Heather McTaggart
Encyclopedia
Heather McTaggart is an Australia
n politician. A member of the Australian Labor Party
, she represented the electoral district of Evelyn
in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
from 2002 to 2006.
Heather McTaggart attended Whitehorse Technical College in Box Hill
from 1973 to 1978 (the school was amalgamated into Box Hill TAFE in 1981). Following high school she worked as a secretary in the stockbroking industry until 1981, when she began working at Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd
in numerous roles until 1995. From 1997 to 1998 she worked as an integration aid at Fernhill Pre-School.
McTaggart moved to Mount Evelyn
, at the northern base of the Dandenong Ranges
, around 1989 with her husband Greg. Greg died soon afterwards at the age of 33, and shortly after his funeral, Heather discovered that she was pregnant. Following the birth of her first child, Matthew, Heather left full-time employment to take on parenting duties. She joined the Lilydale
branch of the Australian Labor Party
and developed an interest in special education
. To her second husband Ken, she had twin girls, Keely and Tamsin.
She was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
in the 2002 Victorian election as the member for Evelyn
, winning the seat from the Liberal
MP Christine Fyffe
, however Fyffe regained the seat at the next election in 2006
.
After losing her seat, McTaggart went to work for Labor MP Kirstie Marshall
. For six months after the election, McTaggart continued to receive internal Liberal Party documents and correspondence from Fyffe's office via her fax machine, after an IT glitch saw her name remain on the electorate office's internal distribution list. The Liberal Party complained to the Victorian Ombudsman, who investigated the matter and cleared McTaggart of forwarding the documents onto others, although Ombudsman George Brouwer acknowledged that she could have passed on the contents of the documents to others without forwarding them directly. McTaggart said she had made an error of judgement by not reporting the misdirected faxes, but denied that she had used the documents for political gain.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. A member of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, she represented the electoral district of Evelyn
Electoral district of Evelyn
The Electoral district of Evelyn is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly covering the urban fringe north east of Melbourne. It was first proclaimed in 1859.The seat has shrunk considerably in size as the eastern suburbs of Melbourne grew...
in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
from 2002 to 2006.
Heather McTaggart attended Whitehorse Technical College in Box Hill
Box Hill, Victoria
Box Hill is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Box Hill had a population of 8,616....
from 1973 to 1978 (the school was amalgamated into Box Hill TAFE in 1981). Following high school she worked as a secretary in the stockbroking industry until 1981, when she began working at Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd
Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd
Esanda Finance Corporation Limited is an Australian finance company. It deals in car and boat finance as well as insurance. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of ANZ Bank.-External links:*...
in numerous roles until 1995. From 1997 to 1998 she worked as an integration aid at Fernhill Pre-School.
McTaggart moved to Mount Evelyn
Mount Evelyn, Victoria
Mount Evelyn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 37 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Mount Evelyn had a population of 9100.-History:...
, at the northern base of the Dandenong Ranges
Dandenong Ranges
The Dandenong Ranges are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, around 1989 with her husband Greg. Greg died soon afterwards at the age of 33, and shortly after his funeral, Heather discovered that she was pregnant. Following the birth of her first child, Matthew, Heather left full-time employment to take on parenting duties. She joined the Lilydale
Lilydale, Victoria
Lilydale is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district situated in the Olinda Creek valley. At the 2006 Census, Lilydale had a population of 13,887...
branch of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
and developed an interest in special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
. To her second husband Ken, she had twin girls, Keely and Tamsin.
She was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
in the 2002 Victorian election as the member for Evelyn
Electoral district of Evelyn
The Electoral district of Evelyn is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly covering the urban fringe north east of Melbourne. It was first proclaimed in 1859.The seat has shrunk considerably in size as the eastern suburbs of Melbourne grew...
, winning the seat from the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
MP Christine Fyffe
Christine Fyffe
Christine Ann Fyffe is an Australian politician. She has been a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006, representing Evelyn.-Personal life:...
, however Fyffe regained the seat at the next election in 2006
Victorian state election, 2006
An election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. Just over 3 million Victorians registered to vote elected 88 members to the Legislative Assembly and, for the first time, 40 members to the Legislative Council under a proportional representation system...
.
After losing her seat, McTaggart went to work for Labor MP Kirstie Marshall
Kirstie Marshall
Kirstie Marshall is a notable Australian aerial skier and Victorian state politician.Marshall was an ex-gymnast who became an aerial skier at Mount Buller, Victoria. During her skiing career Marshall won over 40 World Cup medals, including 17 World Cup gold medals...
. For six months after the election, McTaggart continued to receive internal Liberal Party documents and correspondence from Fyffe's office via her fax machine, after an IT glitch saw her name remain on the electorate office's internal distribution list. The Liberal Party complained to the Victorian Ombudsman, who investigated the matter and cleared McTaggart of forwarding the documents onto others, although Ombudsman George Brouwer acknowledged that she could have passed on the contents of the documents to others without forwarding them directly. McTaggart said she had made an error of judgement by not reporting the misdirected faxes, but denied that she had used the documents for political gain.