Lara Giddings
Encyclopedia
Larissa Tahireh "Lara" Giddings (born 14 November 1972) is an Australian politician and the 44th and current Premier of Tasmania since January 2011. She has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
seat of Franklin
since the 2002 election.
as the youngest woman elected to an Australian Parliament at the age of 23 years, but was defeated at the 1998 election, and then re-elected in the 2002 election in Franklin. Following the resignation of the Premier, Paul Lennon
on 26 May 2008 and the elevation of the Deputy Premier, David Bartlett
to the position of Premier, Giddings was elected as Deputy Australian Labor Party
Leader and sworn in as Deputy Premier.
Giddings obtained Bachelor of Arts
and Bachelor of Laws
degrees from the University of Tasmania
and went on to work in the Australian Senate
as Whip's Clerk, then an electorate officer with Senator Sue Mackay
. She travelled to Britain, where she did some temporary administrative work in London, and later worked as a Parliamentary research officer for the Member for Dunfermline East
, Helen Eadie
, in the Scottish Parliament
. Until her return to parliament in 2002, she worked for the Tasmanian Premier as a speech writer and media assistant.
From 2004 to 2006, Giddings was Minister for Economic Development and Minister for the Arts. Following the 2006 election, she was assigned the role of Minister for Health and Human Services. Shortly after the election, the State Government decided to proceed with building a replacement for the Royal Hobart Hospital
and the significant task of planning the replacement came under Giddings' portfolio. In April 2007, she came under criticism for the poor conditions in the Emergency Department and blamed the Federal Government for under-funding.
In 2008, Giddings became only the second woman in Tasmanian history to be appointed Deputy Premier.
On 23 January 2011, Bartlett announced that he would step down as Premier of Tasmania, and that "Lara Giddings will be an outstanding Premier and will have my full support". On 24 January, the State Parliamentary Labor Party unanimously elected Giddings as the new leader, and thus the new Premier. She is the first female Premier of Tasmania.
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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 Tasmanian House of Assembly
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
seat of Franklin
Division of Franklin (state)
The Electoral Division of Franklin is one of the five electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The division is named after Sir John Franklin, the arctic explorer who was Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land 1837-43...
since the 2002 election.
Parliament and education
She was first elected to parliament in the 1996 election in the electorate of LyonsDivision of Lyons (state)
The Electoral Division of Lyons, Tasmania is one of the 5 electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, the lower house. The division is named after Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia 1931–39, Premier of Tasmania from 1923–1928 and his wife Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman elected to the...
as the youngest woman elected to an Australian Parliament at the age of 23 years, but was defeated at the 1998 election, and then re-elected in the 2002 election in Franklin. Following the resignation of the Premier, Paul Lennon
Paul Lennon
Paul Anthony Lennon is an Australian Labor Party politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 21 March 2004 until his resignation on 26 May 2008. He was member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the seat of Franklin from 1990 until officially resigning on 27 May 2008...
on 26 May 2008 and the elevation of the Deputy Premier, David Bartlett
David Bartlett
David John Bartlett is an Australian former politician in the state of Tasmania, serving as the 43rd Premier of Tasmania from May 2008 until January 2011. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Denison from 2004 to 2011.-Early life:He has been a resident...
to the position of Premier, Giddings was elected as Deputy 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...
Leader and sworn in as Deputy Premier.
Giddings obtained 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 Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degrees from the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
and went on to work 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,...
as Whip's Clerk, then an electorate officer with Senator Sue Mackay
Sue Mackay
Sue Mary Mackay is an Australian politician. She was a Labor member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Tasmania. She was appointed to the Senate on 8 March 1996 and resigned on 29 July 2005....
. She travelled to Britain, where she did some temporary administrative work in London, and later worked as a Parliamentary research officer for the Member for Dunfermline East
Dunfermline East (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dunfermline East was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
, Helen Eadie
Helen Eadie
Helen Eadie is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician and has represented Dunfermline East in the Scottish Parliament since 1999.-Background:...
, in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. Until her return to parliament in 2002, she worked for the Tasmanian Premier as a speech writer and media assistant.
From 2004 to 2006, Giddings was Minister for Economic Development and Minister for the Arts. Following the 2006 election, she was assigned the role of Minister for Health and Human Services. Shortly after the election, the State Government decided to proceed with building a replacement for the Royal Hobart Hospital
Royal Hobart Hospital
The Royal Hobart Hospital is a public hospital located the in Hobart CBD, Tasmania, Australia. The RHH also functions as a teaching hospital in co-operation with University of Tasmania. The hospital's research facilities are known as the RHH Research Foundation.The hospital is run by the Tasmanian...
and the significant task of planning the replacement came under Giddings' portfolio. In April 2007, she came under criticism for the poor conditions in the Emergency Department and blamed the Federal Government for under-funding.
In 2008, Giddings became only the second woman in Tasmanian history to be appointed Deputy Premier.
On 23 January 2011, Bartlett announced that he would step down as Premier of Tasmania, and that "Lara Giddings will be an outstanding Premier and will have my full support". On 24 January, the State Parliamentary Labor Party unanimously elected Giddings as the new leader, and thus the new Premier. She is the first female Premier of Tasmania.
Private life
Giddings is not married and does not have a partner. She has acknowledged that her political career may mean that she never has children.External links
- Lara Giddings – Parliamentary library profile
- Lara Giddings official website
- Lara Giddings – Labor party profile
- Lara Giddings' inaugural speech to parliament
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