Adele Farina
Encyclopedia
Adele Farina is an Australia
n politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
since 2001, representing South West Region
. She serves as parliamentary secretary to three different state ministers, the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Minister for Disability Services, Citizenship, Multicultural Interests and Women's Interests.
, and studied arts and law at the University of Western Australia
. She was subsequently employed as the private secretary to Bob Pearce
, Environment Minister in the Lawrence
government, but this ended abruptly in 1992, when she was charged by police with stealing $3,280 worth of postage stamps from the state. The trial lasted four days, but was terminated when the jury could not reach a verdict. The charges were subsequently dropped when the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that there was no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction, but the case made headlines when Pearce was charged - and subsequently convicted - on contempt of court charges for comments made in support of Farina during the trial. Farina returned to the law after the trial, and was subsequently admitted to the bar.
in the seat of Perth
for the 2001 state election
. She won the support of the dominant unions in her centre faction, and was tipped to win preselection. However, she lost out to rival John Hyde when factional bosses became concerned that selecting Farina could heighten tensions already evident after a failed preselection challenge to John D'Orazio
in Ballajura
and potentially split the faction in two.
and Lawrence governments, quit the party in disgust. She nevertheless took the second position on the Labor ticket in the province, and had little difficulty being elected to the Legislative Council.
In her first term as a member of the Legislative Council, Farina often acted as a spokesperson for government policy in the region, but rarely spoke in parliament. In her first fifteen months in the Legislative Council, Farina only made one speech - her maiden speech - and apart from five Dorothy Dixers and nine estimates committee questions, did not speak at all, which earned her some criticism from the media as one of the quietest MPs in the parliament.
In September 2004, during a debate on a proposed domestic violence
law, Farina revealed that she had been stalked
for ten years during the 1990s. She stated that it had escalated severely when she nominated for preselection, which forced her to complain to the police, ultimately leading to the arrest of the culprit. Farina had requested that he only be charged with a summary offence to avoid the publicity of a full trial, and he was subsequently found guilty of stalking.
Farina contested the 2005 state election
atop the Labor ticket, and after the election was promoted to the position of parliamentary secretary. She lost one of her portfolios to Peter Watson
in November 2005, but picked up another in a reshuffle in March 2006. She has repeatedly been touted as a potential Cabinet minister, although she was overlooked in the reshuffle that followed the resignation of Premier
Geoff Gallop
in March 2006 and again when John D'Orazio
was forced to resign from Cabinet in May 2006. Most recently, as of May 2006, Farina has been heavily involved with a project aimed at reducing negative effects associated with leavers' week
in her region.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
since 2001, representing South West Region
Electoral region of South West
The electoral region of South West is a multi-member electoral region of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the South West, Peel and part of the Great Southern regions of the state...
. She serves as parliamentary secretary to three different state ministers, the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Minister for Disability Services, Citizenship, Multicultural Interests and Women's Interests.
Early career
Farina was born in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and studied arts and law at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. She was subsequently employed as the private secretary to Bob Pearce
Bob Pearce
Robert John Pearce was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1977 until 1993 representing the seats of Gosnells and Armadale.-Biography:...
, Environment Minister in the Lawrence
Carmen Lawrence
Carmen Mary Lawrence is a retired Australian politician; a former Premier of Western Australia and the first woman to become Premier of a State of the Commonwealth of Australia....
government, but this ended abruptly in 1992, when she was charged by police with stealing $3,280 worth of postage stamps from the state. The trial lasted four days, but was terminated when the jury could not reach a verdict. The charges were subsequently dropped when the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that there was no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction, but the case made headlines when Pearce was charged - and subsequently convicted - on contempt of court charges for comments made in support of Farina during the trial. Farina returned to the law after the trial, and was subsequently admitted to the bar.
Local politics
Farina became involved in local politics in the late 1990s, and was serving as the deputy mayor of Bayswater when she began to be raised as a possible candidate to replace retiring MLA Diana WarnockDiana Warnock
Diana Muriel Warnock is a former Western Australian radio broadcaster, women's rights activist and state politician.Warnock worked as a radio broadcaster with 720 ABC Perth, 6PR and 6NR....
in the seat of Perth
Electoral district of Perth
The Electoral district of Perth is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Perth is named for the capital city of Western Australia whose central business district falls within its borders. It is one of the oldest electorates in Western Australia, with its first member...
for the 2001 state election
Western Australian state election, 2001
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 10 February 2001 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
. She won the support of the dominant unions in her centre faction, and was tipped to win preselection. However, she lost out to rival John Hyde when factional bosses became concerned that selecting Farina could heighten tensions already evident after a failed preselection challenge to John D'Orazio
John D'Orazio
John Biase D'Orazio was a Western Australian politician. A pharmacist by trade, he served as mayor of the City of Bayswater from 1983 until 2000, then was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly electorate of Ballajura in 2001, where he served until 2008.Elected as a member of the...
in Ballajura
Electoral district of Ballajura
Ballajura was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1996 to 2005.The district was based in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth...
and potentially split the faction in two.
Legislative Council
After losing the Perth contest, Farina was instead nominated as a candidate for South West Province in the Legislative Council. This caused significant anger in local branches, as Farina had no ties to the regional electorate, and David Smith, a minister in the DowdingPeter Dowding
Peter McCallum Dowding SC was the 24th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 after an internal party dispute....
and Lawrence governments, quit the party in disgust. She nevertheless took the second position on the Labor ticket in the province, and had little difficulty being elected to the Legislative Council.
In her first term as a member of the Legislative Council, Farina often acted as a spokesperson for government policy in the region, but rarely spoke in parliament. In her first fifteen months in the Legislative Council, Farina only made one speech - her maiden speech - and apart from five Dorothy Dixers and nine estimates committee questions, did not speak at all, which earned her some criticism from the media as one of the quietest MPs in the parliament.
In September 2004, during a debate on a proposed domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
law, Farina revealed that she had been stalked
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
for ten years during the 1990s. She stated that it had escalated severely when she nominated for preselection, which forced her to complain to the police, ultimately leading to the arrest of the culprit. Farina had requested that he only be charged with a summary offence to avoid the publicity of a full trial, and he was subsequently found guilty of stalking.
Farina contested the 2005 state election
Western Australian state election, 2005
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 26 February 2005 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
atop the Labor ticket, and after the election was promoted to the position of parliamentary secretary. She lost one of her portfolios to Peter Watson
Peter Watson (politician)
Peter Bruce Watson is an Australian politician. He has been an ALP member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since February 2001, representing the electorate of Albany....
in November 2005, but picked up another in a reshuffle in March 2006. She has repeatedly been touted as a potential Cabinet minister, although she was overlooked in the reshuffle that followed the resignation of Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Geoff Gallop
Geoff Gallop
Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:...
in March 2006 and again when John D'Orazio
John D'Orazio
John Biase D'Orazio was a Western Australian politician. A pharmacist by trade, he served as mayor of the City of Bayswater from 1983 until 2000, then was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly electorate of Ballajura in 2001, where he served until 2008.Elected as a member of the...
was forced to resign from Cabinet in May 2006. Most recently, as of May 2006, Farina has been heavily involved with a project aimed at reducing negative effects associated with leavers' week
Schoolies week
Schoolies or schoolies week refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates having week-long holidays following the end of their final exams in late November and early December."Toolies" refers to older revelers who participate in Schoolies week but are...
in her region.