Biography

Parliamentary service

• State: Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Heffron, 2003. Resigned 29.6.2012.
• Federal: Chosen by the Parliament of New South Wales 14.2.2018 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent that State in the Senate, vice S Dastyari (resigned). Resigned 13.4.2022.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Migration served from 15.2.2018 to 11.4.2019; Treaties served from 15.2.2018 to 11.4.2019; National Capital and External Territories served from 22.7.2019 to 13.4.2022
• Joint Statutory: Law Enforcement served from 15.2.2018 to 11.4.2019; Intelligence and Security served from 2.7.2019 to 13.4.2022
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs: References served from 15.2.2018 to 1.7.2019; Economics: References served from 15.2.2018 to 21.3.2018; Environment and Communications: References served from 15.2.2018 to 1.7.2019
• Senate Select: Stillbirth Research and Education served from 28.3.2018 to 4.12.2018; COVID-19 served from 8.4.2020 to 21.10.2021
• Senate Standing: Publications served from 15.2.2018 to 1.7.2019

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 14.02.2018 to 13.04.2022
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 30.5.2019 to 13.4.2022.
• Shadow Minister for Home Affairs from 2.6.2019 to 13.4.2022.
• Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from 2.6.2019 to 13.4.2022.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 2.6.2019 to 13.4.2022.
• Shadow Minister for Government Accountability from 28.1.2021 to 13.4.2022.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party from 2000.

Other positions

• Patron of the Stillbirth Foundation Australia from 2010 to 2018.
• Chair of Basketball Australia from 2011 to 2012.
• Member of Souths Cares Board from 2011 to 2016.
• CEO of Basketball Australia from 2012 to 2014.
• Ambassador of Opportunity International Australia from 2012 to 2018.
• Ambassador of the John Berne School from 2014 to 2018.
• Member of the Referendum Council on Constitutional Recognition from 2015 to 2017.
• Chair of the Souths Cares Board from 2016 to 2018.
• Non-Executive Director of the US Studies Centre (University of Sydney) from 2016 to 2018.
• Member of the McKell Institute Board from 2017 to 2018.

Personal

• Born: 19.12.1968, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA(Hons) (University of Dayton).
• MA (University of Dayton).
• Primary School Teacher at the Immaculate Conception School, Cuba, New Mexico, USA from 1991 to 1992.
• Graduate Assistant in the Department of Religious Studies, Unviersity of Dayton, Ohio, USA from 1992 to 1994.
• Youth & Young Adults Co-ordinator for the Society of St Vincent De Paul (NSW) from 1995 to 1996.
• Research Assistant at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA from 1997 to 1999.
• Presenter for Sky News Australia from 2014 to 2017.
• Director of Gender Inclusion & Adjunct Professor at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management from 2015 to 2017.

State/Territory Government service

• Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Heffron, 2003. Resigned 29.6.2012.
• Minister for Disability Services 2.4.2007 to 5.9.2008.
• Minister for Ageing from 2.4.2007 to 5.9.2008.
• Minister for Planning from 8.9.2008 to 4.12.2009.
• Minister for Redfern Waterloo from 8.9.2008 to 4.12.2009.
• Minister for Infrastructure from 17.11.2009 to 4.12.2009.
• Premier from 4.12.2009 to 28.3.2011.
• Minister for Redfern Waterloo from 8.12.2009 to 28.3.2011.

Publications

• Folding the Jesus-Sophia metaphor: a basis for a non-androcentric Christology within a Christian feminist interpretive community. Thesis - MA in Religious Studies, University of Dayton 1995.
• 'God's first instrument of liberation': Bible Today St Benedict Minnesota 1995.