Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Western Australia 2004. Re-elected 2010 and 2016.

Committee service

• Senate Standing: Selection of Bills from 9.8.2005 to 9.5.2016; Procedure from 1.7.2008 to 3.2.2009; Scrutiny of Bills from 22.9.2008 to 9.5.2016; Procedure from 15.6.2010 to 19.6.2012; Senators' Interests from 25.10.2010 to 5.7.2011; Procedure from 14.8.2012 to 9.5.2016; Procedure from 1.9.2016.
• Senate Select: Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities from 20.3.2008 to 24.9.2010; Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century from 20.6.2018 to 14.2.2019; Effectiveness of the Australian Government's Northern Australia Agenda from 1.8.2019; COVID-19 from 8.4.2020.
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation from 5.10.2005 to 11.9.2006; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References from 7.11.2005 to 11.9.2006; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport from 11.9.2006 to 23.8.2008; Community Affairs from 1.7.2008 to 14.5.2009; Community Affairs: Legislation from 14.5.2009 to 9.5.2016; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation from 14.5.2009 to 5.7.2011; Community Affairs: References from 14.5.2009 to 9.5.2016 (Chair from 14.5.2009 to 9.5.2016); Finance and Public Administration: References from 14.5.2009 to 5.7.2011; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation from 14.5.2009 to 9.5.2016; Education and Employment: Legislation from 12.10.2015 to 24.11.2015 (Substitute member from 12.10.2015 to 24.11.2015); Education and Employment: References from 12.10.2015 to 15.1.2016 (Substitute member from 12.10.2015 to 15.1.2016); Finance and Public Administration: Legislation from 3.12.2015 to 2.3.2016 (Substitute member from 3.12.2015 to 2.3.2016); Community Affairs: Legislation from 1.9.2016 (Deputy Chair from 1.9.2016); Community Affairs: References from 1.9.2016 (Chair from 1.9.2016); Finance and Public Administration: References from 13.10.2016 to 28.11.2016 (Substitute member from 13.10.2016 to 28.11.2016); Education and Employment: Legislation from 10.11.2016 to 28.11.2016 (Substitute member from 10.11.2016 to 28.11.2016); Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References from 10.11.2016 to 15.8.2017 (Substitute member from 10.11.2016 to 15.8.2017); Finance and Public Administration: References from 23.3.2017 to 14.12.2017 (Substitute member from 23.3.2017 to 14.12.2017); Economics: References from 20.6.2018 to 27.11.2018 (Substitute member from 20.6.2018 to 27.11.2018); Finance and Public Administration: Legislation from 16.8.2018 to 1.7.2019; Finance and Public Administration: References from 16.8.2018 to 1.7.2019; Education and Employment: References from 21.8.2018 to 14.2.2019 (Substitute member from 21.8.2018 to 14.2.2019); Education and Employment: References from 12.9.2018 to 14.2.2019 (Substitute member from 12.9.2018 to 14.2.2019); Economics: Legislation from 6.12.2018 to 11.2.2019 (Substitute member from 6.12.2018 to 11.2.2019); Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation from 10.12.2018 to 10.12.2018 (Substitute member from 10.12.2018 to 10.12.2018); Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation from 11.11.2019 (Substitute member from 11.11.2019).
• Joint Statutory: Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Account from 1.7.2005 to 23.3.2006; Corporations and Financial Services from 23.8.2012 to 28.2.2013.
• Joint Standing: National Disability Insurance Scheme from 3.12.2013 to 9.5.2016; National Disability Insurance Scheme from 12.9.2016 to 15.2.2018; National Disability Insurance Scheme from 7.3.2018 to 8.3.2018; National Disability Insurance Scheme from 26.3.2018 to 27.3.2018; Northern Australia from 6.12.2018 to 1.7.2019; Northern Australia from 12.6.2020 to 19.2.2021; Northern Australia from 20.2.2021.
• Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from 29.11.2012 to 5.8.2013; DisabilityCare Australia from 18.6.2013 to 5.8.2013; Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (2015) from 3.12.2013 to 25.6.2015; Northern Australia from 10.12.2013 to 9.5.2016; Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse from 22.6.2017 to 15.12.2017; Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (2018) from 20.3.2018 to 29.11.2018; Implementation of the National Redress Scheme from 19.9.2019.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Greens Whip in the Senate from 9.8.2005.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Family; Community and Disability Services; Fisheries and Marine; Ageing; Indigenous Affairs and Indigenous Health; Agriculture; the Kimberley and Northern Australia; Natural Resource Management from 1.7.2011 to 1.7.2012.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues; Ageing; Agriculture; Family; Community and Disability Services; Fisheries and Marine; Native Title; Natural Resource Management; the Kimberley and Northern Australia from 1.7.2012 to 11.11.2013.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Family, Community and Disability Services; Marine, Fisheries and Whaling; Ageing; Indigenous Affairs; Indigenous Health and Native Title; Agriculture; the Kimberley and Northern Australia; Natural Resource Management from 11.11.2013 to 1.7.2014.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues; Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Family; Ageing; Community and Disability Services; Marine from 1.7.2014 to 25.5.2015.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Family, Ageing, Community and Disability Services; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Marine from 25.5.2015 to 25.8.2016.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Family and Community Services; Ageing; Disability Services; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues; and Mental Health from 25.8.2016 to 5.7.2019.
• Co-Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Greens from 10.11.2017 to 4.12.2018.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson for Family and Community Services, Ageing, First Nations Peoples' Issues and Mental Health from 5.7.2019.

Party positions

• Delegate to the Greens National Conference from 2001 to 2004.
• Co-Convener of the Greens State Branch (WA) from 2002 to 2004.

Other positions

• Ambassador to the Deafness Forum.

Personal

• Born 4.11.1961, Sydney, Australia
• Single

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BSc(Ag) (University of Western Australia).
• Research officer at the Department of Agriculture (WA) from 1984 to 1987.
• Coordinator at the Conservation Council (WA) from 1987 to 2004.

Honours

• Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award 2003.
• Leadership Award, Suicide Prevention Australia 2014.

Publications

• Towards sustainability, Conservation Council of WA, WA, 1990.
• Management Ramsar wetlands, Conservation Council of WA, WA, 1996.
• To drain or not to drain, Dee Margetts, MLC, WA, 2005.