Judy Spence
Encyclopedia
Judith Caroline "Judy" Spence (born 19 May 1957) is an Australian politician and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for the Australian Labor Party
since the 1989 election. She represented Mount Gravatt
until 2009, but after a redistribution she switched to Sunnybank
, which covered much of the same territory. She has been Leader of the House, a role responsible for the co-ordination and management of Government business in the Assembly, since 7 April 2009.
Spence was born in Brisbane
on 19 May 1957 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts
and Diploma of Teaching before becoming a secondary school teacher. She was elected to Parliament at the 1989 election on 2 December 1989, defeating National
MP Ian Henderson and becoming the first Labor member for the seat in 32 years. She was a member of various committees and, upon the defeat of the Goss government as a result of the Mundingburra by-election
, became Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs and Women in the Beattie shadow cabinet in February 1996, adding Aboriginal and Islander Affairs to her shadow responsibilities in December 1996.
After the 1998 state election, where Labor won minority government, she became Minister for Women's Policy, Aboriginal and Islander Affairs and Fair Trading in the Beattie Ministry
. In 2000, she resigned from the Left faction of the Labor Party and joined the dominant Labor Unity faction. At the 2001 state election, she retained Aboriginal and Islander Affairs but otherwise moved to Families and Disability Services. In 2004 she was promoted to Minister for Police and Corrective Services, in which she served until the 2009 election. She was demoted to Parliamentary Secretary assisting the Premier and Minister for Arts at this time by Premier Anna Bligh
, attributed by some analysts to the settling of a dispute arising from her earlier factional switch, but she was appointed Leader of the House a couple of weeks later.
She is a member of Amnesty International
and several schools' Parents & Citizens committees.She has signalled she will resign at the next Queensland election.
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
for 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...
since the 1989 election. She represented Mount Gravatt
Electoral district of Mount Gravatt
Mount Gravatt was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 1950 to 2009.The district was based in the southern suburbs of Brisbane...
until 2009, but after a redistribution she switched to Sunnybank
Electoral district of Sunnybank
The district of Sunnybank is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district is based in the area of southern suburbs of Brisbane previously named as the suburb of Sunnybank before Sunnybank was broken up into smaller suburbs...
, which covered much of the same territory. She has been Leader of the House, a role responsible for the co-ordination and management of Government business in the Assembly, since 7 April 2009.
Spence was born 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...
on 19 May 1957 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Diploma of Teaching before becoming a secondary school teacher. She was elected to Parliament at the 1989 election on 2 December 1989, defeating National
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...
MP Ian Henderson and becoming the first Labor member for the seat in 32 years. She was a member of various committees and, upon the defeat of the Goss government as a result of the Mundingburra by-election
Mundingburra state by-election, 1996
The Mundingburra state by-election, 1996 was a by-election held on 3 February 1996 for the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Mundingburra, located in the southern suburbs of Townsville...
, became Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs and Women in the Beattie shadow cabinet in February 1996, adding Aboriginal and Islander Affairs to her shadow responsibilities in December 1996.
After the 1998 state election, where Labor won minority government, she became Minister for Women's Policy, Aboriginal and Islander Affairs and Fair Trading in the Beattie Ministry
Beattie Ministry
The Beattie Ministry was a Ministry of the Government of Queensland, led by Labor Premier Peter Beattie. It commenced on 26 June 1998, thirteen days after the Borbidge Ministry, led by Premier Rob Borbidge of the National Party, was defeated at the 1998 election...
. In 2000, she resigned from the Left faction of the Labor Party and joined the dominant Labor Unity faction. At the 2001 state election, she retained Aboriginal and Islander Affairs but otherwise moved to Families and Disability Services. In 2004 she was promoted to Minister for Police and Corrective Services, in which she served until the 2009 election. She was demoted to Parliamentary Secretary assisting the Premier and Minister for Arts at this time by Premier Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh is an Australian politician and the Premier of Queensland since 2007. The 2009 Queensland state election was the first time a female-led political party won or retained state or federal government in Australia...
, attributed by some analysts to the settling of a dispute arising from her earlier factional switch, but she was appointed Leader of the House a couple of weeks later.
She is a member of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and several schools' Parents & Citizens committees.She has signalled she will resign at the next Queensland election.