Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the Senate for Queensland 1996. Defeated at general elections 2001.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 9.8.1999 to 6.12.2000; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 6.2.2001 to 30.6.2002
• Joint Statutory: National Crime Authority served from 6.11.1996 to 31.8.1998
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Finance and Public Administration: References served from 31.10.1996 to 9.11.1998; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: References served as Substitute member from 24.2.1997 to 12.7.1998; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 12.3.1998 to 9.11.1998; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served from 8.4.1998 to 9.11.1998; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References served from 24.11.1998 to 3.12.1998; Community Affairs: References served from 24.11.1998 to 30.6.2002; Community Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 31.5.1999 to 2.6.1999; Economics: References served as Substitute member from 12.8.1999 to 2.9.1999; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served as Substitute member from 2.9.1999 to 29.6.2000
• Senate Standing: Publications served from 1.7.1996 to 4.9.1997; House served from 4.9.1997 to 30.6.2002; Regulations and Ordinances served from 24.11.1998 to 9.8.1999

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Delegate to the 100th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Russia, September 1998.
• Parliamentary delegation member to East Timor, December 1999.
• Parliamentary delegation member to Ireland and China, July 2000.
• Parliamentary delegation member to East Timor, February 2001.
• Parliamentary delegation member to South Africa, September 2001.
• Parliamentary delegation member to Morocco and Kuwait, March 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 01.07.1996 to 30.06.2002

Party positions

• Officeholder of Australian Labor Party local branch.
• Delegate of the Australian Labor Party State Council (Qld) from 1985 to 1996.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (Qld) from 1987.
• Delegate of the Australian Labor Party National Conference from 1991.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Qld) from 1994 to 1997.
• Vice-President of the Australian Labor Party (Qld) from June 2000.

Personal

• Born: 3.9.1947, Liverpool, England
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• AssocDipBus&IndRel (Queensland University of Technology).
• Electorate officer.
• Griffith University Union of Students.
• Australian Journalists' Association.
• Clerk for the Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union from 1989 to 1995.