Jan McLucas
Encyclopedia
Jan Elizabeth McLucas (born 27 March 1958) is an Australian politician, representing Queensland and the Australian Labor Party
in the Australian Senate
.
in Far North Queensland
for her primary schooling and then moved south as a boarder at the private school Clayfield College
in Brisbane
and the College of Advanced Education
in Townsville (now James Cook University
) where she was Treasurer, then President of the Student Union and underwent teacher training. From 1979 until 1989, she worked as a primary school teacher in state schools in Queensland, and was active in the Queensland Teachers' Union. She stopped teaching in order to travel, including three months' backpacking in Africa, and to have a child.
McLucas then worked as an electorate officer for Steve Bredhauer
, her husband at the time and the state member for Cook
, from 1991 until 1994, before being elected as a councillor for the City of Cairns
, on which she served from 1995 to 1999.
, McLucas was preselected as the number one candidate on Queensland Labor's ticket for the Australian Senate
in the October 1998 election. This effectively guaranteed her the seat, and her first term commenced on 1 July 1999. In 2004, McLucas was elected by the Labor caucus to the Federal Shadow Ministry
and was allocated responsibility for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers.
McLucas was re-elected to her Senate seat at the 2004 election, with a new term commencing on 1 July 2005. The Senator chaired the two Senate Select Committees of Inquiry into Medicare and was the Chair of the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee.
The Labor Party under Kevin Rudd
won government at the elections held on 24 November 2007. On 3 December 2007, at the creation of the First Rudd Ministry
, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.
In May 2009, journalists from The Australian
and opponents in the Liberal Party claimed that Senator McLucas had effectively been living full-time with her partner in Canberra for several years, and only occasionally visited her officially listed residence in Cairns, which they claimed she mostly rented out to one of her staff.
Prime Minister Rudd refused calls from some in the media to sack her, while the Senator insisted she had claimed travel allowance consistent with the official guidelines. However, on 6 June 2009, it was announced that McLucas had resigned as Parliamentary Secretary "to focus on her senatorial responsibilities for Queensland." However, media speculation suggested the expenses issue and the unfavourable publicity generated by it may have been a factor in the decision.
Senator McLucas was re-elected in the 2010 election and was returned to the Executive when sworn in on 14 September 2010 as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers in the Gillard Government.
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...
in the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
.
Biography
McLucas's parents are Ronald and Audrey McLucas. She was educated in RavenshoeRavenshoe, Queensland
Ravenshoe is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is located south west of the regional centre, Cairns. At the 2006 census, Ravenshoe had a population of 910....
in Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
for her primary schooling and then moved south as a boarder at the private school Clayfield College
Clayfield College
Clayfield College is an independent, Uniting Church and Presbyterian, day and boarding school, predominantly for girls, located in Clayfield, an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and the College of Advanced Education
College of Advanced Education
The College of Advanced Education was a class of Australian tertiary education institution that existed from 1967 until the early 1990s. They ranked below universities, but above Colleges of Technical and Further Education which offer trade qualification...
in Townsville (now James Cook University
James Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
) where she was Treasurer, then President of the Student Union and underwent teacher training. From 1979 until 1989, she worked as a primary school teacher in state schools in Queensland, and was active in the Queensland Teachers' Union. She stopped teaching in order to travel, including three months' backpacking in Africa, and to have a child.
McLucas then worked as an electorate officer for Steve Bredhauer
Steve Bredhauer
Stephen Dominic "Steve" Bredhauer is a former Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he was a teacher before entering politics. He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1980. In 1989, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Cook...
, her husband at the time and the state member for Cook
Electoral district of Cook
The electoral division of Cook is an electoral district in Queensland, Australia.Cook covers the vast Cape York Peninsula north of Cairns, including the resort town of Port Douglas and the Torres Strait Islands...
, from 1991 until 1994, before being elected as a councillor for the City of Cairns
City of Cairns
The City of Cairns was a Local Government Area centred on the Far North Queensland city of Cairns. Established in 1885, for most of its existence it consisted of approximately around Cairns itself, with much of the metropolitan area being located in the Shire of Mulgrave...
, on which she served from 1995 to 1999.
Political career
Following the announcement of the retirement of Margaret ReynoldsMargaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds served as an Australian Labor Party Senator for Queensland from 1983 to 1999.Reynolds had two ministerial appointments during her time in the Senate, serving as Minister for Local Government from September 1987 to April 1990 and as Minister assisting the Prime Minister for the...
, McLucas was preselected as the number one candidate on Queensland Labor's ticket for the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
in the October 1998 election. This effectively guaranteed her the seat, and her first term commenced on 1 July 1999. In 2004, McLucas was elected by the Labor caucus to the Federal Shadow Ministry
Shadow Cabinet (Australia)
The Shadow Cabinet of Australia is a group of senior Opposition spokespeople who form an alternative Cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual Minister or portfolio of the Government....
and was allocated responsibility for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers.
McLucas was re-elected to her Senate seat at the 2004 election, with a new term commencing on 1 July 2005. The Senator chaired the two Senate Select Committees of Inquiry into Medicare and was the Chair of the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee.
The Labor Party under Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
won government at the elections held on 24 November 2007. On 3 December 2007, at the creation of the First Rudd Ministry
First Rudd Ministry
The Rudd Ministry was the 65th Australian Commonwealth ministry. It was led by Kevin Rudd of the Australian Labor Party.The Ministry was sworn in by the 24th Governor-General of Australia Major-General Michael Jeffery on 3 December 2007, following the 2007 election, and it ended on 24 June 2010...
, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing.
In May 2009, journalists from The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
and opponents in the Liberal Party claimed that Senator McLucas had effectively been living full-time with her partner in Canberra for several years, and only occasionally visited her officially listed residence in Cairns, which they claimed she mostly rented out to one of her staff.
Prime Minister Rudd refused calls from some in the media to sack her, while the Senator insisted she had claimed travel allowance consistent with the official guidelines. However, on 6 June 2009, it was announced that McLucas had resigned as Parliamentary Secretary "to focus on her senatorial responsibilities for Queensland." However, media speculation suggested the expenses issue and the unfavourable publicity generated by it may have been a factor in the decision.
Senator McLucas was re-elected in the 2010 election and was returned to the Executive when sworn in on 14 September 2010 as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers in the Gillard Government.