).
• Full-time wife and mother from 1965 to 1988.
• Student from 1984 to 1988.
• Solicitor from 1988 to 1996.

Electorate

• Name: Hughes
• Location: southern outskirts of Sydney; it includes the suburbs of Alfords Point, Bangor, Barden Ridge, Bonnet Bay, Chipping Norton, Engadine, Hammondville, Heathcote, Holsworthy, Illawong, Jannali, Loftus, Lucas Heights, Menai, Moorebank, Warwick Farm, Wattle Grove, Woronora and parts of Como, Jannali, Liverpool, Sutherland and Waterfall.
• Area: 265 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 91,154 (at 24.11.2007)
• Industries: Lucas Heights Research Laboratories, army base at Holsworthy.
• Includes: Hughes includes the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorates of Menai, and parts of Heathcote, Liverpool and Miranda.