Biography

Parliamentary service

• Elected to the House of Representatives for Batman, Victoria at by-election 2018, vice the Hon. D Feeney (resigned). Elected to the House of Representatives for Cooper, Victoria following electoral redistribution, 2019. Re-elected 2022.

Ministerial appointments

• Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care from 1.6.2022.
• Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health from 29.7.2024.

Committee service

• House of Representatives Select: Intergenerational Welfare Dependence served from 10.9.2018 to 11.9.2018; Intergenerational Welfare Dependence served as Deputy Chair from 12.9.2018 to 2.4.2019
• House of Representatives Standing: Economics served from 21.5.2018 to 10.9.2018; Employment, Education and Training served from 22.7.2019 to 11.4.2022; Tax and Revenue served from 22.7.2019 to 11.4.2022
• Joint Standing: Trade and Investment Growth served from 23.7.2019 to 24.7.2019; Trade and Investment Growth served as Deputy Chair from 25.7.2019 to 11.4.2022
• Joint Statutory: Corporations and Financial Services served from 10.9.2018 to 1.7.2019

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Labor Party. Served: 17.03.2018 to present
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills from 2.6.2019 to 28.1.2021.
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Aged Care from 2.6.2019 to 28.1.2021.
• Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing from 28.1.2021 to 23.5.2022.

Personal

• Born: 29.10.1963, East Melbourne, Australia
• Gender: Female

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BEd (La Trobe University).
• RN (Mercy Private Hospital).
• Deputy Director of Nursing at the Clinical Nursing Education Department from 2000 to 2002.
• Assistant Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation from 2002 to 2008.
• Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation from 2008 to 2010.
• President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 2010 to 2018.

Electorate

• Name: Cooper
• Location: The Division of Cooper consists of: Darebin City Council, part of the Moreland City Council, and part of the Yarra City Council.
• Area: 60 Sq km
• Electors enrolled: 110,836 (at 10.6.2019)
• Industries: Retail, manufacturing, education and training, transport, textiles, clothing and footwear, warehousing, construction and healthcare.