Speeches Browse all speeches (Hansard) Biography Parliamentary service Elected to the Senate for Victoria 1987. Re-elected 1990, 1996 and 2001. Retired with the expiration of term 2008. Parliamentary positions Temporary Chair of Committees from 1.5.1996 to 10.11.1998. Ministerial appointments Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs from 21.10.1998 to 26.11.2001.Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 16.2.2000 to 26.11.2001.Minister for Health and Ageing from 26.11.2001 to 7.10.2003.Cabinet Minister from 26.11.2001 to 27.1.2006.Minister for Family and Community Services from 7.10.2003 to 27.1.2006.Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women from 7.10.2003 to 26.10.2004.Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues from 26.10.2004 to 27.1.2006. Committee service Senate Estimates: Estimates Group C served from 24.8.1990 to 20.8.1992; Estimates Group E served as Substitute member from 21.2.1991 to 8.2.1993; Estimates Group D served as Substitute member from 20.8.1992 to 8.2.1993; Estimates Group C served from 6.5.1993 to 9.10.1994; Estimates Group F served as Substitute member from 8.2.1994 to 12.5.1994Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Employment, Education and Training served from 24.9.1987 to 14.2.1991; Community Affairs served from 5.10.1992 to 24.10.1992; Community Affairs served as Substitute member from 21.2.1994 to 6.12.1994; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 10.10.1994 to 1.7.1996; Community Affairs: References served from 10.10.1994 to 29.4.1996; Employment, Education and Training: References served from 2.5.1996 to 30.6.1996; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served from 8.5.1996 to 19.5.1996; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served as Chair from 20.5.1996 to 4.12.1996; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served from 5.12.1996 to 5.12.1996; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served as Chair from 4.2.1997 to 22.9.1997; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served from 28.1.1998 to 4.2.1998; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served as Chair from 5.2.1998 to 9.11.1998; Community Affairs: References served from 30.4.1998 to 3.12.1998; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 30.4.1998 to 14.5.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served from 7.2.2006 to 10.9.2006; Community Affairs served from 11.9.2006 to 11.2.2008Senate Standing: Scrutiny of Bills served from 24.9.1987 to 7.5.1990; Regulations and Ordinances served from 24.2.1988 to 18.8.1993; Regulations and Ordinances served from 8.5.1996 to 6.12.1996; Regulations and Ordinances served from 4.2.1997 to 22.9.1997; Regulations and Ordinances served from 28.1.1998 to 9.11.1998; Regulations and Ordinances served from 23.3.2007 to 11.2.2008 Conferences, delegations and visits Delegate to the 3rd Commonwealth Conference on Delegated Legislation, UK, November 1989.Delegate to the UN General Assembly, New York from September to December 1997.Attended official meetings in New Zealand, April 2000.Attended official meetings in Papua New Guinea, April 2001.Attended official meetings in Samoa from June to July 2001.Delegate to the World Conference Against Racism, South Africa from August to September 2001.Attended official meetings in Indonesia, November 2002.Attended official meetings in Vietnam from April to May 2004.Delegate to the 49th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York, February 2005.Delegate to the OECD Social Policy Ministerial Meeting, France, March 2005.Parliamentary delegation member to Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway from April to May 2006.Parliamentary delegation member to Canada, Germany, Singapore and the USA from April to May 2007. Parliamentary party positions Liberal Party of Australia. Served: 11.07.1987 to 30.06.2008Shadow Minister for Senior Citizens and Aged Care from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition on Women's Affairs and the Arts from 7.4.1993 to 26.5.1994.Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Community Services, Senior Citizens and Aged Care from 26.5.1994 to 25.9.1994.Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Health and Human Services from 14.2.1995 to 11.3.1996. Party positions Member of the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1985 to 1987.Membership Officer of the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1985 to 1987.Member of the Hawthorn and East Yarra Province State Electorate Conference (Vic.) from 1985 to 1987.Vice-President of the Liberal Party State Council (Vic.) from 1986 to 1987. Other positions Member of the Australian Psychological Society. Personal Born: 21.11.1944, Sydney, AustraliaGender: Female Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament PhD (Monash University).DipEd (Monash University).BA(Hons) (University of Sydney).Small business secretary and office manager from 1961 to 1964.Tutor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Sydney, 1970.Senior Tutor in the Psychology Department at Monash University from 1974 to 1976.Member of the State Council from 1974 to 1991.Member of the State Executive from 1974 to 1985.Lecturer in the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences from 1977 to 1983. .Member of the Monash University Council from 1978 to 1999.Senior Lecturer in the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences from 1983 to 1985.Kellogg Travelling and Visiting Fellow in the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Michigan, 1983.Visiting Scholar in the Gerontology Center at Pennsylvania State University, 1985.Principal Lecturer and Chair of the School of Behavioural Sciences at the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences from 1986 to 1987.Member of the State Executive from 1988 to 1991.Member of the State Council from 1993.Life Member of Guides Victoria from 2002. Honours Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 13.6.2015. Publications Differential hemispheric mediation of nonverbal visual stimuli, KCL Patterson, Melbourne: 1976.