Deirdre Mary Grusovin was a member of the New South Wales Parliament for twenty five years.

Grusovin was born Deirdre Mary Brereton in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, and is the sister of influential former politician Laurie Brereton

Laurie Brereton

Laurence John "Laurie" Brereton , Australianpolitician, was a state minister, a federal member of cabinet, and kingmaker in the election of several Australian Labor Party leaders, including Paul Keating and Mark Latham...

.

Initially elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council

New South Wales Legislative Council

The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...

 in 1978, she remained in office until 1990. During this time she was Minister for Consumer Affairs and Assistant Minister for Health 1986-88 and Minister for Small Business 1987-88. In 1990 she ran in a by-election in Heffron

Electoral district of Heffron

Heffron is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is named after Robert Heffron, a former Labor premier of New South Wales. It is a safe Labor seat, and is currently represented by former Premier Kristina Keneally of the Australian Labor...

, winning a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

New South Wales Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...

. She was re-elected in 1991, 1995 and 1999.

Grusovin resigned in 2003, followed defeat in a bitter preselection battle with Kristina Keneally

Kristina Keneally

Kristina Kerscher Keneally MP, is an Australian politician and was the 42nd Premier of New South Wales. She was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and thus Premier in 2009, but went on to lose government to the Liberal/National Coalition at the March 2011 state election...

in 2002. Grusovin threatened to take her case to the Supreme Court, but ultimately stepped aside and Keneally succeeded her in 2003.