Biography

Parliamentary service

• State: Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Fairfield, 1981.
• Federal: Elected to the House of Representatives for Prospect, New South Wales, 1990. Re-elected 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2001. Retired prior to general elections 2004.

Parliamentary positions

• Member of the Speaker's Panel from 7.5.1996 to 8.10.2001.

Ministerial appointments

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Arts and Administrative Services from 24.3.1993 to 23.12.1993.
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories from 23.12.1993 to 25.3.1994.
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Security from 25.3.1994 to 11.3.1996.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Privileges served from 16.5.1990 to 8.2.1993; Community Affairs served from 16.5.1990 to 8.2.1993; Legal and Constitutional Affairs served from 3.3.1992 to 8.2.1993; Communications, Transport and Microeconomic Reform served from 29.5.1996 to 31.8.1998; Environment, Recreation and the Arts served as Deputy Chair from 30.5.1996 to 17.11.1997; Members' Interests served as Deputy Chair from 8.12.1998 to 19.3.2002; Selection served from 18.2.2002 to 31.8.2004; House served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; Publications served from 20.3.2002 to 24.6.2003; Members' Interests served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004
• Joint Standing: Treaties served from 8.12.1998 to 16.2.2000; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 9.12.1998 to 8.10.2001
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 16.5.1990 to 8.2.1993; Corporations and Securities served from 3.3.1992 to 8.2.1993; Public Accounts served from 17.11.1997 to 31.8.1998; Public Accounts and Audit served from 1.1.1998 to 31.8.1998; Public Works served as Deputy Chair from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, 86th IPU Conference, Santiago, Chile, October 1991.
• Official visits to Venezuela, October 1991.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 13th General Assembly of AIPO, Jakarta, Indonesia, and bilateral visits to Thailand and Papua New Guinea, from September-October 1992.
• Official visits to Canada and USA, March 1994.
• Official visits to China, October 1994.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to USA and Venezuela, July 1997.
• Study tour, China, April 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 102nd IPU Conference, Berlin, Germany and bilateral visit to Italy, October 1999.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 103rd IPU Conference, Amman, Jordan and bilateral visit to Tanzania, April-May 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 104th IPU Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, and bilateral visit to Vietnam, October 2000.
• Study tour, Fiji, May 2000.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the 105th IPU Conference, Havana, Cuba, and bilateral visit to Mexico, March-April 2001.
• Study tour, Thailand, Republic of Korea and Hong Kong, July 2002.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 24.03.1990 to 31.08.2004
• Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives from 22.11.2001 to 31.8.2004.

Party positions

• Member of the Australian Labor Party from 1967.
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party National Conference from 1990.

Personal

• Born: 3.1.1939, Sydney, Australia
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

State/Territory Government service

• Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Fairfield, 1981.
• Minister for Natural Resources from 5.4.1984 to 6.2.1986.
• Minister for Local Government from 6.2.1986 to 25.3.1988.
• Minister for Water Resources from 4.7.1986 to 25.3.1988.
• Assistant Minister for Transport from 26.11.1987 to 25.3.1988.
• Shadow Minister for Local Government from 1988 to 1989.
• Elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Smithfield, 1988. Resigned 17.2.1990 to contest the House of Representatives division of Prospect, New South Wales.

Local Government service

• Alderman, Fairfield City Council from 1971 to 1980.
• Deputy Mayor, Fairfield City Council, 1972.
• Mayor, Fairfield City Council from 1974 to 1975.
• Mayor, Fairfield City Council from 1977 to 1980.

Electorate

• Name: Prospect
• Location: western Sydney; it includes the suburbs of Abbotsbury, Blacktown, Bossley Park, Canley Vale, Cecil Park, Eastern Creek, Edensor Park, Erskine Park, Fairfield, Fairfield Heights, Fairfield West, Greenfield Park, Greystanes, Horsley Park, Kemps Creek, Mount Vernon, Prairiewood, Prospect, St Clair, Smithfield, Wakeley, Wetherill Park and Woodpark.
• Area: 159 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 86,641 (at 10.11.2001)
• Industries: building/construction, light manufacturing, wholesale and retail, transport industry, agriculture and farming (poultry, fruit, vegetables and honey) .
• Includes: Prospect includes parts of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorates of Fairfield, Granville, Mt Druitt, Mulgoa, Smithfield and Wentworthville.

Honours

• Awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal, 1977.
• Appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 30.12.1978.
• Appointed a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1980.
• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, 26.1.2006.