Katrina Hodgkinson

Katrina Hodgkinson MP
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Cootamundra
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 March 2015
Preceded by	Seat re-established
Majority	20.5 points (2015)
Minister for Primary Industries
In office 3 April 2011 – 6 March 2015
Premier	Barry O'Farrell Mike Baird
Preceded by	Steve Whan
Succeeded by	Niall Blair
Minister for Small Business
In office 3 April 2011 – 23 April 2014
Premier	Barry O'Farrell
Preceded by	Frank Terenzini
Succeeded by	Andrew Stoner
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Burrinjuck
In office 27 March 1999 – 6 March 2015
Preceded by	Alby Schultz
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	Katrina Ann Hodgkinson (1966-03-10) 10 March 1966 Yass, New South Wales[1]
Political party	The Nationals
Spouse(s)	Jack Saeck[2]
Children	Two[3]
Website	Parliamentary biography

Katrina Ann Hodgkinson MP (born 10 March 1966 in Yass, New South Wales^[1]) is an Australian politician.^[4] She is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing Cootamundra for The Nationals since 28 March 2015, and Burrinjuck from 1999 to 2015.

Early years and background

Hodgkinson was educated at Canberra Girls' Grammar School and Narrabundah College, and Metropolitan Business College of New South Wales. She was a Technical and Further Education instructor from 1989 to 1991, owned a small business from 1989 to 1997 and worked for a property development company between 1996 and 1997. She was an adviser to Senator Nick Minchin, Minister for Industry, Science and Resources from 1997 to 1999.^[1][5]

Parliamentary career

In 1995, Hodgkinson sought election to the seat of Southern Highlands in a three-cornered-contest. Despite scoring the highest number of primary votes, she was defeated on preferences^[3] by the Liberals. In 1999 Alby Schultz, then Member for Burrinjuck, resigned from NSW Parliament and successfully contested the federal seat of Hume. Hodgkinson was elected to NSW Parliament at the subsequent 1999 election.

Between 2003 and 2011 Hodgkinson has held a range of shadow ministerial responsibilities including Fair Trading and Small Business (2003 to 2005), Tourism (2005 to 2007), Major Events (2006 to 2007), Community Services, Families, and Child Safety (2007 to 2008), and Natural Resource Management (2008 to 2011).^[6]

Following the 2011 state election, Hodgkinson was appointed on 3 April 2011 as Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Small Business.

In February 2014 Hodgkinson announced that she would seek Nationals preselection to contest the seat of Goulburn at the 2015 state election, held by the Liberals' Pru Goward. Her decision follows a statewide electoral redistribution by the NSW Electoral Commission that resulted in a substantial revision of Hodgkinson's seat of Burrinjuck and the seat renamed as Cootamundra, with effect from the 2015 state election.^[7][8] Her announcement resulted in a dispute between the Nationals and Liberals;^[9][10] and on 28 February, Hodgkinson announced she would withdraw her nomination for Goulburn.^[11] Hodgkinson contested and won the newly constituted seat of Cootamundra.^[12]

Due to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier,^[13] and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader,^[4] in April 2014 in addition to her existing responsibilities as a minister, Hodgkinson was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Tourism and Major Events; and lost the portfolio of Small Business.^[6][14] Following the resignation of Andrew Stoner, John Barilaro succeeded Hodgkinson in a subsequent ministerial reshuffle.^[15] Hodgkinson was not reappointed to the second Baird ministry following the 2015 state election.^[16]

References

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