Jenny Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Ann Gardiner (born 6 October 1950) is an Australia
n politician and National Party of Australia
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
. Gardiner has been a member of the Council since 25 May 1991 and is serving her third term in that Council. She is currently the Deputy Leader of The Nationals in the NSW Legislative Council and the Coalition Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health.
, South Australia. She attended primary school in Victoria
. Her secondary education was undertaken in Victoria and then in New South Wales.
After leaving school, she obtained a Bachelor of Business through the Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst, New South Wales
, now part of Charles Sturt University
.
. Gardiner worked her way up to become State Secretary of the YACP - NSW and was elected as a delegate to the Central Council of the Australian Country Party - NSW in the mid-1970s. Gardiner moved to Sydney and began work at the New South Wales headquarters of the then Australian Country Party as a research officer working under the leadership of Colonel Bill Ford OBE, General Secretary and then as Executive Officer to Charles Blunt
, General Secretary. She was eventually to become the General Secretary of the NSW Branch of the National Party of Australia between 1984 and 1991 and the first woman to hold that position.
During her term as General Secretary of the NSW National Party, at the request of the National Party Federal Leader, Doug Anthony
, Gardiner undertook an analysis of the implications of a Hawke Labor Government proposal in 1984 to increase the number of Members in the Australian House of Representatives
. The Opposition Coalitiion was formally opposed to the proposal. Gardnier's analysis indicated that the National Party could benefit from an expanded House and National Party Senators crossed the floor to vote with Labor in support of the motion. Gardiner was also influential in persuading the Liberal Party to avoid three-cornered contests in country NSW seats.
During the failed 1987 Joh for Canberra
campaign to install Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
as Prime Minister, in a highly unusual move for a paid party official, Gardiner issued a media release critical of the Queensland National Party. Gardiner was General Secretary when the NSW National Party achieved its most successful post-WWII outcome at the NSW general elections held on 19 March 1988 when the party won 20 out of 26 seats contested in the Legislative Assembly
that swept the Unsworth
Labor Government from office.
In an unpublished manuscript, Gardiner has written about the history of the NSW Young Nationals.
, MLC. She was re-elected to the Council in both 1999
and 2007 and had the fifth highest quota in both elections. She was number two on the Liberal/Nationals election ticket and since 31 March 2003 is the Deputy Leader of The Nationals in the Legislative Council.
In Parliament, she currently serves on the following committees:
She has been nominated a Temporary Chair of Committees, along with Kayee Griffin
, Sylvia Hale
, Robyn Parker
, Christine Robertson
and Helen Westwood
.
Previous Parliamentary position include:
Gardiner served on the Advisory Council for Charles Sturt University between 1991 and 1995.
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 and National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member of 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...
. Gardiner has been a member of the Council since 25 May 1991 and is serving her third term in that Council. She is currently the Deputy Leader of The Nationals in the NSW Legislative Council and the Coalition Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health.
Early years
Gardiner was born in PenolaPenola, South Australia
Penola is located 388 km south east of Adelaide and is in the heart of one of South Australia's most productive wine growing areas. Coonawarra lies just to the north and is renowned for the quality of its red wines...
, South Australia. She attended primary school in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Her secondary education was undertaken in Victoria and then in New South Wales.
After leaving school, she obtained a Bachelor of Business through the Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst, New South Wales
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, now part of Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
.
National Party political activity
Gardiner commenced her working life as a junior clerk working in a legal office in Tamworth where she played an active role in the Young Australian Country Party - NSW (YACP - NSW) - the NSW youth branch of the Party now known as the Young Nationals (Australia)Young Nationals (Australia)
The Young Nationals, is the youth division of the National Party of Australia, and membership is open to those between 18 and 35 years of age. Young Nationals also have full party membership, and partake in state and federal conferences with equal rights to members of the senior party...
. Gardiner worked her way up to become State Secretary of the YACP - NSW and was elected as a delegate to the Central Council of the Australian Country Party - NSW in the mid-1970s. Gardiner moved to Sydney and began work at the New South Wales headquarters of the then Australian Country Party as a research officer working under the leadership of Colonel Bill Ford OBE, General Secretary and then as Executive Officer to Charles Blunt
Charles Blunt
Charles William Blunt Australian politician and businessman, was leader of the National Party of Australia from 1989 to 1990....
