Biography
- Parliamentary service
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- Elected to the House of Representatives for Pearce, Western Australia, 1993. Re-elected 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010. Retired prior to general elections 2013.
- Parliamentary positions
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- Member of the Speaker's Panel from 14.2.2008 to 19.7.2010.
- Ministerial appointments
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- Minister for Family Services from 11.3.1996 to 9.10.1997.
- Minister for the Status of Women from 9.10.1997 to 21.10.1998.
- Committee service
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- House of Representatives Standing: Environment, Recreation and the Arts served from 12.5.1993 to 30.6.1994; Family, Community, Housing and Youth served as Deputy Chair from 11.3.2008 to 19.7.2010; Social Policy and Legal Affairs served as Deputy Chair from 25.10.2010 to 5.8.2013
- Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 8.12.1998 to 17.10.2007
- Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 18.11.1993 to 29.6.1994; Public Works served as Chair from 8.12.1998 to 17.10.2007
- Conferences, delegations and visits
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- Member, Official Australian Observer Mission to the Indonesian Elections, June 1999.
- Leader, Australian Political Exchange Delegation, China, July 1999.
- International Conference of Conservative Women Parliamentarians, Washington DC, USA, February-March 1999.
- Member, Australia/China Parliamentary Friendship Group Delegation, China, April 1999.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Ireland and China, July 2000.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 105th IPU Conference, Havana, Cuba, and bilateral visit to Mexico, March-April 2001.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, May 2003.
- Leader, Australia/China Friendship Group Delegations, China, May 2003.
- Leader, Australia/China Friendship Group Delegations, China, November 2003.
- Leader, Australia/China Friendship Group Delegations, China, April 2005.
- Delegate, Bo'ao Asia Forum, China, April 2005.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Switzerland and Singapore, October 2005.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the Solomon Islands, April 2006.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to South Africa, April-May 2006.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Switzerland and Portugal, October 2006.
- Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Cambodia and Indonesia, April-May 2007.
- Parliamentary party positions
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- Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 13.03.1993 to 05.08.2013
- Shadow Minister for Small Business from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
- Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Women's Affairs from 26.5.1994 to 11.3.1996.
- Other positions
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- Chair of the Parliamentary Diabetes Support Group from 2000.
- Chair of the Australia/China Parliamentary Friendship Group from 2001.
- Leader of the Australian Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2005.
- Personal
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- Born: 24.2.1944, Guildford, Australia
- Gender: Female
- Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
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- DipRealEstateMgt (Perth Technical College).
- Real estate agent and company director from 1979 to 1984.
- Coordinator and senior lecturer at TAFE from 1984 to 1987.
- Real estate agent and company director from 1987 to 1993.
- President of the Chamber of Commerce, Midland and Districts (WA) from 1990 to 1991.
- Member of the Public Affairs Committee at the Real Estate Institute (WA) from 1991 to 1993.
- Member of the Eastern Region Enterprise and Arts Centre Board of Management from 1992 to 1993.
- Electorate
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- Name: Pearce
- Location: eastern outskirts of Perth; it includes the centres of Beverley, Bindoon, Gingin, Grass Valley, Guilderton, Lancelin, Ledge Point, Narrogin, Northam, Quinns Rocks, Seabird, Toodyay, Two Rocks, Yanchep and York.
- Area: 14,401 Sq km
- Electors enrolled: 89,526 (at 21.8.2010)
- Industries: fishing, tourism, grain crops, sheep, cattle, fruit growing, vineyards, wineries, RAAF pilot training.
- Includes: Pearce includes parts of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly electorates of Central Wheatbelt, Darling Range, Kalamunda, Midland, Mindarie, Moore, Swan Hills and West Swan.
- Honours
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- Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 13.6.2016.
- Publications
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- Buying the best, Buying the Best, Scarborough, WA: 1986.