Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Tasmania 2010. Re-elected 2016 and 2022.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Australia's Clean Energy Future Legislation served from 14.9.2011 to 7.10.2011; DisabilityCare Australia served from 18.6.2013 to 26.6.2013; DisabilityCare Australia served as Chair from 27.6.2013 to 5.8.2013
• Joint Standing: Treaties served from 1.7.2011 to 21.6.2012; National Disability Insurance Scheme served from 4.12.2013 to 11.12.2013; National Disability Insurance Scheme served from 1.7.2014 to 9.5.2016; National Broadband Network served from 15.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; National Disability Insurance Scheme served from 28.7.2022 to present
• Joint Statutory: Public Works served from 1.7.2011 to 5.8.2013; Corporations and Financial Services served from 27.6.2012 to 5.8.2013; Parliamentary Standards served from 10.10.2024 to present
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: Legislation served from 1.7.2011 to 11.11.2013; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served from 1.7.2011 to 27.6.2012; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served from 6.7.2011 to 27.6.2012; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 21.10.2011 to 21.10.2011; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 19.10.2012 to 19.10.2012; Community Affairs: References served from 12.11.2013 to 6.3.2014; Education and Employment: References served from 12.11.2013 to 7.7.2014; Environment and Communications: Legislation served as Deputy Chair from 13.11.2013 to 9.5.2016; Environment and Communications: References served as Substitute member from 17.3.2014 to 21.3.2014; Environment and Communications: References served from 7.7.2014 to 7.7.2014; Environment and Communications: References served as Chair from 8.7.2014 to 9.5.2016; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation served as Substitute member from 12.2.2015 to 25.2.2015; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 25.6.2015 to 11.8.2015; Education and Employment: Legislation served as Substitute member from 19.10.2015 to 23.10.2015; Environment and Communications: References served from 1.9.2016 to 25.7.2022; Environment and Communications: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Education and Employment: References served as Substitute member from 14.8.2018 to 14.2.2019; Community Affairs: References served from 2.7.2019 to 25.7.2022; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 2.7.2019 to 28.7.2022; Environment and Communications: Legislation served from 4.7.2019 to 5.12.2019; Environment and Communications: Legislation served as Substitute member from 10.2.2022 to 18.2.2022; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 28.7.2022 to 8.7.2024; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Chair from 8.7.2024 to 22.7.2024; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 22.7.2024 to present
• Senate Select: Australia's Food Processing Sector served from 1.7.2011 to 16.8.2012; School Funding served from 12.12.2013 to 9.7.2014; Scrutiny of Government Budget Measures served from 26.6.2014 to 9.5.2016; Wind Turbines served from 1.12.2014 to 3.8.2015; Murray-Darling Basin Plan served as Substitute member from 8.12.2015 to 9.12.2015; Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure in a Warming World served from 10.11.2016 to 7.4.2017; Tobacco Harm Reduction served from 8.10.2020 to 18.12.2020; Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme served from 22.8.2024 to 26.8.2024; Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme served as Deputy Chair from 26.8.2024 to present
• Senate Standing: Regulations and Ordinances served from 1.7.2011 to 21.9.2011; Privileges served from 1.7.2011 to 9.5.2016; Privileges served from 1.9.2016 to 1.12.2016; House served from 1.9.2016 to present; Procedure served from 1.9.2016 to 14.9.2016; Senators' Interests served from 2.7.2019 to 25.7.2022; Senators' Interests served from 26.7.2022 to present; Selection of Bills served as Chair from 26.7.2022 to present; Privileges served from 28.7.2022 to present; Procedure served from 28.7.2022 to present

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.07.2011 to present
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 18.10.2013 to 9.5.2016.
• Opposition Whip in the Senate from 1.9.2016 to 11.4.2022.
• Chief Government Whip in the Senate from 31.5.2022.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Tas.).
• Secretary of the Australian Labor Party Brighton-Bridgewater Branch (Tas.).
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (Tas.).
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference.
• Vice-President of the Australian Labor Party (Tas.) from 2004.

Personal

• Born: 18.10.1957, Latrobe, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• Process worker from 1979 to 1990.
• Organiser for the Food Preservers' Union from 1990 to 1998.
• President of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (Tas.) from 1998 to 2004.
• Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (Tas.) from 2004 to 2010.