Catherine King (politician)

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The Honourable
Catherine King
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Ballarat
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 November 2001
Preceded by Michael Ronaldson
Majority 11.7%
Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories
In office
25 March 2013  1 July 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by Simon Crean
Succeeded by Sharon Bird (Regional Development)
Minister for Road Safety
In office
25 March 2013  1 July 2013
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Preceded by new portfolio
Succeeded by Sharon Bird
Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories
In office
1 July 2013  18 September 2013
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Preceded by Anthony Albanese (Regional Development and Local Government)
Herself (Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories)
Succeeded by Warren Truss (Infrastructure and Regional Development)
Personal details
Born (1966-06-02) 2 June 1966
Melbourne
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Residence Ballarat, Victoria
Alma mater Australian National University, Philip Institute of Technology
Religion Catholic
Website CatherineKing.com.au

Catherine Fiona King (born 2 June 1966), is an Australian politician, and was the Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories from July to September 2013. She is a member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Ballarat, Victoria for the Australian Labor Party.

Education and early career

King was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and was educated at the Phillip Institute of Technology (now Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work and the Australian National University, earning a Master of Public Policy. Before entering politics, King was a social worker, research officer and public servant. She was Assistant Director, Population Health Division, and then Aged Care Director, Injury Prevention, Population Health Division, at the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, and a Senior Manager at KPMG Consulting.

Political career

King was the only Labor candidate to win a seat at the 2001 election from the Liberal Party of Australia, and secured a 5.5% swing,[1] the largest swing to a Labor candidate in the poll. She was likely helped when the Liberals' initial candidate, Olympic gold medalist Russell Mark, abruptly resigned, leaving King to campaign more or less uncontested for 18 months.[2] She maintained her seat at the 2004, 2007 and 2010 elections.

King was re-elected in the 2004 federal election with a slightly reduced majority[3] and was then appointed the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development. In mid-2005 she was then promoted to Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury.

She was re-elected for a third term at the 2007 federal election, increasing her majority from 2.2 to 8.15 percentage points.[4] In the 2010 federal election she increased her margin to 11.7%.[5][6]

King was appointed to serve in the Second Gillard Ministry and was sworn in by Governor-General Quentin Bryce on 14 September 2010 as the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing and the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport. On 25 March 2013, King was appointed to the Ministry as the Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories and the Minister for Road Safety and sworn in by Governor-General Quentin Bryce.[7] Following the June 2013 Labor leadership spill, King was appointed as the Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories in the Second Rudd Ministry and promoted into the Australian Cabinet.[8]

See also

References

  1. "2001 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 27 November 2001. Retrieved 2012-10-11. 
  2. Carney, Shaun (9 March 2002). "A landslide that never was". The Age (Melbourne). Retrieved 22 July 2008. 
  3. "2004 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 11 October 2012. 
  4. "2007 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2012. 
  5. "2010 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2012. 
  6. McKenzie, David (25 August 2010). "King makes Ballarat safe for Labor". The Weekly Times (Melbourne). Retrieved 2012-10-11. 
  7. "Full list of changes to the Gillard ministry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013. 
  8. "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013. 

External links

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Michael Ronaldson
Member for Ballarat
2001–present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Simon Crean
Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories
2013
Succeeded by
Sharon Bird
as Minister for Regional Development
New ministerial post Minister for Road Safety
2013
Succeeded by
Sharon Bird
Preceded by
Anthony Albanese
as Minister for Regional Development and Local Government
Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories
2013
Succeeded by
Warren Truss (Designate)
as Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development;
Jamie Briggs (Designate)
as Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development
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