Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Queensland 1974. Re-elected 1975, 1977, 1983. Resigned 5.11.1984 to contest the House of Representatives division of Moncrieff, Queensland. Elected to the House of Representatives for Moncrieff, Queensland, 1984. Re-elected 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1998. Retired prior to general elections 2001.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the National Library of Australia Council from 2.3.1984 to 5.11.1984.
• Member of the Advisory Council on Australian Archives from 7.6.1984 to 5.11.1984.

Parliamentary positions

• Deputy Chairman of Committees from 8.5.1990 to 8.2.1993.
• Member of the Speaker's Panel from 1.5.1996 to 21.10.1997.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 9.10.1997 to 16.2.2000.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: House served from 28.2.1985 to 1.6.1989; Employment, Education and Training served as Deputy Chair from 8.10.1987 to 5.10.1989; Employment, Education and Training served from 6.10.1989 to 24.10.1989; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 22.12.1989 to 19.2.1990; House served from 16.5.1990 to 30.10.1997; Procedure served from 3.6.1992 to 12.10.1992; Procedure served as Deputy Chair from 13.10.1992 to 29.1.1996; Employment, Education and Training served from 12.5.1993 to 29.6.1994; Procedure served from 30.1.1996 to 28.5.1996; Procedure served as Chair from 29.5.1996 to 23.10.1997; Privileges served from 18.6.1996 to 22.10.1997
• Joint Select: Migration Regulations served from 15.6.1989 to 19.2.1990
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs and Defence served from 22.8.1978 to 23.9.1981; New Parliament House served from 25.8.1981 to 1.6.1989; Migration Regulations served from 20.6.1991 to 8.2.1993; Migration served from 26.5.1993 to 29.1.1996
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group D served from 3.10.1974 to 19.5.1976; Estimates Group D served as Chair from 20.5.1976 to 26.8.1976; Estimates Group C served from 26.8.1976 to 7.9.1976; Estimates Group C served as Chair from 8.9.1976 to 20.2.1978; Estimates Group B served from 16.3.1978 to 6.4.1978; Estimates Group B served as Chair from 7.4.1978 to 20.9.1978; Estimates Group A served from 20.9.1978 to 20.9.1978; Estimates Group A served as Chair from 21.9.1978 to 21.8.1980; Estimates Group B served from 2.4.1981 to 6.4.1981; Estimates Group B served as Chair from 7.4.1981 to 26.8.1981; Estimates Group A served from 26.8.1981 to 27.8.1981; Estimates Group B served from 27.8.1981 to 4.2.1983; Estimates Group G served from 17.9.1982 to 21.9.1982; Estimates Group D served from 4.5.1983 to 20.2.1985
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Education, Science and the Arts served from 25.9.1974 to 11.11.1975; Education and the Arts served from 24.3.1976 to 17.8.1978; Foreign Affairs and Defence served from 1.4.1981 to 9.9.1981; Education and the Arts served from 21.4.1983 to 20.2.1985
• Senate Standing: House served from 23.7.1974 to 11.11.1975; House served from 17.8.1978 to 20.2.1985

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended official meetings in China, January 1977.
• Delegate to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from June to July 1978.
• Attended official meetings in Cambodia, November 1979.
• Delegate to the United Nations World Conference on Women, Denmark, July 1980.
• Delegate to the 36th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the USA from August to December 1980.
• Delegate to the 8th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Organisation General Assembly, Indonesia, September 1985.
• Delegate to the 9th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Organisation General Assembly, Malaysia, January 1988.
• Attended official meetings in the South Pacific, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Western Samoa from July to August 1989.
• Parliamentary delegation member to the USSR from September to October 1990.
• Delegate to the 84th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Uruguay, October 1990.
• Delegate to the 85th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, North Korea, April 1991.
• Attended official meetings in China, April 1991.
• Delegate to the 86th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Chile, October 1991.
• Delegate to the 87th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Cameroon, April 1992.
• Attended official meetings in Russia and Ukraine, April 1992.
• Delegate to the 88th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Sweden, September 1992.
• Delegate to the 90th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Canberra, September 1993.
• Delegate to the 92nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Denmark, September 1994.
• Delegate to the 41st Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference, Sri Lanka, October 1995.
• Delegate to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Organisation meeting, Thailand, September 1996.
• Delegate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference on Women in Parliament, India, February 1997.
• Delegate to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Organisation General Assembly, Indonesia, September 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Thailand and Laos, September 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands from October to November 1997.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam from February to March 1998.
• Attended official meetings in the USA, May 1998.
• Attended official meetings in Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe from March to April 1999.
• Attended official meetings in the Solomon Islands, July 1999.
• Attended official meetings in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, January 2000.
• Attended study tour in Ireland and Singapore, July 2000.

Parliamentary party positions

• Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 18.05.1974 to 05.11.1984, 01.12.1984 to 08.10.2001
• Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Administrative Services from 16.3.1983 to 5.11.1984.
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.
• Opposition Assistant Whip in the Senate from 8.4.1975 to 11.11.1975.
• Government Assistant Whip in the Senate from 22.12.1975 to 22.2.1977.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the House of Representatives from 20.10.1994 to 11.3.1996.

Party positions

• Life Member of the Young Liberals.
• Secretary of the Young Liberals (Qld) from 1961 to 1963.
• Vice-President of the Young Liberals (Qld) from 1963 to 1964.
• Member of the Liberal Party State Executive (Qld) from 1974 to 1977.
• Member of the Liberal Party State Executive (Qld) from 1979 to 1983.

Personal

• Born: 8.3.1942, Brisbane, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Mathematics and English teacher.
• Administrative Officer at the University of Queensland. .
• Part-time lecturer at the Queensland Institute of Technology.

Electorate

• Name: Moncrieff
• Location: South-east Queensland, northern part of the Gold Coast and hinterland; it includes the centres of Arundel, Labrador, Nerang, Parkwood, Southport, Surfers Paradise, Worongary, and parts of Broadbeach.
• Area: 182 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 81,725 (at 3.10.1998)
• Industries: Tourism, fishing, furniture, textiles, clothing and light industries.
• Includes: Moncrieff includes the Queensland Legislative Assembly electorate of Surfers Paradise, and parts of Albert, Broadwater, Merrimac, Nerang and Southport.