Jaye Radisich
Encyclopedia
Jaye Amber Radisich is an Australia
n politician. She was Australian Labor Party
member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
from 2001 to 2008, representing the electorate of Swan Hills
. Radisich was the youngest woman ever to be elected to the Western Australian parliament.
Radisich was born and raised in Perth
. She attended Mount Lawley Senior High School
, where she was active in the student council, and won the belle of the ball class of 1993. Radisich went on to study arts and law at the University of Western Australia
. Radisich became involved in student politics while at university, and served as a member of the National Union of Students
executive, and the Vice-President (Asia-Pacific) of the International Union of Socialist Youth
. While at university, she worked two jobs, as a check-out operator at a budget cosmetics chain and a research officer. She was juggling these commitments with the final year of her degree when she won pre-selection to contest the theoretically safe Liberal
seat of Swan Hills as the Labor candidate for the 2001 state election.
Swan Hills was held by a sitting Liberal minister in the Court
government, June van de Klashorst, and in the leadup to the poll, there was little sign that she was in any danger of losing the seat. In a major upset, the Labor vote increased enough that Radisich was able to narrowly defeat van de Klashorst with the assistance of Liberals for Forests
and One Nation preferences. She became the second-youngest person, and the youngest woman, to be elected to the Western Australian parliament.
Radisich was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in the early months of her term, and she continued to work while undergoing chemotherapy. She had a kidney removed in 2002, and ultimately recovered. While she was not appointed to the ministry, she served on the Joint Standing Committee on the Anti-Commission Corruption and the Public Accounts Committee during her term.
She faced re-election at the February 2005 election, and was widely expected to lose her seat, due to the surprise result that had elected her in 2001 and a redistribution that had further slashed her tenuous margin. Radisich herself claimed that "many people" had anticipated her defeat. However, as the election drew closer, some analysts began to predict that she could hold on. These assertions were proved correct when, on election day, Radisich received a swing of more than 3%, and held onto her seat.
In the leadup to the 2008 state election
, Radisich sought preselection for the new seat of West Swan
, a safer seat for Labor than the more marginal Swan Hills. However, after reports stating that she would likely lose in any preselection contest for West Swan to Rita Saffioti
, the chief of staff to Premier Alan Carpenter
, she announced that she would retire from politics at the next election. Radisich expressed a desire to pursue other ambitions, including post-graduate study and public policy interests at a Federal level.
Graham Giffard
, a then-sitting MLC, won Labor Party pre-selection for Swan Hills
and lost the seat to the Liberal
candidate Frank Alban in the 2008 election
.
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. She was 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...
member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
from 2001 to 2008, representing the electorate of Swan Hills
Electoral district of Swan Hills
-External links:* ABC Election Profiles: * WAEC District Maps:...
. Radisich was the youngest woman ever to be elected to the Western Australian parliament.
Radisich was born and raised in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. She attended Mount Lawley Senior High School
Mount Lawley Senior High School
Mount Lawley Senior High School is a state high school in the Perth suburb of Mount Lawley, Western Australia.- Notable alumni :* Holly Deane-Johns* Marcus Graham* David Helfgott* Tammy MacIntosh* Nikita Rukavytsya* James Smillie* Graeme Snooks...
, where she was active in the student council, and won the belle of the ball class of 1993. Radisich went on to study arts and law at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. Radisich became involved in student politics while at university, and served as a member of the National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
executive, and the Vice-President (Asia-Pacific) of the International Union of Socialist Youth
International Union of Socialist Youth
The International Union of Socialist Youth encompasses socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organizations from more than 100 states of the world...
. While at university, she worked two jobs, as a check-out operator at a budget cosmetics chain and a research officer. She was juggling these commitments with the final year of her degree when she won pre-selection to contest the theoretically safe 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...
seat of Swan Hills as the Labor candidate for the 2001 state election.
Swan Hills was held by a sitting Liberal minister in the Court
Richard Court
Richard Fairfax Court AC , was a Western Australian politician, representing the seat of Nedlands in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the Liberal Party of Australia from 1982 to 2001. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001.Court was born into an old political...
government, June van de Klashorst, and in the leadup to the poll, there was little sign that she was in any danger of losing the seat. In a major upset, the Labor vote increased enough that Radisich was able to narrowly defeat van de Klashorst with the assistance of Liberals for Forests
Liberals for Forests
Liberals for Forests is an Australian political minor party. It has contested both state and federal elections in recent years, but has only achieved one elected representative - Janet Woollard in Western Australia...
and One Nation preferences. She became the second-youngest person, and the youngest woman, to be elected to the Western Australian parliament.
Radisich was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in the early months of her term, and she continued to work while undergoing chemotherapy. She had a kidney removed in 2002, and ultimately recovered. While she was not appointed to the ministry, she served on the Joint Standing Committee on the Anti-Commission Corruption and the Public Accounts Committee during her term.
She faced re-election at the February 2005 election, and was widely expected to lose her seat, due to the surprise result that had elected her in 2001 and a redistribution that had further slashed her tenuous margin. Radisich herself claimed that "many people" had anticipated her defeat. However, as the election drew closer, some analysts began to predict that she could hold on. These assertions were proved correct when, on election day, Radisich received a swing of more than 3%, and held onto her seat.
In the leadup to the 2008 state election
Western Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
, Radisich sought preselection for the new seat of West Swan
Electoral district of West Swan
West Swan is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth....
, a safer seat for Labor than the more marginal Swan Hills. However, after reports stating that she would likely lose in any preselection contest for West Swan to Rita Saffioti
Rita Saffioti
Rita Saffioti MLA is a Western Australian Labor politician, representing the seat of West Swan in the state's Legislative Assembly.Ms Saffioti became the inaugural member for West Swan in the WA State election of 6 September 2008....
, the chief of staff to Premier Alan Carpenter
Alan Carpenter
Alan John Carpenter is a former Australian politician. He was the 28th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop...
, she announced that she would retire from politics at the next election. Radisich expressed a desire to pursue other ambitions, including post-graduate study and public policy interests at a Federal level.
Graham Giffard
Graham Giffard
Graham Thomas Giffard is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 2000 to 2008, representing the North Metropolitan Region....
, a then-sitting MLC, won Labor Party pre-selection for Swan Hills
Electoral district of Swan Hills
-External links:* ABC Election Profiles: * WAEC District Maps:...
and lost the seat to 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...
candidate Frank Alban in the 2008 election
Western Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
.