Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Western Australia 2001. Defeated at general elections 2007.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 1.7.2005 to 30.6.2008; Parliamentary Library served from 30.3.2006 to 30.6.2008
• Joint Statutory: Corporations and Financial Services served from 14.2.2008 to 30.6.2008
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: Legislation served from 1.7.2002 to 10.9.2006; Economics: References served from 1.7.2002 to 10.9.2006; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Substitute member from 12.8.2003 to 16.10.2003; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served from 10.8.2006 to 10.9.2006; Economics served from 11.9.2006 to 30.6.2008; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts served from 11.9.2006 to 11.2.2008; Environment, Communications and the Arts served from 12.2.2008 to 30.6.2008
• Senate Select: Mental Health served from 10.3.2005 to 28.4.2006
• Senate Standing: Senators' Interests served as Chair from 1.7.2002 to 11.2.2008; Selection of Bills served from 18.11.2004 to 30.6.2008; Senators' Interests served from 12.2.2008 to 30.6.2008; Parliamentary Library served from 14.2.2008 to 30.6.2008

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Attended official meetings in Indonesia from March to April 2004.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia from June to July 2004.
• Attended official meetings in Indonesia, June 2005.
• Delegate to the Australia-Indonesia Young Leaders' Dialogue, July 2005.
• Attended official meetings in Laos, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, September 2005.
• Attended official meetings in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Austria from March to April 2008.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.07.2002 to 30.06.2008
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Caucus Inquiry into the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Urban, Rural and Regional Development Caucus Committee.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Status of Women Caucus Committee.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party National Security Caucus Committee.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Caucus Telstra Task Force.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 22.10.2004 to 3.12.2007.
• Government Deputy Whip in the Senate from 3.12.2007 to 30.6.2008.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party from 1984.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (WA) from 1986.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 1986.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 1988.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (WA) from 1997.
• Assistant Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (WA) from 1998 to 2001.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 1998.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 2000.

Personal

• Born: 24.3.1965, Melbourne, Australia
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Assistant Coordinator of the Women's Electoral Lobby from 1985 to 1986.
• Political Liaison Officer for the Minister for Housing (WA) from 1992 to 1993.
• Electorate officer to Senator C Evans from 1993 to 1997.
• Assistant Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (WA) from 1998 to 2001.
• Senior Policy Adviser to the Minister for Health (WA), 2001.