Verity Firth
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Verity Firth is the Minister for Women, Minister for Science and Medical Research, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) and Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change in the Iemma Labor Government of New South Wales. Firth has been the Labor MLA for the seat of Balmain since the NSW general election of March 2007. Verity grew up in Glebe where she continues to live with her husband Matthew and baby April; her brother is comedian Charles Firth. Verity has been a member of the Labor Party since she was fifteen. She studied Law at the University of Sydney.
Before she was elected as a councillor to the City of Sydney Council in March 2004, Verity practiced as a lawyer for the national firm Slater & Gordon, specialising in asbestos litigation and industrial law.
She won the seat of Balmain in the election on 24 March 2007 after the seat had a slight swing toward the Greens in which was anticipated for the Greens may have picked up some Lower House seats.
Firth was sworn in on 2 April 2007 following Labor's election victory the week before, becoming a Minister before she had been sworn in as an MP.
She is on the board of both:
- The Law and Justice Foundation - an organisation dedicated to improving access to justice for socially and economically disadvantaged Australians
- Aidwatch - a campaigning body that monitors the flow of Australian Aid overseas.
