Jenny Macklin
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Louise Macklin (born 29 December 1953), is an Australian politician. She is Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
in the Gillard Ministry
. She has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives
since March 1996, representing the Division of Jagajaga
, Victoria.
, Queensland, Macklin grew up in country Victoria. She spent time in Japan as a student before graduating from the University of Melbourne
with an honours degree in economics.
in 1976–78, an economics research specialist with the Parliamentary Library in Canberra
1978–81, Research Coordinator at the Labour Resource Centre in Melbourne 1981–85, an adviser to the Victorian Minister for Health 1985–88, director of the federal government's National Health Strategy 1990–93 and director of the Australian Urban and Regional Development Review 1993–95.
On her election to Parliament, Macklin was immediately elected a member of the Opposition Shadow Cabinet, where she served in a number of roles, including Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Social Security and the Status of Women. After the 1998 election, Macklin became Shadow Minister for Health. She is a member of the Socialist Left faction
of the Labor Party.
After the ALP's defeat at the 2001 election, Macklin was elected Deputy Leader to Simon Crean
. She was the first woman to hold a leadership position in either Australian major party. She took on the position of Shadow Minister for Education. Following Crean's replacement as leader by Mark Latham
in December 2003, and Latham's subsequent resignation in January 2005, Macklin retained her position. Remaining as deputy leader under Kim Beazley
, Macklin became the first person to be deputy to three leaders of the ALP since Frank Forde
.
On 1 December 2006, Macklin's position as deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party
came under threat after Kim Beazley called for a spill of all the leadership positions in a bid to end growing speculation over the issue. Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kevin Rudd
, and Shadow Minister for Health, Julia Gillard
, announced their intentions to run against Beazley and Macklin as a team for the positions of leader and deputy leader respectively of the party. On the day of the ballot, Macklin effectively stepped down from the position, choosing not to contest the deputy leadership after Kevin Rudd was elected as the new party leader. Macklin was once again elected to the Shadow frontbench, and was appointed Shadow Minister for Families & Community Services and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation. She maintained these portfolios in government after Labor's victory in the 2007 election, overseeing the formal apology to the "stolen generations" delivered by Kevin Rudd in February 2008.
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has been Jenny Macklin since December 2007.-Portfolio:...
in the Gillard Ministry
Gillard Ministry
The First Gillard Ministry was the 66th Australian ministry. It was led by Julia Gillard of the Australian Labor Party.The Gillard Ministry took effect on 24 June 2010 with the swearing in of Julia Gillard as Prime Minister and Wayne Swan as Deputy Prime Minister. All the members of former Prime...
. She has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
since March 1996, representing the Division of Jagajaga
Division of Jagajaga
The Division of Jagajaga is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and lies north of the Yarra River...
, Victoria.
Early life
Born in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland, Macklin grew up in country Victoria. She spent time in Japan as a student before graduating from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
with an honours degree in economics.
Career
Macklin was a researcher at the Australian National UniversityAustralian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in 1976–78, an economics research specialist with the Parliamentary Library in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
1978–81, Research Coordinator at the Labour Resource Centre in Melbourne 1981–85, an adviser to the Victorian Minister for Health 1985–88, director of the federal government's National Health Strategy 1990–93 and director of the Australian Urban and Regional Development Review 1993–95.
On her election to Parliament, Macklin was immediately elected a member of the Opposition Shadow Cabinet, where she served in a number of roles, including Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Social Security and the Status of Women. After the 1998 election, Macklin became Shadow Minister for Health. She is a member of the Socialist Left faction
Political faction
A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...
of the Labor Party.
After the ALP's defeat at the 2001 election, Macklin was elected Deputy Leader to Simon Crean
Simon Crean
Simon Findlay Crean is an Australian politician, and the current Minister for the Arts and Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government in the Australian Federal Government. He was leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition at the Federal level,...
. She was the first woman to hold a leadership position in either Australian major party. She took on the position of Shadow Minister for Education. Following Crean's replacement as leader by Mark Latham
Mark Latham
Mark William Latham , an author and former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
in December 2003, and Latham's subsequent resignation in January 2005, Macklin retained her position. Remaining as deputy leader under Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
, Macklin became the first person to be deputy to three leaders of the ALP since Frank Forde
Frank Forde
Francis Michael Forde PC was an Australian politician and the 15th Prime Minister of Australia. He was the shortest serving Prime Minister in Australia's history, being in office for only eight days.-Early life:...
.
On 1 December 2006, Macklin's position as deputy leader of the 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...
came under threat after Kim Beazley called for a spill of all the leadership positions in a bid to end growing speculation over the issue. Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, and Shadow Minister for Health, Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
, announced their intentions to run against Beazley and Macklin as a team for the positions of leader and deputy leader respectively of the party. On the day of the ballot, Macklin effectively stepped down from the position, choosing not to contest the deputy leadership after Kevin Rudd was elected as the new party leader. Macklin was once again elected to the Shadow frontbench, and was appointed Shadow Minister for Families & Community Services and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation. She maintained these portfolios in government after Labor's victory in the 2007 election, overseeing the formal apology to the "stolen generations" delivered by Kevin Rudd in February 2008.