Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Victoria 2019.

Parliamentary appointments

• Member of the National Library of Australia Council from 25.3.2024.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 4.2.2020.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Social Media and Australian Society served from 16.5.2024 to 18.11.2024
• Joint Standing: National Broadband Network served from 22.7.2019 to 11.4.2022; Migration served from 22.7.2019 to 23.7.2019; Trade and Investment Growth served from 28.7.2022 to present
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit served from 4.7.2019 to 11.4.2022; Law Enforcement served from 28.7.2022 to present; Intelligence and Security served from 6.9.2022 to present; Parliamentary Standards served from 10.10.2024 to present
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: References served from 2.7.2019 to 25.7.2022; Economics: Legislation served from 16.3.2021 to 25.7.2022; Economics: Legislation served from 28.7.2022 to 4.8.2022; Economics: Legislation served as Chair from 4.8.2022 to present; Economics: References served as Deputy Chair from 4.8.2022 to present; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served from 18.3.2024 to 24.6.2024; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served from 18.3.2024 to 24.6.2024; Education and Employment: Legislation served from 4.7.2024 to 20.8.2024; Education and Employment: References served from 4.7.2024 to 20.8.2024
• Senate Select: Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre served from 19.9.2019 to 20.10.2021; Temporary Migration served from 5.12.2019 to 1.9.2021; Job Security served from 10.12.2020 to 30.3.2022; Foreign Interference through Social Media served as Deputy Chair from 29.11.2022 to 1.8.2023
• Senate Standing: Publications served from 2.7.2019 to 25.7.2022; Privileges served from 28.7.2022 to present; Scrutiny of Bills served from 28.7.2022 to present

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.07.2019 to present

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party from 2005.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (Vic.) from 2006 to 2018.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 2015.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 2018.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference, 2023.

Personal

• Born: 16.5.1971, Melbourne, Australia
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BA(Hons) (University of Melbourne).
• MA (University of Southern California).
• PhD (University of Melbourne).
• Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, John Hopkins University (USA) from 1998 to 1999.
• Research Fellow at the Economic Policy Institute, Washington DC (USA) from 1999 to 2000.
• Researcher and Organiser for United Voice (Vic.) from 2002 to 2006.
• Assistant Secretary of United Voice (Vic.) from 2006 to 2007.
• Secretary of United Voice (Vic.) from 2007 to 2019.