Michelle Roberts

Michelle Hopkins Roberts (née Thomas; born 29 February 1960) is an Australian politician who is the current Labor Party member for the electoral district of Midland in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.

Roberts grew up in Inglewood, in Western Australia. She was educated at Mercedes College and the University of Western Australia. She worked as a teacher at the John Curtin Senior High School from 1983 until 1987, teaching English, Italian and Mathematics. She moved to the State Public Service in 1987, in the Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare, where she worked until her election to the Assembly in 1994.

Roberts began her political activism in 1978, when she joined the Australian Labor Party. In 1986 she was elected to the Perth City Council. She sat on the boards of the East Perth Redevelopment Authority and the Perth Theatre Trust, and was at one point the Deputy Lord Mayor of Perth. She was first elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (The Thirty Fourth Parliament) as the Member for Glendalough on 19 March 1994. This was a by-election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Hon. Carmen Lawrence. The seat of Glendalough was subsequently abolished by the redistribution of electoral boundaries prior to the 1996 State General Election.

Roberts was endorsed by the ALP to contest the newly created seat of Midland and was re-elected to the 35th Parliament on 14 December 1996 as the member for Midland. She was re-elected again at elections in 2001, 2005, 2008 and very narrowly in 2013. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party National Executive.

List of portfolios

Roberts has held the following portfolios since her election in 1994 (both shadow and government appointments are listed):^[1]

• 18 October 1994 – 18 March 1996: Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs; Shadow Minister for Water Resources; Shadow Minister for Seniors; Shadow Minister for Planning and Heritage
• 18 March 1996 – 14 May 1996: Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs; Shadow Minister for Seniors
• 14 May 1996 – 15 January 1997: Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs; Shadow Minister for Planning; Shadow Minister for Transport
• 15 January 1997 – 4 August 1999: Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services
• 4 August 1999 – 10 February 2001: Opposition Spokesperson for Crime Prevention
• 16 February 2001 – 2 July 2001: Minister for Police; Minister for Emergency Services; Minister for Local Government
• 2 July 2001 – 1 July 2002: Minister for Police; Minister for Emergency Services
• 1 July 2002 – 27 June 2003: Minister for Police and Emergency Services
• 27 June 2003 – 26 February 2005: Minister for Police and Emergency Services; Minister for Justice and Community Safety
• 26 February 2005 – 3 February 2006: Minister for Police and Emergency Services; Minister for Community Safety
• 3 February 2006 – 13 December 2006: Minister for Housing and Works; Minister for Consumer Protection; Minister for Heritage; Minister for Land Information
• 13 December 2006 – 2 March 2007: Minister for Housing and Works; Minister for Heritage; Minister for Indigenous Affairs; Minister for Land Information
• 2 March 2007 – 6 September 2008: Minister for Housing and Works; Minister for Heritage; Minister for Indigenous Affairs; Minister for Land Information; Minister for Employment Protection
• 26 September 2008 – 15 February 2011: Shadow Minister for Education; Shadow Minister for Women's Interests
• 15 February 2011 – 27 February 2012: Shadow Treasurer; Shadow Minister for Tourism; Shadow Minister for Government Accountability
• 27 January 2012 onwards: Shadow Minister for Police; Shadow Minister for Road Safety; Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention; Shadow Minister for Tourism

References