, General Secretary. She was eventually to become the General Secretary of the NSW Branch of the National Party of Australia between 1984 and 1991 and the first woman to hold that position.
During her term as General Secretary of the NSW National Party, at the request of the National Party Federal Leader, Doug Anthony
Doug Anthony
John Douglas Anthony, AC, CH , is a former Australian politician. He was leader of the National Party from 1971 to 1984, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1975 to 1983.-Early life:...
, Gardiner undertook an analysis of the implications of a Hawke Labor Government proposal in 1984 to increase the number of Members in the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. The Opposition Coalitiion was formally opposed to the proposal. Gardnier's analysis indicated that the National Party could benefit from an expanded House and National Party Senators crossed the floor to vote with Labor in support of the motion. Gardiner was also influential in persuading the Liberal Party to avoid three-cornered contests in country NSW seats.
During the failed 1987 Joh for Canberra
Joh for Canberra
The Joh for Canberra or Joh for PM campaign was an attempt by the Queensland branch of the National Party of Australia to install Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen as Prime Minister of Australia....
campaign to install Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
as Prime Minister, in a highly unusual move for a paid party official, Gardiner issued a media release critical of the Queensland National Party. Gardiner was General Secretary when the NSW National Party achieved its most successful post-WWII outcome at the NSW general elections held on 19 March 1988 when the party won 20 out of 26 seats contested in the 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...
that swept the Unsworth
Barrie Unsworth
Barrie John Unsworth was an Australian politician, representing the Australian Labor Party in the Parliament of New South Wales from 1978 to 1991. He served as the 36th Premier from July 1986 to March 1988.-Early years:...
Labor Government from office.
In an unpublished manuscript, Gardiner has written about the history of the NSW Young Nationals.
New South Wales state political career
Gardiner was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council on 25 May 1991 replacing the Honourable Judy JakinsJudy Jakins
Judith Helen "Judy" Jakins, née Penzer is a former Australian politician. She was a National Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1984 to 1991....
, MLC. She was re-elected to the Council in both 1999
New South Wales state election, 1999
Elections to the 52nd Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 27 March 1999. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
and 2007 and had the fifth highest quota in both elections. She was number two on the Liberal/Nationals election ticket and since 31 March 2003 is the Deputy Leader of The Nationals in the Legislative Council.
In Parliament, she currently serves on the following committees:
- General Purpose Standing Committee (Member since 2003 - )
- Privileges Committee, where she is the Deputy Chair (Member since 2003 - , Deputy Chair since 2007 - )
- Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (Member since 2004 - )
- Privileges Committee, where she is Deputy Chair.
She has been nominated a Temporary Chair of Committees, along with Kayee Griffin
Kayee Griffin
Kayee Frances Griffin is an Australian politician and former Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, serving from 2003 until her retirement in 2011....
, Sylvia Hale
Sylvia Hale
Sylvia Phyllis Hale is a social justice, community and environmental campaigner, and a former Australian politician. She was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 2003 to 2010 for the Greens....
, Robyn Parker
Robyn Parker
Robyn Mary Parker MP , an Australian politician, is the New South Wales Minister for Environment and Minister for Heritage in the O'Farrell-Stoner Liberal/National coalitition government...
, Christine Robertson
Christine Robertson
Christine Mary Robertson is an Australian politician and former Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, serving from 2003 until her retirement in 2011....
and Helen Westwood
Helen Westwood
Helen Westwood is an Australian politician and Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Westwood has been a member of the Council since 24 March 2007.-Personal and early life:...
.
Previous Parliamentary position include:
- Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (2003–2007)
- Temporary Chair of Committees (2003–2007)
- Select Committee on Electoral and Political Party Funding (2007–2008)
- Joint Select Committee Upon Gun Law Reform (1991) that drafted gun reform laws
Gardiner served on the Advisory Council for Charles Sturt University between 1991 and 1995.