Biography

Parliamentary service

• State: Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council, 1999. Resigned 19.7.2010 to contest election to the Senate for New South Wales.
• Federal: Elected to the Senate for New South Wales 2010. Re-elected 2016. Resigned 14.8.2018.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Constitutional Recognition of Local Government served from 1.11.2012 to 7.3.2013
• Joint Standing: Electoral Matters served from 5.7.2011 to 9.5.2016; National Capital and External Territories served from 12.9.2016 to 14.8.2018; Electoral Matters served from 14.9.2016 to 14.8.2018; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 26.6.2018 to 14.8.2018
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation served from 5.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: References served from 5.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 7.2.2012 to 1.3.2012; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served as Substitute member from 14.8.2012 to 16.5.2013; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 28.6.2013 to 11.11.2013; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 12.11.2013 to 7.7.2014; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 12.11.2013 to 7.7.2014; Education and Employment: Legislation served from 12.11.2013 to 14.10.2015; Education and Employment: References served from 12.11.2013 to 14.10.2015; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served as Substitute member from 12.12.2013 to 5.12.2014; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served as Substitute member from 13.2.2014 to 27.3.2014; Environment and Communications: Legislation served as Substitute member from 30.9.2014 to 24.11.2014; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 17.11.2014 to 25.11.2014; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served as Substitute member from 5.12.2014 to 4.5.2016; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 12.2.2015 to 12.6.2015; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 25.6.2015 to 15.10.2015; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 12.8.2015 to 17.9.2015; Environment and Communications: Legislation served as Substitute member from 15.10.2015 to 15.3.2016; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 3.3.2016 to 9.5.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 19.4.2016 to 4.5.2016; Education and Employment: References served from 30.8.2016 to 14.8.2018; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 13.9.2016 to 14.8.2018; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 13.9.2016 to 14.8.2018; Education and Employment: Legislation served as Substitute member from 14.9.2016 to 10.10.2016; Education and Employment: Legislation served as Substitute member from 10.10.2016 to 14.10.2016; Education and Employment: References served as Substitute member from 7.11.2016 to 12.10.2017; Education and Employment: Legislation served as Substitute member from 17.8.2017 to 12.10.2017; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 16.11.2017 to 6.2.2018; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 22.3.2018 to 7.5.2018; Education and Employment: References served as Substitute member from 27.6.2018 to 23.8.2018
• Senate Select: National Broadband Network served as Substitute member from 11.3.2014 to 12.3.2014; National Broadband Network served as Substitute member from 28.3.2014 to 28.3.2014; Health served as Substitute member from 10.9.2014 to 12.9.2014; Health served as Substitute member from 15.9.2014 to 16.9.2014; Murray-Darling Basin Plan served from 11.8.2015 to 12.10.2015
• Senate Standing: Senators' Interests served from 1.9.2016 to 14.8.2018

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Greens. Served: 01.07.2011 to 14.08.2018
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Democracy; Local Government; Higher Education; Assisting on National Security; Women; International Aid and Development; Animal Welfare; Forests from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Democracy; Local Government; Higher Education; Transport; Women; International Aid and Development; Animal Welfare; Forests from 11.11.2013 to 1.7.2014.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Animal Welfare; Democracy; Local Government; Higher Education; International Aid and Development; Water and Murray Darling Basin from 1.7.2014 to 25.5.2015.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Democracy; Local Government; International Aid and Development; Animal Welfare; Higher Education; Water and Murray Darling Basin from 25.5.2015 to 15.9.2015.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Democracy and Local Government; International Aid and Development; Animal Welfare from 15.9.2015 to 25.8.2016.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson on Democracy; Local Government; Housing; Industry; Animal Welfare; Gun Control from 25.8.2016 to 14.8.2018.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Greens Waverley Branch (NSW) from 1990.
• Member of the Australian Greens Wentworth Campaign Committee (NSW), 1993.
• Member of the Australian Greens Wentworth Campaign Committee (NSW), 1996.
• Member of the Australian Greens Wentworth Campaign Committee (NSW), 1998.
• Convener of the Australian Greens Industrial Relations Working Group (NSW) from 1998 to 2003.
• Member of the Australian Greens Campaign Committee (NSW), 1999.
• Member of the Australian Greens Federal Campaign Committee, 2001.
• Member of the Australian Greens Campaign Committee (NSW), 2003.
• Member of the Australian Greens Federal Campaign Committee, 2004.
• Member of the Australian Greens Federal Campaign Committee, 2007.
• Member of the Australian Greens Campaign Committee (NSW), 2007.
• Member of the Australian Greens Federal Campaign Committee, 2010.
• Member of the Australian Greens Campaign Committee (NSW), 2011.
• Member of the Australian Greens Federal Campaign Committee, 2016.

Personal

• Born: 30.5.1951, Sydney, Australia
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BSc(Bot)(Hons) (University of New South Wales).
• Botany tutor and research assistant at the University of New South Wales from 1975 to 1976.
• Field ecology tutor at Macquarie University from 1976 to 1978.
• Secretary of the Union of Australian Women (NSW) from 1980 to 1983.
• Member of the Women's Advisory Council to the Premier (NSW) from 1980 to 1982.
• Freelance journalist and editor from 1982 to 1989.
• Program Coordinator for the Ideas Centre from 1989 to 1992.
• Director of the Rainforest Information Centre from 1990 to 1992.
• Lecturer at the Workers' Education Association from 1990 to 1992.
• General Studies Tutor at the University of New South Wales from 1990 to 1994.
• Director of AID/WATCH from 1992 to 1998.
• Spokesperson for the Coalition for Gun Control from 1992 to 1995.
• Member of the Legislative Council (NSW) from 1999 to 2010.

State/Territory Government service

• Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council, 1999. Resigned 19.7.2010 to contest election to the Senate for New South Wales.

Publications

• Asian Development Bank in the Philippines: Masinloc coal-fired power plant threatens a sustainable community, Aid/Watch, Woollahra, NSW: 1993.
• Chapter in 'Taking a stand: women in politics and society', J Scutt (ed.), Artemis, Melbourne: 1994.
• Coal industry hijacks Australian aid money to expand markets in Asia, Aid/Watch, Sydney: 1996.
• Chapter in 'The Australian book of atheism', W Bonett (ed.), Scribe, Melbourne: 2010.
• Chapter in 'Left Turn', A Loewenstein and J Sparrow (eds.), Melbourne University Press, Melbourne: 2012.