I was honoured to be elected to the Upper House as the member for Eastern Victoria in the most recent state election. Eastern Victoria is a very special part of our state, housing some of the most iconic beaches, national parks and tourist attractions on offer. It covers 44,456 square kilometers and is made up by both rural and urban districts.
My Parlimentary journey began back in 2010 when I was elected to the District of Brunswick were I served for two terms. During this period I had the honour of representing the state of Victoria as the Minister for Emergency Services, Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liqour.
Before I entered Parliament, I studied law and arts at the Australian National University and was admitted to legal practice in 2000. I worked in various different workplaces, predominately practicing in areas of industrial relations and discrimination law at Slater & Gordon. It was during this time that the Howard Government brought in Workchoices and overnight, hundreds of people lost their jobs. This was a very hard time for everyone in the movement, and continues to motivate my passion for social justice, workers’ rights and equality.
I also had the privilege to work as an adviser to Premier Steve Bracks and was elected to Yarra City council in November 2008, serving as Mayor in 2010. I loved working hard to deliver projects and services for the people of Yarra such as including the major refurbishment of Victoria Park, the commitment to a North Fitzroy Library, a Yarra Energy Foundation and increased child care for residents.
It has been a privilege to now have the opportunity to represent Eastern Victoria in Parliament and I’ve focused on the issues that matter most to our community: access to healthcare, education, jobs and public transport.
