Jacqueline Michelle Ann Lensink (born 20 February 1970) is an Australia

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, since 26 June 2003, a Liberal Party of Australia

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...

 member in the South Australian Legislative Council

South Australian Legislative Council

The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...

.

Education

Lensink was educated at Stirling East Primary School and Marryatville High School

Marryatville High School

Marryatville High School is a public state school in Adelaide, South Australia. It was founded in 1976 during the Don Dunstan era of South Australia and was formed out of the old Norwood Boys Technical High School. The school is situated on a large area of land in the eastern suburb of...

, before attending the University of South Australia

University of South Australia

The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...

, where she was awarded a Bachelor of Applied Science

Bachelor of Applied Science

The Bachelor of Applied Science, often abbreviated as BAS, BSAS. BASc or BAppSc is an undergraduate degree awarded for a course of study that generally lasts three to four years in the United Kingdom and Australia, and four to six years in Canada, the Netherlands and the United States.-Usage:In...

 (Physiotherapy) in 1991. In 2003 she was awarded an MBA from the University of Adelaide

University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...

.

Early career

From 1991-1994, she worked as a physiotherapist at Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park

Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park

The Repatriation General Hospital at Daw Park, South Australia , also commonly referred to as "The Repat" or just "Repat", is one of a number of Repatriation General Hospitals set up by the Commonwealth Government around the time of World War II to cater for returned serviceman...

, before moving into the political arena.

From 1994-1996 she worked as the Policy Researcher to the Federal Member for Sturt, who at the time was also Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security (with responsibility for Child Support policy), and from 1998-2002, she worked as Ministerial Adviser to Hon Robert Lawson QC

Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...

 MLC

South Australian Legislative Council

The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...

.

From 2002-2003 she worked as the Executive Officer of the Aged Care Association of Australia, SA (formerly ANHECA).

Member of the Legislative Council

Since her appointment to the Legislative Council in May 2003, Lensink has been a member of many parliamentary committees, and has been appointed to numerous positions in the Shadow Ministry, including:

• Assisting Shadow Minister for Health
• Assisting Shadow Minister for Transport
• Shadow Minister for Status for Women
• Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Shadow Minister for Environment & Conservation
• Shadow Minister for Security and Infrastructure
• Shadow Minister for Gambling
• Shadow Minister for Government Enterprises
• Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs

Since 26 Jan 2008, she has also been Deputy Leader in the Legislative Council.

Parliamentary Committee Memberships
09 Jul 2003	01 May 2006	Member	Social Development Committee	50th Parliament
09 Jul 2003		Member	Printing Committee	50th Parliament
22 Oct 2003	06 Apr 2005	Member	Status of Fathers in South Australia	50th Parliament
12 Dec 2005		Acting Chairperson	Assessment and Treatment Services for People with Mental Health Disorders	50th Parliament
02 May 2006	23 Apr 2007	Member	Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee	51st Parliament
02 May 2006	23 Apr 2007	Member	Statutory Authorities Review Committee	51st Parliament
24 Apr 2007		Member	Environment, Resources and Development Committee	51st Parliament
02 Apr 2008	03 Feb 2009	Member	Proposed Sale and Redevelopment of the Glenside Hospital Site	51st Parliament
09 Apr 2008	25 Nov 2008	Member	Impact of Peak Oil on South Australia	51st Parliament

Public activities

She has been very heavily involved in a large number community causes, committees and activities.

• MBA Alumni Association, University of Adelaide
• National Trust of South Australia
• University of South Australia Alumni Association
• Asia Pacific Business Council for Women
• Commonwealth Club
• Australian Institute of International Affairs
• Stirling District Residents Association Inc
• The Nora Heysen Foundation Inc
• Australian Biotechnology Students Association (ABSA)
• Business and Professional Women (BPW)
• Australian Federation of University Women
• Friend of the Art Gallery of South Australia
• Hills Disability Housing Association
• Friend of the Helpmann Academy
• Friend of the South Australian Women’s Trust
• Friends of the Stirling Library
• Business and Parliamentary Trust
• Young Women’s Christian Association Committee and Organisational Roles
• Lead Presenter, International Democratic Union Young Leaders’ Forum
• Presenter, 3rd Asia Pacific Young Leaders Conference, Taiwan
• Adelaide 21 – Capital City Steering Committee
• Secondary Students Assessment Board (SSABSA), Politics Subject Advisory Committee
• Premier’s Constitutional Taskforce
• Constitutional Centenary Foundation
• Schools Conventions Organising Group
• Adelaide University Alumni Debater
• Inaugural Member, South Australian Youth Political Forum
• Co-organiser, Youth Environment Forum
• Chair, Public Youth Forum, Mount Barker

Political activities

From 1991-1995, Michelle served as a member of the Young Liberal Executive, and in July 1995 she was elected South Australian Young Liberal President where she served for two years. In January 1996, she became the Federal Young Liberal Movement’s Treasurer.

In 2001 she was selected at number four on the Liberal Party’s Senate ticket for the 2001 Federal Election.

After the retirement of the Honourable Diana Laidlaw

Diana Laidlaw

Diana Laidlaw was a South Australian Liberal politician, an elected member of the Legislative Council and held several ministerial posts.- Biography :...

, Michelle was selected to fill her casual vacancy and was appointed to the Legislative Council in May 2003. In March 2006, she was elected for a further 8 year term and was subsequently promoted to the Front Bench in April 2006 as Shadow Minister for Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Status of Women, and Correctional Services.

External links

• http://www.michellelensink.com/