Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Throsby, New South Wales, 2001. Re-elected 2004 and 2007. Retired prior to general elections 2010.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Standing: Family and Community Affairs served from 20.3.2002 to 31.8.2004; Environment and Heritage served as Deputy Chair from 20.3.2002 to 17.10.2007; Family and Human Services served from 2.12.2004 to 17.10.2007; Privileges and Members' Interests served from 12.2.2008 to 19.7.2010; Procedure served from 19.2.2008 to 19.7.2010; Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts served as Chair from 19.2.2008 to 19.7.2010; Petitions served from 19.2.2008 to 19.7.2010

Conferences, delegations and visits

• Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Denmark and Sweden, October 2005.

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 10.11.2001 to 19.07.2010
• Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Heritage from 26.10.2004 to 3.12.2007.
• Shadow Cabinet Minister from 26.10.2004 to 3.12.2007.

Party positions

• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party State Conference (NSW).
• Delegate to the Australian Labor Party Federal Conference.

Personal

• Born: 20.8.1947, Trani, Italy
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• DipEd (Sydney Teachers' College).
• BA (University of Sydney).
• Secondary school teacher at Bankstown Girls' School and Queanbeyan High School.
• Welfare Officer for the Teachers' Federation (NSW), 1973.
• General Secretary of the Teachers' Federation (NSW) from 1980 to 1982.
• President of the Teachers' Federation (NSW) from 1986 to 1989.
• Vice-President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, 1987.
• Assistant Director of the Trade Union Training Authority from 1989 to 1991.
• Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1991 to 1996.
• President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1996 to 2000.
• Member of the Delta Electricity Board from 2000 to 2001.
• Director of the Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia from 2000 to 2001.

Electorate

• Name: Throsby
• Location: south-eastern New South Wales south of Wollongong; it includes the centres of Albion Park, Barrack Heights, Berkeley, Blackbutt, Cringila, Dapto, Kembla Grange, Lake Illawarra, Oak Flats, Port Kembla, Shellharbour, Warilla, Warrawong and Horsley and Shell Cove.
• Area: 485 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 88,501 (at 24.11.2007)
• Industries: steelworks, mining, engineering, light and heavy manufacturing, transport, tourism, construction, transport, dairy farming and retail industries.
• Includes: Throsby includes parts of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorates of Shellharbour, Kiama and Wollongong.

Honours

• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, 10.6.2013.