Biography

Parliamentary service

• Chosen by the Parliament of Tasmania on 24.8.1993 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent that State in the Senate, vice the Hon. M Tate (resigned). Elected to the Senate for Tasmania 1998. Retired with the expiration of term 2005.

Committee service

• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 10.2.1994 to 29.1.1996; Treaties served from 31.5.1996 to 12.12.1996
• Joint Statutory: Public Accounts served from 30.9.1993 to 17.3.1994; National Crime Authority served from 8.12.1998 to 8.10.2001; Australian Crime Commission served from 14.2.2002 to 30.6.2005
• Senate Estimates: Estimates Group C served from 30.8.1993 to 9.10.1994; Estimates Group B served as Substitute member from 24.5.1994 to 25.5.1994
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs served from 30.8.1993 to 9.10.1994; Finance and Public Administration served from 7.9.1993 to 9.10.1994; Rural and Regional Affairs served from 18.10.1993 to 29.10.1993; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 10.10.1994 to 30.5.1995; Community Affairs: References served from 10.10.1994 to 30.5.1995; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 28.11.1994 to 2.12.1994; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served as Substitute member from 28.11.1994 to 2.12.1994; Employment, Education and Training: References served as Substitute member from 1.3.1995 to 7.3.1995; Employment, Education and Training: Legislation served as Substitute member from 1.3.1995 to 7.3.1995; Employment, Education and Training: Legislation served from 8.3.1995 to 20.3.1995; Employment, Education and Training: References served from 8.3.1995 to 29.4.1996; Employment, Education and Training: Legislation served as Chair from 21.3.1995 to 29.4.1996; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 2.6.1995 to 2.6.1995; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served as Substitute member from 23.6.1995 to 23.6.1995; Community Affairs: References served from 23.8.1995 to 19.9.1995; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 23.8.1995 to 19.9.1995; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 20.11.1995 to 30.11.1995; Community Affairs: Legislation served from 2.5.1996 to 30.6.2005; Community Affairs: References served from 2.5.1996 to 29.5.1997; Employment, Education and Training: References served from 29.5.1997 to 9.11.1998; Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation served as Substitute member from 19.2.1999 to 19.2.1999; Community Affairs: References served as Substitute member from 2.9.1999 to 8.12.1999
• Senate Select: Public Interest Whistleblowing served from 10.2.1994 to 31.8.1994; Unresolved Whistleblower Cases served from 1.12.1994 to 26.10.1995; Community Standards Relevant to the Supply of Services Utilising Electronic Technologies served from 29.5.1996 to 26.6.1997
• Senate Standing: Appropriations and Staffing served from 1.9.1993 to 29.4.1996; Publications served from 10.2.1994 to 17.3.1994; Parliamentary Library served from 9.2.1995 to 22.4.1999; Selection of Bills served as Substitute member from 27.9.1995 to 30.12.1995; Selection of Bills served from 2.5.1996 to 31.1.1997; Senators' Interests served from 2.5.1996 to 24.6.1996; Senators' Interests served as Chair from 25.6.1996 to 30.6.2005; Selection of Bills served from 24.9.1997 to 11.2.2002

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 94th IPU Conference, Bucharest, and bilateral visit to Slovenia, October 1995.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to 96th IPU Conference, Beijing, China, and bilateral visits to Vietnam and the Philippines, September-October 1996.
• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to the Philippines and Japan, May-June 1999.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 24.08.1993 to 30.06.2005
• Government Deputy Whip in the Senate from 18.9.1995 to 11.3.1996.
• Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 24.9.1997 to 22.11.2001.

Party positions

• President of the Australian Labor Party Devonport Branch (Tas.) from 1987 to 1988.
• Secretary of the Australian Labor Party Devonport Branch (Tas.) from 1989 to 1991.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party National Executive from 1990.
• Member of the Australian Labor Party Administrative Committee (Tas.) from 1991 to 1992.

Personal

• Born: 22.7.1937, Latrobe, Australia
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BEd (University of Tasmania).
• DipSpEd (University of Tasmania).
• Teacher from 1968 to 1989.
• Private Secretary to the Premier (Tas.), the Hon. M Field, MHA from 1989 to 1992.
• Manager of the Devonport Community Legal Centre, 1993.