Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Queensland 1983. Re-elected 1984, 1987 and 1993. Retired with the expiration of term 1999.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 2.3.1995 to 30.6.1999.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government from 24.7.1987 to 18.9.1987.
• Minister for Local Government from 18.9.1987 to 4.4.1990.
• Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women from 19.1.1988 to 4.4.1990.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Video Material served from 31.5.1985 to 5.6.1987
• Joint Standing: Australian Capital Territory served from 11.5.1983 to 26.10.1984; New Parliament House served from 28.2.1985 to 5.6.1987; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 18.5.1993 to 29.1.1996; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 29.5.1997 to 30.6.1999; Treaties served from 5.3.1998 to 30.6.1999
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 13.12.1983 to 26.10.1984; Public Accounts served from 14.5.1990 to 12.5.1994; National Crime Authority served from 16.5.1990 to 20.2.1991; Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund served from 25.3.1994 to 30.5.1996; Australian Security Intelligence Organization served from 8.3.1995 to 29.1.1996; Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund served as Deputy Chair from 31.5.1996 to 28.8.1997; Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund served from 13.5.1998 to 30.6.1999
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group E served from 4.5.1983 to 16.4.1985; Estimates Group D served from 16.4.1985 to 17.4.1985; Estimates Group D served as Chair from 18.4.1985 to 11.9.1985; Estimates Group D served from 12.9.1985 to 23.9.1985; Estimates Group D served from 20.3.1986 to 9.4.1986; Estimates Group D served as Chair from 10.4.1986 to 24.3.1987; Estimates Group F served from 24.3.1987 to 6.5.1987; Estimates Group F served as Chair from 7.5.1987 to 5.6.1987; Estimates Group C served from 9.5.1990 to 3.5.1993; Estimates Group D served from 6.5.1993 to 19.8.1993; Estimates Group C served from 19.8.1993 to 30.8.1993; Estimates Group C served as Chair from 31.8.1993 to 9.10.1994
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Education and the Arts served from 21.4.1983 to 5.6.1987; Science, Technology and the Environment served from 21.4.1983 to 20.2.1985; Finance and Government Operations served from 14.11.1985 to 5.6.1987; Constitutional and Legal Affairs served from 25.2.1987 to 5.6.1987; Community Affairs served from 11.5.1990 to 17.10.1990; Community Affairs served from 6.11.1990 to 28.9.1993; Rural and Regional Affairs served from 10.9.1991 to 1.7.1993; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 1.7.1993 to 9.10.1994; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: References served from 10.10.1994 to 24.9.1997; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served from 10.10.1994 to 29.4.1996; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Substitute member from 1.12.1994 to 1.12.1994; Community Affairs: References served from 2.5.1996 to 8.5.1996; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: Legislation served as Substitute member from 4.12.1997 to 12.3.1998; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: References served from 31.12.1997 to 9.11.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References served from 24.11.1998 to 3.12.1998
• Senate Select: Volatile Substance Fumes served from 26.2.1985 to 6.12.1985; Community Standards Relevant to the Supply of Services Utilising Electronic Technologies served as Chair from 14.8.1991 to 12.5.1993; Community Standards Relevant to the Supply of Services Utilising Electronic Technologies served from 12.5.1993 to 12.5.1993; Community Standards Relevant to the Supply of Services Utilising Electronic Technologies served as Chair from 13.5.1993 to 29.4.1996; Land Fund Bill served from 30.11.1994 to 9.2.1995; Community Standards Relevant to the Supply of Services Utilising Electronic Technologies served from 30.4.1996 to 26.6.1997; Uranium Mining and Milling served from 22.5.1996 to 15.5.1997; Information Technologies served from 23.9.1997 to 30.9.1997; Information Technologies served from 28.1.1998 to 31.8.1998
• Senate Standing: Parliamentary Library served from 4.5.1983 to 20.2.1985; House served from 26.2.1985 to 5.6.1987; House served from 11.5.1990 to 29.4.1996; Publications served from 11.5.1990 to 30.5.1995; Privileges served as Chair from 1.7.1993 to 9.10.1994; Privileges served from 10.10.1994 to 29.4.1996

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the European Parliamentary Institutions, Strasbourg and Berlin, September-October 1985.
• Ministerial visits to New Zealand, March 1989.
• Ministerial visits to Japan, Philippines and Indonesia, January 1990.
• Member, 84th IPU Conference, Punta del Este, Uruguay, October 1990.
• Adviser, UN Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, June 1993.
• Adviser, Australian Delegation, UN Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, September 1994.
• Member, Official Delegation to 40th CPA Conference, Banff, Canada, and bilateral visit to Mexico, September-October 1994.
• Adviser, Australian Delegation, UN 4th World Conference on Women, Beijing, September 1995.
• Parliamentary Adviser, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), New York, September-December 1997.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 05.03.1983 to 30.06.1999
• Chair of the Australian Labor Party Status of Women Caucus Committee from 1995.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party State Council (Qld) from 1981 to 1983.
• Organiser for the Australian Labor Party North Queensland Branch (Qld) from 1982 to 1983.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs National Platform Committee from 1983.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Status of Women National Platform Committee, 1983.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Foreign Policy National Platform Committee from 1986 to 1987.

Other positions

• Member of the Parliamentary Education Office Advisory Committee.
• Member of the Aboriginal Reconciliation Council from 1991 to 1996.

Personal

• Born: 19.7.1941, Launceston, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• DipSpEd (James Cook University).
• BA (University of Queensland).
• Teacher from 1960 to 1976.
• Lecturer from 1977 to 1982.

Local Government service

• Councillor, Townsville City Council from 1979 to 1983.

Honours

• Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, 26.1.2023.

Publications

• Women and the Order of Australia, M Reynolds, Canberra: 1990.
• HERstory: Australian Labor women in Federal, State and Territory Parliaments 1925-1994, M Reynolds, Townsville, Qld: 1994.
• The last bastion: Labor women working towards equality in the Parliaments of Australia, Business and Professional Publishing, Sydney: 1995.
• The Australian report, University of Queensland, Brisbane: 2002.
• Living politics, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Qld: 2007.