Lin Thorp
Encyclopedia
Lin Estelle Thorp was an Australian Labor Party
politician and member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council
(upper house) in the Hobart
based division of Rumney
from 1999 until 2011. She was defeated by Tony Mulder
at the elections held on 7 May 2011.
Thorp was born in Hobart
, Tasmania
. She studied education at the University of Tasmania
and Tasmanian College of Advanced Education, and subsequently taught at Taroona High School
and Hobart College
. She also taught for some time in Greece
and Turkey
. She is married and has one son.
Her political interests include community support, women's issues, reconciliation, multiculturalism
, the natural environment
and social justice
. During her time as Labor
member she has announced a number of government achievements in information technology including; the opening of an online access centre in Clarendon Vale
and the $4 million "Laptops for Teachers" program also speaking out against the Howard federal government
's sale of Telstra
. Other programs she has been a part of include: diabetes camps for teenagers, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
aid efforts and Landcare Australia funding deals. In 2005 Lin Thorp quoted lyrics from John Lennon
s 'Imagine
' song in tears as the government presented new anti-terrorism laws.
She faced election in the division of Rumney
on 7 May 2005. She won with an outright majority of 50.96% and there was no need to distribute preferences
.
Ms Thorp became Minister for Human Services on 17 September 2008.
As a Legislative Councillor she was not involved in the 2010 Tasmanian State Election
; however, the resulting portfolio reshuffle on 21 April 2010, saw her become the new Minister for Education and Skills, Minister for Children, and Minister for Police and Emergency Management.
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...
politician and member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council
Tasmanian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the House of Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart...
(upper house) in the Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
based division of Rumney
Electoral division of Rumney
The Electoral division of Rumney is one of the 15 electorates or 'seats' in the Tasmanian Legislative Council . The division is located in Southern Tasmania to the east of the division of Pembroke....
from 1999 until 2011. She was defeated by Tony Mulder
Tony Mulder
Tony Mulder, APM is an Australian politician, and an independent member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, representing the electoral division of Rumney since his election on 7 May 2011....
at the elections held on 7 May 2011.
Thorp was born in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. She studied education at the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
and Tasmanian College of Advanced Education, and subsequently taught at Taroona High School
Taroona High School
Taroona High School is a co-educational state high school located in Taroona, a southern riverside suburb of greater Hobart, the capital of the island state Tasmania. The school has approximately 740 students in grades 7 to 10. In 2003, Taroona High School underwent a major redevelopment...
and Hobart College
Hobart College (Tasmania)
Hobart College was, until January 2009, a senior secondary college located at Mount Nelson, in Hobart, Tasmania.In January 2009 it became the Hobart Campus of the Tasmanian Polytechnic and the Tasmanian Academy, formed as part of the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms.The Hobart Campus now offers courses...
. She also taught for some time in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. She is married and has one son.
Her political interests include community support, women's issues, reconciliation, multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, the natural environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. During her time as Labor
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 she has announced a number of government achievements in information technology including; the opening of an online access centre in Clarendon Vale
Clarendon Vale, Tasmania
Clarendon Vale is a suburb of Hobart, capital of Tasmania, Australia. It is in the City of Clarence Local Government Area.Like nearby Rokeby, it was originally a public housing area in the 1970s, however like the trend in many public housing areas in Hobart, much of the public housing stock has...
and the $4 million "Laptops for Teachers" program also speaking out against the Howard federal government
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
's sale of Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
. Other programs she has been a part of include: diabetes camps for teenagers, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
aid efforts and Landcare Australia funding deals. In 2005 Lin Thorp quoted lyrics from John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
s 'Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
' song in tears as the government presented new anti-terrorism laws.
She faced election in the division of Rumney
Electoral division of Rumney
The Electoral division of Rumney is one of the 15 electorates or 'seats' in the Tasmanian Legislative Council . The division is located in Southern Tasmania to the east of the division of Pembroke....
on 7 May 2005. She won with an outright majority of 50.96% and there was no need to distribute preferences
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
.
Ms Thorp became Minister for Human Services on 17 September 2008.
As a Legislative Councillor she was not involved in the 2010 Tasmanian State Election
Tasmanian state election, 2010
The 2010 Tasmanian state election was held on 20 March 2010 to elect members to the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The 12-year incumbent Labor government, led by Premier of Tasmania David Bartlett, won a fourth consecutive term against the Liberal opposition, led by Will Hodgman, after Labor formed a...
; however, the resulting portfolio reshuffle on 21 April 2010, saw her become the new Minister for Education and Skills, Minister for Children, and Minister for Police and Emergency Management.